Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design

Use DFT in Quantum ESPRESSO to compare lead-free perovskite absorbers, predict band gaps, and build computational screening skills.

Build an aluminum-air cell and learn how electrode surface area changes impedance, voltage, and power with simple quantitative testing.

Compare methane yield from food waste digesters and build ADM1 modeling skills to test how mixed feedstocks change biogas output.

Measure how UV light changes anthocyanin solar cell output, build calibration curves, and model degradation kinetics with simple phone-based tools.

Test how humidity cycling changes triboelectric output in biodegradable films, and build a clean data set with calibration and controls.

Measure how step frequency changes TENG output, then use phone IMU data to link walking patterns with harvested energy.

Test how a hybrid solar and rain-harvesting shingle changes energy output under different weather patterns while practicing measurement and analysis.

Test how owl-feather-inspired serrations change turbine noise, then analyze dB levels and FFT patterns to build real acoustic engineering skills.

Model the methylcyclohexane and toluene hydrogen cycle, compare process choices, and learn thermodynamic simulation for clean energy design.

Test how well calcium chloride hexahydrate stores and releases heat across cycles, then analyze reversibility, losses, and stability.