Rice University

Member Detail

Rice University
Energy and Environmental Systems Institute
6100 Main Street, MS 316, Houston, Texas  77005
Website:  www.rice.edu


Member Highlight

Solutions to global energy problems will require materials and technologies that fundamentally change how energy is generated, stored and transmitted. Wind is the fastest growing energy sector in the U.S., and its use and cost-effectiveness are expected to grow as larger, more efficient wind turbines are developed.  Rice researchers are discovering ways to improve turbine efficiency and durability through enhanced aerodynamic and limited-space designs, development of “plug-and-play” strategies for multi-solution vertical axis turbines, and constructional use of advanced nano-composite materials that are inexpensive, environmentally safe, and both stronger and lighter than steel. Nanoscience research at Rice holds additional promise for vastly improved transmission utilizing bundled nanotubes and other nano-based materials to transport electricity efficiently and at lower cost over extremely long distances while improving conductivity and durability of the electric grid and reducing congestion.  Offshore turbines potentially yield up to 50% higher output than onshore units, but they require protection from the ravages of corrosion. Rice researchers have discovered novel methods to treat the root causes of corrosion mechanisms, including fabrication of superhydrophobic nanocoatings that can repel water from steel, and use of Vertical Scanning Interferometry (VSI) -- an innovative, noninvasive imaging technique that examines chemical corrosion as well as microbial corrosion by quantifying the relationship between microbial attachment and mineral surface dynamics.