We are delighted that Dr LIANG Zhaojian, a PhD graduate from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received the competitive PolyU PhD Thesis Award for Merit (STEM Category).
The PolyU Graduate School establishes the PhD Thesis Award to recognize, reward and promote the distinguished research achievements by graduating PhD students. There are two award classes, namely Outstanding and Merit, recognizing students’ performance of different levels.
Dr Liang completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. LI Mengying and has demonstrated exceptional research achievements through his graduating thesis.
Thesis Title: Theoretical investigations of the transient characteristics of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) under unstable operational conditions
- For contribution to a universal framework managing multi-timescale dynamics in electrochemical devices for renewable energy storage
Chief Supervisor: Prof. LI Mengying
To store fluctuating renewable energy like solar power, efficient and durable energy-conversion devices are essential. Our research investigated how solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) react to rapid changes in power, similar to when a cloud passes over a solar panel. We found that electricity, gas, and heat within the SOEC respond at different timescales: gas adjusts within a second, while heat changes occur over minutes. By connecting the principles of fluid mechanics and electrochemistry, we derived general characteristic times that predict these dynamic behaviors. These characteristic times were validated experimentally and across various electrochemical devices in the literature, establishing a universal framework for designing safer and more efficient energy systems. With these insights, we developed a control method for a solar-powered SOEC system that uses fast gas adjustments to manage slow heat changes. This maintains safe temperatures and high efficiency, making a crucial step for reliable, large-scale renewable energy storage.
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