NuVant Systems, Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana to host hands-on fuel cell short courses
June 1, 2010
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Educators, professionals and private individuals can learn how to create their own fuel cell and collect and analyze data from the cell through two-day courses to be held this summer at the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana.
NuVant Systems Inc. will host hands-on courses about fuel cell membrane and electrode assembly (MEA). The courses will take place Aug. 16 and 17, Aug. 18 and 19, and Aug. 20 and 21.
"Fuel cell research and development involves a learning curve of fabrication and characterization techniques," said Eugene S. Smotkin, founder and CEO of NuVant Systems and professor of materials chemistry at Northeastern University in Boston. "In each two-day workshop, attendees will acquire the skills and background knowledge needed to make and evaluate state-of-the-art MEAs from experts in the field. After they have been assembled, attendees will collect data and analyze it with the experts' assistance."
In addition to hands-on learning, participants will attend lectures from Smotkin, Bogdan Gurau and Piotr Kleszyk of NuVant Systems, Carlo Segre of the Illinois Institute of Technology and Center for Synchrotron Radiation Spectroscopy, and Harry Rivera of the Technology and Education Center for Renewable Energy.
Workshop registration is $1,200 for graduate students, $1,540 for members of the Electrochemical Society and $1,640 for other applicants. An early-bird discount of $150 is available through June 15.
Each two-day course is limited to 12 attendees.
"The hands-on experience of creating MEAs and acquiring and analyzing data makes these short courses one of a kind in the nation," Smotkin said. "This type of learning makes it easier for attendees to share their knowledge with others interested in fuel-cell technology. For example, a high school teacher may want to share this information with students in science courses. By limiting the number of attendees in each course, the experts we have brought together can more comprehensively guide the attendees and enhance the hands-on experience."
After their two-day course concludes, attendees have the option to take home a research-grade, single-cell fuel cell loaded with the attendee's MEA, a CD with lecture slides, an MEA prep manual and lab videos for $575.
A detailed schedule of the courses, instructor biographies, registration guidelines, a map to the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana and information about accommodations can be found online at http://www.nuvant.com/shortcourse/mea.html
About NuVant Systems Inc.
NuVant Systems develops and integrates catalysts and electrolytes for stationary and portable fuel-cell electrode assemblies. NuVant has pending patents for inorganic fuel-cell electrolytes operating at 250-400 degrees Celsius. NuVant's patented high-throughput characterization instrument, the Arraystat System, provides a competitive edge by enabling precise, accurate parallel evaluation of electrode assembly components and fabrication methods under fuel-cell conditions. The Arraystat also will benefit the electrochemical energy storage, electro-synthesis and the electrochemical sensor industries through direct sales or R&D partnering.
About Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana
The Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana sits on 386 acres west of I-65 in Merrillville. This laboratory and office facility serves as the anchor for the state-certified technology park - AmeriPlex at the Crossroads - under development by Purdue Research Foundation and Holladay Properties. The 48,000-square-foot Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana is slated to expand to 60,000 square feet this year. It opened as Purdue's first satellite technology center in January 2005 and currently serves 24 technology-based tenants. Employment within the center currently numbers approximately 100, including researchers with advanced degrees, recent college graduates and interns.
Purdue Research Park contact:
Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org
Source:
Eugene S. Smotkin, 219-644-3231, esmotkin@nuvant.com
