for Photovoltaics and Basics of Concentrating Photovoltaics

Dr Jianguo Xu

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Time: 13:30pm, April 16, 2008 
Room: # F 310 in the School of Mechanical Engineering Building

Abstract:
Solar energy is an unlimited, clean source of energy. Photovoltaics is an important means of using solar energy. Refrigeration and heat management are essential parts of commercial photovoltaics, especially for concentrating photovoltaics (CPV). This presentation gives a brief discussion on how refrigeration and cooling are used in the PV industry, and some basics of concentrating photovoltaics.

Professor Jiangguo Xu:
Jianguo Xu obtained his PhD from Royal University of Ghent, Belgium in 1986, and did post-doc at Technical University of Clausthal (1987-1988) in Germany，and Stanford University (1989). He joined Air Products and Chemicals, Inc in 1990 as a Senior Process Engineer, and held positions of, progressively, Principal Process Engineer, Senior Principle Process Engineer, Lead Engineer, and in 1999 to date, Engineering Associate. He is also the President and CTO of Sunergy Solar, a technology development company for photovoltaic systems.
  
Jianguo is a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and served as a Director of its Separations Division in 1977-2000, and the Secretary of the division in 2000-2002.
  
Jianguo has 27 issued US patents, and over 200 patents worldwide, ranging from cryogenic air separation, distillation, adsorption, membrane separation, absorption, hydrogen generation, storage, safe dispensing, and fuel cell-fuel processor integration. Many of his inventions have been commercialized in plants worth in total billions of dollars. For example, the PSA process cycles for hydrogen purification that he invented are being used in the hydrogen plants with more than a quarter of the world's total hydrogen manufacturing capacity. His major academic contributions include: development of the most widely accepted kinetic model for steam reforming, the workhorse reaction of the hydrogen industry, introduction of local thermodynamic efficiency for membrane separation, and introduction of the concept of driving force cost for conceptual design and optimization of elemental processes.    
  
Jianguo's scientific and technological interests include: chemical reaction kinetics and reactor design, separations, heat transfer, process optimization, energy conversion and energy storage technologies, including: heat engines, photovoltaics, electrochemical and non-electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices and technology, motives for transportation, and environment cleanup. 
  
Jianguo is a history buff and spends much of his spare time discussing and learning about the history and cultural heritages of his hometown and more.