Topics

Papers are welcomed in the following research fields:

 Sustainable Energy Systems & Technology

This domain centers on the transition to a low-carbon energy infrastructure

• Renewable Energy Generation:

  • Solar Power: High-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells (Perovskites, Tandem cells), floating solar farms, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).

  • Wind Power: Turbine design optimization, Floating Offshore Wind technology, lightweight composite materials.

  • Bioenergy: Advanced biofuels (from non-food biomass, algae, and waste), Biogas, Bio-refinery systems.

  • Geothermal and Hydro: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), Micro-hydro, Tidal and Wave energy.

• Energy Storage & Conversion:

  • Battery Technology: Advanced materials (Solid-state, Lithium-Sulfur, Sodium-ion), Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) like iron-air or flow batteries.

  • Hydrogen Economy: Green Hydrogen production (electrolysis using renewable power), Blue Hydrogen with Carbon Capture, Fuel Cells (PEMFC, SOFC), Storage and transport infrastructure.

* **Thermal Storage:** Using molten salts or Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for industrial or grid-scale heat retention.

• Smart Grids & Efficiency:

  • Smart Grid: Decentralized energy systems, Microgrids, AI-powered load forecasting and demand response.

  • Energy Efficiency: Industrial heat integration, smart HVAC, and Building Management Systems (BMS) to automate energy use.

Green Engineering & Resource Management

This pillar focuses on minimizing resource depletion, waste, and pollution in industrial processes.

• Circular Economy & Waste Valorization:

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Quantifying the environmental impact of a product from "cradle to grave" (or "cradle to cradle").

  • Resource Efficiency: Industrial symbiosis (waste from one facility becomes feedstock for another).

  • Advanced Recycling: Chemical recycling (breaking polymers back into monomers), upcycling, and Urban Mining (recovering precious metals from e-waste).

• Green Chemistry & Green Chemical Engineering:

  • Sustainable Solvents: Using water, supercritical CO2, or ionic liquids instead of hazardous organic solvents.

  • Catalysis: Developing highly selective, non-toxic catalysts (Biocatalysis, Photocatalysis).

  • Process Intensification (PI): Using technologies like microreactors and reactive distillation to increase efficiency and safety while reducing plant size.

• Sustainable Materials Science:

  • Green Materials: Bio-based and biodegradable polymers, sustainable concrete alternatives (low-carbon concrete), and self-healing materials.

  • Sustainable Manufacturing: Additive manufacturing (3D printing) for reduced material waste, and closed-loop manufacturing systems.

 Environmental Mitigation & Climate Tech

This area covers technologies designed to remove pollutants and address climate change directly.

• Carbon Management:

  • Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS): Post-combustion capture, Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies, and conversion of CO2 into fuels or chemicals (CO2 Utilization).

  • Carbon Sequestration: Natural (forestation, soil management) and enhanced mineralization.

• Water Management & Treatment:

  • Desalination: Energy-efficient membrane technologies (Reverse Osmosis, Nanofiltration).

  • Wastewater Treatment: Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), resource recovery from wastewater (nutrients, energy).

  • Water-Energy Nexus: Optimizing water usage in energy production and vice versa.

• Pollution & Remediation:

  • Air Pollution Control: Advanced systems for removing NOx, SOx, and fine particulate matter.

  • Contaminant Removal: Technologies for remediating soils and water contaminated with emerging contaminants (e.g., PFAS, microplastics).

 Sustainable Infrastructure & Cross-Disciplinary Topics

These topics integrate the core technologies into the built environment and leverage advanced computation.

• Sustainable Infrastructure & Built Environment:

  • Green Buildings: LEED/BREEAM standards, high-performance facades, smart ventilation and lighting systems.

  • Low-Carbon Construction: Using materials that reduce embodied carbon.

  • Smart Cities: Sustainable urban planning, integrating electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, and using sensors for resource optimization.

• Cross-Disciplinary Trends:

  • AI and Machine Learning: Using predictive analytics for grid optimization, material discovery (AI-guided catalyst design), and emissions monitoring.

  • Sustainable Transport: Electrification of transport (EVs), hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuels.

  • Environmental Policy & Economics: Carbon pricing, regulatory compliance, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting standards.