Sophia Haussener

sophia.haussener@epfl.ch +41 21 693 38 78 http://lrese.epfl.ch

vCard

EPFL STI IGM LRESE
MED 0 2926 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
1015 Lausanne

+41 21 693 38 78
+41 21 693 73 13
Office: MED 0 2926
EPFL › STI › IGM › LRESE

Website: https://lrese.epfl.ch/

+41 21 693 38 78
EPFL › STI › STI-SGM › SGM-ENS

+41 21 693 38 78
EPFL › VPA › VPA-FAC › CPR

+41 21 693 38 78
EPFL › VPA › VPA-AVP-DLE › AVP-DLE-EDOC › EDEY-GE

Website: https://go.epfl.ch/phd-edey

Expertise

Thermal sciences, fluid dynamics and thermo/electro/photochemistry in complex multi-phase media, on multiple scales, for design of efficient energy conversion and storage processes, reactor and device engineering and system optimization

Mission

The mission of LRESE is to develop science and technology for efficient, inexpensive, sustainable, and durable approaches for renewable energy conversion. We focus on solar energy given its exceptional potential. The methodologies I promote incorporate coupled experimental-numerical approaches applying the fundamentals of thermal sciences, fluid dynamics, electro-magnetism, and thermo/electro/photo-chemistry in complex multi-phase/multi-component media on multiple scales. The research program I have established develops both theory and the computational frameworks in order to formulate design guidelines for complex multi-physics and multi-scale processes and devices, and applies and demonstrates these designs for photoelectrochemical and solar-thermal energy conversion and storage processes, enabling applications in other domains (e.g., space, environmental).

Biography Awards Publications Teaching

Sophia Haussener is an Associate Professor heading the Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Her current research is focused on providing design guidelines for thermal, thermochemical, and photoelectrochemical energy conversion reactors through multi-physics modeling. Her research interests include: thermal sciences, fluid dynamics, charge transfer, and thermo/electro/photochemistry in complex multi-phase media on multiple scales. She received her MSc (2007) and PhD (2010) in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich. Between 2011 and 2012, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Joint Center of Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP) and the Energy Environmental Technology Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). She has published over 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She started as an Assistant Professor at EPFL in 2013.

Awards

Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation Prize

2011

ETH Medal

2011

ABB Forschungspreis

2012

Yellott Award

The Amercian Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) - Solar Energy Division

2024

Raymond Viskanta Award

Elsevier and Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer

2019

Cell Press' 50 Scientists that Inspire

Cell Press

2024

Contrasting Views of the Electric Double Layer in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction: Continuum Models vs Molecular Dynamics

E. F. Johnson; S. Haussener

Journal Of Physical Chemistry C. 2024-06-14. DOI : 10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c03469.

Sophia Haussener

Expertise

Mission

Awards

2024

Contrasting Views of the Electric Double Layer in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction: Continuum Models vs Molecular Dynamics

High-throughput parallel testing of ten photoelectrochemical cells for water splitting: case study on the effects of temperature in hematite photoanodes

Reversible photo-electrochemical device for solar hydrogen and power generation

Rate-Determining Step for Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide into Carbon Monoxide at Silver Electrodes

Stability and degradation of (oxy)nitride photocatalysts for solar water splitting

In Situ Synthesis of CuxO/N Doped Graphdiyne with Pyridine N Configuration for Ammonia Production via Nitrate Reduction

Modeling, design and economics of PEC devices

Radiative transfer in luminescent solar concentrators

Quantifying mass transport limitations in a microfluidic CO2 electrolyzer with a gas diffusion cathode

2023

Surface Charge Boundary Condition Often Misused in CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction Models

Kilowatt-scale solar hydrogen production system using a concentrated integrated photoelectrochemical device

Recognizing the life and scientific contributions of a pioneer in solar thermochemistry: Prof. Aldo Steinfeld

Geodesic Convolutional Neural Network Characterization of Macro-Porous Latent Thermal Energy Storage

Design and operational guidelines of solar-driven catalytic conversion of CO2 and H2 to fuels

Single emulsion drops for photocatalytic water splitting as a membrane-free approach to product separation

Morphology and Transport Characterization of Catalyst Layers for CO2 Reduction

Photoelectrochemical behaviour of photoanodes under high photon fluxes

A holistic investigation of photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Photovoltaics at multi-terawatt scale: Waiting is not an option

Pathways to enhance electrochemical CO2 reduction identified through direct pore-level modeling

Multiphysics model for assessing photoelectrochemical phenomena under concentrated irradiation

Assessment of the technological viability of photoelectrochemical devices for oxygen and fuel production on Moon and Mars

2022

Solar fuel processing: Comparative mini-review on research, technology development, and scaling

Modeling the Photostability of Solar Water-Splitting Devices and Stabilization Strategies

Multi-configuration evaluation of a megajoule-scale high-temperature latent thermal test-bed

Integrated solar-driven high-temperature electrolysis operating with concentrated irradiation

Enhanced Solar-to-Fuel Efficiency of Ceria-Based Thermochemical Cycles via Integrated Electrochemical Oxygen Pumping

Photo‐Electrochemical Conversion of CO 2 Under Concentrated Sunlight Enables Combination of High Reaction Rate and Efficiency

Multi-Scale Study of High-Temperature Latent Heat Storage With Metallic Phase Change Materials

Modulating electric field distribution by alkali cations for CO2 electroreduction in strongly acidic medium

Design guidelines for next-generation sodium-nickel-chloride batteries

Modeling and assessment of high-temperature photo-electrochemical devices

Conductive Heat Transfer in Partially Saturated Gas Diffusion Layers with Evaporative Cooling

2021

Prospects and challenges in designing photocatalytic particle suspension reactors for solar fuel processing

Numerical characterization and engineering of transport in morphologically complex heterogeneous media

Non-uniform porous structures and cycling control for optimized fixed-bed solar thermochemical water splitting

Multiphase transport and evaporative cooling in fuel cell gas diffusion layers

Modeling and design guidelines of high-temperature photoelectrochemical devices

Buoyancy-driven melting and solidification heat transfer analysis in encapsulated phase change materials

2020

Mitigating voltage losses in photoelectrochemical cell scale-up

Pressure Drop and Convective Heat Transfer in Different SiSiC Structures Fabricated by Indirect Additive Manufacturing

Design guidelines for Al-12%Si latent heat storage encapsulations to optimize performance and mitigate degradation

Optimizing and Implementing Light Trapping in Thin-Film, Mesostructured Photoanodes

Dynamic system modeling of thermally-integrated concentrated PV-electrolysis

Numerical optimization of evaporative cooling in artificial gas diffusion layers for fuel cell applications

Sodium plating and stripping from Na-β"-alumina ceramics beyond 1000 mA/cm2

Theoretical maximum photogeneration efficiency and performance characterization of InxGa1-xN/Si tandem water-splitting photoelectrodes

Multi-physical characterization of cellular ceramics for high-temperature applications

Practical challenges in the development of photoelectrochemical solar fuels production

Effective conductivity of porous ceramics in a radiative environment

2019

Majority Charge Carrier Transport in Particle-based Photoelectrodes

Rapid Performance Optimization Method for Photoelectrodes

Kinetic Competition between Water-Splitting and Photocorrosion Reactions in Photoelectrochemical Devices

A thermally synergistic photo-electrochemical hydrogen generator operating under concentrated solar irradiation

Pcm-based heat exchanger and uses thereof

Integrated photo-electrochemical device for concentrated irradiation

Design and optimization of a high-temperature latent heat storage unit

Modeling and experimentation of conductive and radiative transfer through heterogeneous insulators in high-flux environments

Preparation of high-conductivity, high-capacity phase change media capsules with enhanced thermos-chemical stability in thermal energy storage applications

Material and mesostructural design guidelines for high performing photoelectrodes

Sequential Cascade Electrocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to C-C Coupled Products

Optimizing Mesostructured Silver Catalysts for Selective Carbon Dioxide Conversion into Fuels

Linking Morphology and Multi-Physical Transport in Structured Electrodes

Controlling strategies to maximize reliability of integrated photo-electrochemical devices exposed to realistic disturbances

Unsteady Radiative Heat Transfer Model of a Ceria Particle Suspension Undergoing Solar Thermochemical Reduction

Inverse Analysis of Radiative Flux Maps for the Characterization of High Flux Sources

2018

Integrated photo-electrochemical device for concentrated irradiation

Solar production of nylon polymers and prescursors for nylon polymer production

Continuum-scale Modeling of Solar Water-splitting Devices