Yuanchao Li (李元超)

Yuanchao Li (李元超)

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Biography

I am Yuanchao Li, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory, specializing in Chemical Engineering and Electrochemistry. My research interests focused on fuel cells and flow batteries, where I made key advancements in fuel cell efficiency and battery energy density.

Interests
  • Material Science and Engineering
  • PEM Fuel Cell
  • Flow Battery
  • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Battery Modelling
Education
  • PhD in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, 2019

    University of Kansas, USA

  • MS in Applied Chemical Engineering, 2014

    Tianjin University, CN

  • BSc in Chemistry, 2011

    Nankai University, CN

  • BEng in Chemical Engineering, 2011

    Tianjin University, CN

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Los Alamos National Laboratory
June 2023 – Present Los Alamos, New Mexico
Develop unitized regenerative fuel cell (URFC): (1) Established baseline performance metrics for the URFC. (2) Developed and implemented a standardized test protocol for URFC research. (3) Engineering a durable and cost-effective titanium-less porous transport layer.
 
 
 
 
 
University of Kansas
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Kansas
April 2019 – June 2023 Lawrence, Kansas
  1. Electrolyte Densification Process for Cost-Efficient Flow Battery Transport: (1) Innovated a method to transform low-concentration aqueous electrolytes into densified gel form without losing activity. (2) Reduced the transportation costs of flow battery electrolytes by 90%, translating to a 20% reduction in the overall capital cost of the flow battery system. (3) Discovered unique electrochemical properties in supersaturated electrolytes during this industry-focused research, paving the way for groundbreaking fundamental studies in a new domain of electrochemistry.
  2. Enhanced PEM Fuel Cell Efficiency through Hydrophobic Ionomer Surface Treatment: (1) Engineered the ionomer surface of PEM fuel cells, achieving a significant 135% increase in peak power output. (2) Collaborated with NIST scientists to analyze and determine the microscopic structures of the ionomer.
  3. Heterogeneous Ionomer Distribution Modeling in PEM Fuel Cells: (1) Developed a comprehensive device model to mathematically represent PEM fuel cells with treated ionomer. (2) Investigated the underlying mechanisms responsible for significant performance enhancements due to ionomer treatment. (3) Proposed advanced material development strategies for further enhancement of PEM fuel cell performance.
  4. Hybrid Form High-Energy-Density Flow Battery for Grid-Scale Storage: (1) Co-invented, alongside my supervisor, a groundbreaking hybrid form (solid and liquid) flow battery, positioning myself as one of the two principal inventors in this pioneering study. (2) Enhanced the storage energy density of the existing flow battery design 4-fold with minimal structural modifications. (3) Mentored two undergrad students and one graduate student to conduct relevant research.

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