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1Issue 2 10 February 2018
In January, a number of labs have been commissioned and certified for operation including the Imaging and Characterization Labs, Solar Thin Film/Printed Thin Film Labs, Smart Grid Lab, Bioanalytical Lab. All QEERI lab safety plans and procedures have been established. We also commissioned and tested Qatar’s first high field NMR equipment. In other news, QEERI was represented at the EPA conference, and we also saw our work published in important journals. Keep up the good work! - Dr Marc Vermeersch
QEERI’s weekly seminars for the year kicked off on 11 January 2018 with a special seminar by Dr Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President for Research at HBKU. He spoke on the topic, ‘Antibodies-Nature’s Analytical Masterpieces’. It was attended by QEERI and HBKU staff.
QEERI’s work highlighted at EPA Air Quality conference
Welcome Note
The newsletter of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute
“You have to be confident enough to believe in yourself, and also, you have to be humble enough to think beyond yourself.” - Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation
Seminars begin for 2018
Issue 2 10 February 2018
The work being done by QEERI to positively impact the air quality in Qatar was showcased at the National Air Quality Conference organized by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr Mohammed Ayoub and Dr Fatima Al Otoum from the Ministry of Public Health represented Qatar at the conference, which was held recently in Texas, United States.
During their presentation, the scientists spoke about how QEERI enables the development and evaluation of national policies, strategies, and technologies to
mitigate the impacts of poor air quality and adapt to climate change in Qatar. Some of the topics covered are the challenges faced by the researchers, priority research and management areas, and proposed solutions including the Six Point Air Quality Management Framework and the National Ambient Monitoring Network.
Other contributors to this effort include QEERI scientists Dr Luis Ackerman, Dr Christos Fountoukis, and Dr Rima Isaifan, and Eng Jassim Al Emadi from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.
2Issue 2 10 February 2018
Dr Zhaoyang LiuHe is Senior Scientist in Water Security Research Portfolio. His expertise involves development and optimization of process and materials for water treatment. His work was frequently cited (h-index 33, Jan. 2018). He is an expert in
process design for “energy recovery from seawater and wastewater brines” and “drinkable water production with low cost”, both of which were published on top journal ‘Energy & Environmental Science’ (impact factor: 30). Some of his patents for water treatment were licensed to commercial enterprise. He serves as Editorial Board Member of Scientific Reports – a Nature journal.
Research Portfolios
Oil/gas field-produced water is the largest industrial waste stream in Qatar. Under Qatar National Vision 2030, the volume of disposed produced water needs to be reduced by 50%. The technologies for produced water treatment/recycle/reuse are ‘Technology Hotspot’ in the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP). The conventional technologies (API, air flotation and hydrocyclone) are not efficient in removing emulsified oil with oil size < 20 μm. To enhance the efficiency in oil removal, chemicals have to be added during the operation of these technologies. However, the costs are inevitably increased due to the chemicals and solid sludge disposal. In QEERI, our team is developing a new process based on their filtration technology, to tackle the industrial challenge of emulsified oil removal. In this process, an innovative micro/nano-structured filter is developed to effectively capture and separate tiny oil droplets from produced water. This new process is a pure physical process, without any costs for chemical addition and solid waste disposal. This technology was awarded by QF’s Technology Development Fund (TDF) for technology scaling up, and is the first QEERI- developed water technology receiving this external award.
Ablution ritual in mosques consumes considerable amount of water, especially during Friday prayers. Ablution water usually is directly drained away to sewage systems, without any treatment and reuse. In an effort to main-tain water self-sufficiency in mosques, our team is using their expertise in process engineering, to develop a cost- effective and low-maintenance treatment system for ablu-tion water. The system utilizes coffee grounds to filter out contaminates in ablution water. The treated ablution water is used for non-potable water applications, such as toilet flushing and landscaping watering. This entire process is the embodiment of green concept ‘Waste to Valuable’.
I am also involved in the development of water desalination technology powered by renewable energy, with the aim to enhance and augment fresh water resource for agriculture irrigation. This will help in assisting with the food security concerns of Qatar.
Water Security Photovoltaics
Following the guidelines of the Paris climate agreement, subsequent efforts need to be done to develop energy technologies which has a low impact on the environment. Among various renewable energy technologies, photovoltaics (PV) is set to become the source of choice of clean energy in the countries of the sun belt thanks to the continuous reduction of its cost. Another considerable advantage of PV is its scalability, with the possibility to offer solutions to the different types of energy transitions. Although most of the PV systems available on the market are based on rigid devices, the development of lightweight and flexible solar cells would extend the field of applications of PV energy. To lower the production costs of such flexible devices, high throughput and low cost deposition techniques such as direct printing processes can be employed. Unlike silicon-based solar cells, soluble precursors of thin film (i.e., perovskite, chalcopyrite, kesterite-based) solar cells can be easily printed onto a substrate (rigid as well as flexible).
As part of the ‘Emerging PV Technologies’ pillar, the Printed PV project aims to design a high throughput envi-ronmentally friendly PV technology for flexible applications. By developing sustainable inkjet printing processes for the fabrication of high efficiency thin film solar cells and anti- soiling coatings, our ultimate goal is to obtain reliable PV devices on flexible substrates at low manufacturing cost (below 0.5 $/watt), adapted to desert environment. Follow-ing the recent achievement of our first milestone on the readiness of the Printed PV laboratory, we are now focus-ing our research activities on the development of stable pre-cursor inks and advanced printing processes for chalco-genide based thin film solar cells and antisoiling coatings. In the meantime, we are also working the implementation of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell baseline at QEERI. Our first promising results were presented last year at the EUPVSEC and ICAE conferences. By developing the next generation technolo-gies of renewable electricity, we hope to support the Qatari PV industry and contribute to solving the global climate and energy challenges.
Dr Marie BuffiereShe is a Scientist with QEERI’s Photovoltaic Portfolio since 2015. She received her PhD in Materials Science from the University of Nantes, France, working on chalco-pyrite solar cells. She spent three years at Imec as a post-doctoral|
researcher where she developed kesterite solar cells. She also worked as visiting scientist at Aoyama Gakuin Univer-sity (Japan), Warsaw University of Technology (Poland) and TNO (The Netherlands). Her current research interests focused on printed thin film solar cells and antisoiling coat-ings for PV applications She co-authored nearly 50 publica-tions and two patents directly related to thin film solar cells.
3Issue 2 10 February 2018
Dr Belabbes MarzouguiHe has more than 22 years of R&D experience in the area of electrochemistry of aqueous and non-aqueous media, related to energy storage and conversion systems, such as batteries and fuel cells. His work focuses on
electrode reactions in batteries and fuel cells; corrosion behavior; electro-catalytic materials; conducting polymers; electrolytic hydrogen; cells design and engineering. His experience includes being Associate Professor at CENT/KFUPM, Saudi Arabia; Staff Res./Engineer at United Tech-nologies Corporation, USA; and Sr. Research Eng. at General Motors Corporation (GM Tech Center), USA.
Dr -Ing Mohd Zamri Che Wanik His career as a Power Systems Scientist spans 18 years. He received a BSc. from the University of Evansville, U.S.A., a MEngSc. from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and a PhD from the Universität
Duisburg-Essen, Germany - all in Electrical Engineering, specializing in Power Systems. He has been working in the area of green/renewable energy integration for more than ten years, leading a number of R&D, consultancy and pilot projects. His expertise in this area is highly recognized, and he is often invited to give lectures, talks and workshops at both academic and industry venues.
Research Portfolios
The integration of PV into the existing power system network may cause disturbances in its operation, control and management. Hence, there is a need for a stronger and more resilient network to withstand these disturbances. A solution that the Smart Grid Portfolio recommends is the Microgrid and Active Management of Distribution Network (AMDN), which can help in operating the system when the PV penetration vbecomes signifcant. Microgrid and AMDN are among the main focus research areas within the Advance Power System Pillar in the Smart Grid portfolio.
I am involved in four deliverables within this pillar. One of my tasks related to the microgrid is to perform the simulation of Microgrid operation and control, and to support the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of 100kW Microgrid testbed at QSTP solar testing facility and 20 kW Microgrid at one of the commercial farms in Qatar.
In AMDN, I am involved in the application distribution network real-time monitoring and control utilizing Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU). The work involves software in the loop as well as hardware in the loop simulation. In this, CompactRIO is converted as PMU with a dedicated algorithm and sends synchronized measurement of voltage and current for monitoring. The real-time information is crucial in deciding the best control action in distribution network operation. This research is in collaboration with a group of researchers from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland.
I am also involved in developing a tool for facilitating the integration of PV to the distribution network in Qatar. This software tool is developed using Python programming language, and utilizing renowned power system simulator DIgSILENT and PSS@SINCAL as an engine. The usage of this software tool will expedite the power system study time and interconnection process.
My responsibilities also include leading theAdvance Power System Pillar and being a coordinator for the tasks under AMDN research focus.
Smart Grid Energy Storage
Energy storage area is witnessing great upturns in the recent decade due to the increased demand on renewables, such as solar and wind energy. Several energy storage systems have been developed and/or underdevelopment. Electrochemical systems, which are not geographically limited as in the case of hydro and compressed air, have gained enormous attention, especially for mobile and grid/off-grid applications. Redox flow battery, however, is being considered as the best choice for large scale multi-hours discharge, because of its flexibility in scaling up the energy and power independently. Yet, flow battery still suffers from large footprint and high cost as results of its low energy density. Flow battery based on slurry electrode (flowable electrode), where the electroactive species and carbon are mixed together and stored in external tanks outside the battery box, is an emerging approach to tackle the issue of energy density.
We, at QEERI, are focusing on slurry electrode development with suitable properties; flowability, electronic conductivity, viscosity, and cell design. As an example, Fig. below shows CV behavior of two abundant redox systems, Sx-2/Sx and FeCl3/FeCl2, and their cell performance with different carbon slurry forms in comparison with their
e-conductivity in water. However, carbon nature was found to plays a key role in slurry performance suggesting that e-conductivity of carbon slurry does not represent entirely the cell performance; there are other factors, such as carbon structure, surface area, surface functionalities, and redox carbon interaction that should be taken into account.
4Issue 2 10 February 2018
Dr Golibjon BerdiyorovHe joined QEERI in 2014 as a scientist. He obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2007. He received several postdoctoral research grants (including European Marie-Curie Fellowship) to continue his scientific research.
Prior to joining QEERI, Dr Berdiyorov worked as an assistant professor in King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. He conducts computational material science research to predict functional materials for energy, water, and environmental applications. He has published more than 100 research articles with over 1600 citations.
Dr Raka JovanovicHe is a scientist with a background in the field of applied mathematics and operations research. He has received his PhD at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Before joining QEERI he worked at the Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade and at Texas AM University at Qatar.
His research focus at QEERI is on developing mathematical models and applying optimization methods for problems related to solar cell development, smart grids and supply chain management. His main interest is in developing heuristic and metaheuristic methods for solving large scale combinatorial optimization.
Research Portfolios
My main work focus is on sustainable port operations. Port operations use a very large amount of energy. For example: the total electricity use of Port Botany in Sydney for one month in 2010 was 865MWh with a peak demand of 2317kVA. The capacity of the New Port Project in Qatar is planned to be 20 times larger than this port. By extrapolating this data we can assume that the electricity consumption at the NPP will be around 200 GWh per anuum. Electricity consumption represents less than 30% of the overall energy use at ports . Fossil fuel consumption (diesel or gas) can on average be allocated as follows: a) stacking operations (68%), b) horizontal transport of containers such as tractors (30%).
One part of the research under this pillar focuses on optimizing the loading and unloading operations of vessels which is directly related to the stacking (decreases the number of moves of containers) and indirectly to the horizontal container transport. In practice these complex practical problem are represented using mathematical models which are later solved using a wide range of optimization techniques. Some examples of methods used at QEERI are mixed integer programming, ant colony optimization, greedy randomized adaptive search procedure and many others.
The second topic of interest under this pillar is minimizing the energy consumption related to cooling of reefer containers. This is one of the most energy hungry parts of port operations, for example, at terminals in Latin America and the Caribbean around 16% of total energy consumption is related to reefers. Due to extreme temperatures and import dependence for food it is expected that this percentage will be even higher at the New Port Project at Qatar. Because of this a notable part of research in this project is dedicated to efficient manipulation of reefer containers in the port terminal. This is done through the development of idealized mathematical models and optimizing certain aspects of the process. Later these results are evaluated using discrete event simulations.
Energy Efficiency and Value Added Products Air Quality & Climate Change
Being one of the largest producers of natural gas, Qatar is focusing on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) concept, which is attracting a lot of interest worldwide to mitigate global climate change by preventing carbon dioxide (CO2) from reaching the atmosphere. The CCS system consists of three main parts: a) capturing, b) transporting and c) injecting CO2 into subsurface geological reservoirs for permanent storage. Computer modeling is known to be an important tool in developing scientific basis for CCS solutions.
The focus of our scientific research within the air quality and climate change portfolio is to study the behavior of CO2 in different stages of the CCS process, starting from the removal of CO2 from, e.g., flue gasses and ending at its injection into geologic formations using state-of-the-art computational tools. For example, we use force-field based molecular simulations to screen potential ionic liquids for pre-combustion carbon capture. The main goal of this ongoing research is to understand the relationship between the structure of the considered ionic liquids and their gas absorption capabilities.
Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are considered to be among the potential geological formations for CO2 sequestration. Injection of liquid CO2 into these reservoirs can also enable enhanced gas and oil recovery – a common practice in petroleum industry. However, a valuable experience and information is needed for effective storage of CO2 in a given subsurface geological formation. Using the advanced simulation methods, we aim to study the behavior of CO2 and other related in CCS gas molecules in different rock formation typical to Qatar’s oil and gas reservoirs with an ultimate goal of identifying formulations and optimum CO2 injection conditions. Recently, using first-principles atomistic-scale calculations, we studied the competitive adsorption/desorption of CO2 with the natural gas on calcium carbonate, which is typical in Qatar’s geological formation. The obtained results will be very important in terms of environmental remediation related to long term subsurface CO2 sequestration.
5Issue 2 10 February 2018
QEERI assists students with Near Space Anthem Project
News
Work published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A
A team from the Water Security Research Portfolio, including Dr Ravi Pandey, Dr Kashif Rasool, Dr Vinod Madhavan, Dr Brahim Aissa and Dr Khaled Mahmoud has published a paper titled ‘Ultrahigh-flux and fouling-resistant membrane based on layered silver/MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets’, in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. To read it, please visit: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C7TA10888E.
JOGPS Editorial Board spot for Dr Amhamed
Dr Abdelkarem Amhamed has been included in the editorial Board of Journal of Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Sciences (JOGPS). JOGPS is a bi-monthly journal concerning all disciplines and fields relevant to exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals, and the use and economics of petroleum, natural gas, and other sources of energy. He is the first person from Qatar to receive this position.
The QEERI volleyball team, who have won first place at the HBKU Volleyball Tournament Fall 2017 recently received their trophy and medals at a special event held at the HBKU Student Center.
The team secured gold by winning every set in every match. The players in the winning team are Yahya Zakaria, Shu Yeh, Alessandro Sinopoli, Giovanni Scabbia, Luis Ackerman, Ivan Gladich, and Pierre Kubiak.
QEERI wins gold at HBKU tournament
QEERI scientists worked closely with students from Qatar Academy Doha to launch the Near Space Anthem Project. The project involves sending out a weather balloon to capture a video of the national flag descending from near space to Qatar, with an audio of students singing the national anthem. It is an interdisciplinary project bringing together science, research, music, and documentary.
The idea for the project originated in 2016 but only materialized after meeting with QEERI scientists.
Scientists from QEERI’s Air Quality and Climate Change research portfolio are supporting various stages of the project and have been helping students understand the science involved by providing the necessary hardware and software, as well as organizing a test run. The activities align with QEERI’s mandate to inspire young minds and promote creative applications that encourage innovative thinking.
For more info: visit: https://goo.gl/VRHU5u
6Issue 2 10 February 2018
News
Qatar’s First High Field NMR Laboratory Commissioned
QEERI has unveiled a nation’s first High Field NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) facility housed at Research Development Complex, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. The NMR facility operates solution and solid-state NMR instruments with magnetic field strength from 14 to 19 Tesla.
The 800MHz (19T) spectrometer is equipped with World’s First fully automated, variable temperature and multinuclear cryoprobe, and the 600 MHz (14T) spectrometer is equipped with High Temperature (up
to 973K) solid-state NMR probe and DNP (Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation) systems. Both NMR systems are unique for the region and also an engineering milestone for being one of the advanced NMR laboratories in the world. The NMR facility will support wide-ranging research programs at QEERI and QBRI, including industrial catalysis for oil and gas valorisation, synthetic organic, inorganic and organometallics, material sciences, chemical engineering, chemical biology, enzymology and health sciences.
PV team gets work published in ACS JPCL A paper titled Practical Efficiency Limit of Methylammonium Lead Iodide
Perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) Solar Cells’, developed by members of QEERI’s PV Research Portfolio - Dr Nouar Tabet, Dr Mohammed Hossain, Dr Fahhad Al Harbi, and HBKU PhD student Ahmer Baloch, was recently published in the ACS Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. It can be viewed at https://goo.gl/SbKAEo.
Dr Baalousha is appointed as Associate Editor for HJ
Dr Husam Baalousha has been appointed as Associate Editor of Hydrogeology Journal (HJ), which is the official Journal of International Association of Hydrogeologists, and the top journal in the field. His work will include managing technical reviews of manuscripts submitted to HJ, contributing the editor’s message, and providing advice, ideas, comments, and criticisms to improve the publication.
Omani Delegation visits QEERI
QEERI recently hosted a delegation from Oman, which included members from various government entities including the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Thafar Municipality. They were given an introduction to the work done by QEERI, followed by a tour of the QEERI’s facilities and labs. During the visit, they also discussed possible opportunities for collaboration.
7Issue 2 10 February 2018
Community
Generose Ruiz Executive Secretary
What is your job role in QEERI? I have been at QF for more than 10 years now, and with QEERI for four years. My role is to carry out major administrative tasks to ensure the smooth functioning of the Executive Director’s Office. I am also involved in co-ordinating and communicating requests and follow-ups between internal and external parties.
What is the best aspect and biggest challenge you face?I am surrounded by skilled people from around the world. This provides a unique opportunity to learn from each other.
As for the challenge, everyone sees their requests as urgent. No matter who it is in the office, or what their job is, everybody has something that needs to be put ahead of everybody else’s. Despite the challenges, I thoroughly enjoy working here.
As someone who has been part of QF for a long time, what do you think is its biggest impact?QF is contributing to the society across several pillars - education, research and development and community development. Each of
these aspects are about having a long-term sustainable impact. QEERI, for example, is about providing solutions to the water security and energy challenges that Qatar is facing; Qatar Academy and the universities are about ensuring that children get the right start, and a full education. There is something for everyone.
Who inspires you the most? My parents; I think that all of us want to work in the image of our parents.
Where is home?Home, for now, is here in Qatar. I was born and raised in Phillippines, but I have been here for a long time. Tomorrow, it may be somewhere else. But for now, home is Qatar with my family.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?I hope to continue to work for QF/HBKU/QEERI, to bring my experience and knowledge to help meet challenging tasks and objectives, as it continues in its mission to develop Qatar and the region.
Calender of Events
2018 Q1 Quarterly Progress Review26 February - 1 March 2018 HBKU Research Complex (Multipurpose Hall & Meeting Room 11)
Seminar: ‘Manganese-based Carbonyl Complexes for CO2 Reduction’Dr Alessandro Sinopoli15 February 2018, 2pmMultipurpose Hall
Seminar: ‘Links between Surface Air Quality, Climate and Climate Change’Dr Mohammed Ayoub22 February 2018, 2pmMultipurpose Hall
Seminar: ‘Overcoming the industrial limitations in the Acid Gas Removal plants through practical approach’Dr Abdulkarem Amhamed8 March 2018, 2pmMultipurpose Hall
Please Note
Deadline for the submis-sion of proposals for Cycle 14 of the QNRF Conference and Workshop Sponsorship Program is 12 March 2018, 12pm Doha time.
Contact Us
[email protected] [email protected] 4454 0672
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