Partial support is provided for the US-EU-China Thermophysics Conference-Renewable Energy (UECTC-RE), which will be held in Beijing, China, on May 28 - 30, 2009. The purpose of this meeting is to engage a diverse international community of researchers in the general field of thermophysics and renewable energy.
With respect to the intellectual merit of the conference, increasing the adoption of renewable energy technologies is inhibited by a lack of fundamental understanding of thermofluid transport processes. Researchers in various countries are working on different aspects of these issues, but there are limited opportunities for them to communicate their research with one another, particularly in an interdisciplinary environment. The subjects of particular interest in this conference include renewable energy conversion processes, the built environment, computational simulations, nanotechnology, energy storage, industrial opportunities, and challenges in standards and marketing.
The broader impacts of the conference include engaging the international thermophysics research community, in particular Chinese researchers, in this vital subject of renewable energy. The European community will also be involved. The majority of the NSF funding will be used to support US-based junior investigators and those from under-represented groups. This conference could lead to enhanced collaborations among US, Chinese, and European thermophysics researchers in renewable energy.
This project is jointly funded by the Thermal Transport Processes (TTP) Program, and by the Energy for Sustainability Program, of the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) Division.
