As the worldwide use of clean energy increases, the need to store it for efficient use grows. Wind and solar energy generation often does not match consumer demand cycles, creating a need for massive energy storage.
Matthew Mench, Condra Chair of Excellence Professor and head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, will discuss the pressing need for grid-level energy storage and some of the challenges and options for achieving the massive levels of storage needed. His talk, “Where Do We Put All the Renewable Energy?” will be held at noon Friday, November 6, in Thompson-Boling Arena Room C-D.
The Science Forum is a weekly brown-bag lunch series that allows professors and area scientists to discuss their research with the general public in a conversational presentation.
Free and open to the public, each Science Forum consists of a 40-minute presentation followed by a Q-and-A session. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch or purchase it at the cafe in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Science Forum is sponsored by the UT Office of Research and Engagement and Quest, an initiative to raise awareness of the research, scholarship, and creative activity happening on campus.
Mench earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a joint faculty member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Energy and Transportation Division. Mench’s research interests include computational simulation of electrochemical power conversion and storage systems.
The weekly Science Forum continues throughout the semester:
November 13 – Melissa R. Allen, postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, “Climate Variability and Change: What Fundamental Science and Modeling Tell Us”
November 20 – Natalie Mong, education director for Upstate Birds of Prey, “The Fascinating Biology of Birds of Prey”
For more information about the UT Science Forum, visit scienceforum.utk.edu.
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C O N T A C T:
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)