The Hottest in Heat Storage—Asegun Henry, PhD—The Atomistic Simulation & Energy Research Group at MIT

Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Atomistic Simulation & Energy Group at MIT, Asegun Henry, discusses his research and how it may hold the key to moving the needle on climate change. In this episode, you will learn:

• How heat is transferred between atoms, what factors heat transfer mechanisms are dependent upon, and what happens at extremely hot temperatures
• How electricity can be stored as heat in the "sun in a box" technology being developed by Henry and his group
• What benefits are conferred by liquid metals for transferring heat

When you heat a pot of water, what's actually happening? What's behind those boiling bubbles…what processes and principles lead to your observations? It may sound like a rather simple question, but there's probably more to it than you think. In fact, this was one of the questions that led Professor Asegun Henry into the field of research involving heat transfer, high temperatures, and energy. For Henry, it took awhile for him to get a straight answer to these questions, but today's show begins with exactly that.

Also discussed are the two projects Henry and his group are currently working on, which include an energy storage technology that involves storing heat rather than electricity in order to achieve extremely low costs, and a CO2-free technological approach to hydrogen production. He provides an in-depth explanation of the physics and chemistry involved, and the solar energy and other commercial applications of this research.

Learn more by visiting https://ase.mit.edu/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK