I received my BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and my PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. My dissertation is on a type of thermal storage system I developed during my doctoral studies that incorporates high density latent thermal energy capacity. This system results in thermal storage densities 2 to 7 times that of conventional chilled water-based systems. This thermal store produces acceptable heat recovery rates for HVAC use, and is designed for residential and small commercial retrofit applications. It is the subject of provisional U.S. patent number 62345564, “HIGH-DENSITY LATENT HEAT STORAGE DEVICE”.
I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering. My research involves the study of energy use and indoor air quality issues related to residential, small commercial, and school buildings.
My research interests include: the time-shifting of building energy loads to periods when renewable or low-carbon energy is available; investigating the effect of building energy conservation efforts on indoor air quality; the development of passive pollutant control technologies and ventilation strategies; the use of radiant cooling panels to supplement less efficient air-based cooling systems; and the development of high-density, residential-scale thermal storage systems for retrofit into existing home and small business HVAC systems.