Walter Mérida
Associate Professor
B.Sc. (Trent University), M.A.Sc. (Victoria), Ph.D. (Victoria)
ph: (604) 822-4189
fx: (604) 822-2403
email: walter.merida@ubc.ca
website: http://merida.mech.ubc.ca
Research Interests
- Sustainable Energy Systems Fuel Cells & Hydrogen
- Thermodynamics
Current Research Work
Energy Systems
The energy system is the crucial link between human activity and planetary equilibria. Human development implies the risk of large-scale disruption due to anthropogenic emissions (from fossil fuel combustion), changes in land use (agriculture and deforestation), real or perceived resource scarcity (potable water and oil), and threats to geopolitical stability. My research is focused on finding paths to sustainable energy systems via clean technologies and effective policies. Examples of work in this area include calculations on the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for private and transit vehicles in the Lower Fraser Valley, studies on new sustainability assessment tools, and development of biological methods for waste-to-fuel conversion.
Fuel Cell Systems
Despite their environmental and social benefits, fuel cells have not been incorporated into consumer products. Their performance and failure modes have not been translated into industrial and commercial standards, quality control protocols, and safety regulations. My research in this area includes work on: accelerated testing and component degradation, failure diagnosis, humidifier design, and material properties (e.g., membranes and electrodes).
Hydrogen
Under a collaborative NRC-UBC agreement, I have investigated refueling systems for fuel cell vehicles. My research has modeled and measured the effects of the refueling conditions on the temperature distribution within a compressed hydrogen cylinder. The motivation was to identify the optimal sensor location(s) to enable fuel metering via temperature and pressure measurements only.
Selected Publications
- C.J.B. Dicken and W. Mérida, “Measured effects of filling time and initial mass on the temperature distribution within a hydrogen cylinder during refueling.” Journal of Power Sources 165 , 324-336 (2007).
- P. Poudenx and W. Mérida, “Energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions from urban passenger transportation versus availability of renewable energy in the Canadian Lower Fraser Valley.” Energy 32 (1), 1-9 (2007).
- W. Mérida, D.A. Harrington, J.M. Le Canut and G. McLean, “Characterisation of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Failures via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.” Journal of Power Sources 161 , 264-274 (2006).
- W. Mérida, “Cleaner Passage: Benefits of Low Emission Public Transit”, Chapter 3 in “PATH TO PURCHASE: Moving to Fuel Cell Bus Fleets.” A report prepared for BC Transit (2005).
- W. Mérida, P.C. Maness, R.C. Brown and D.B. Levin, “Enhanced hydrogen production from indirectly heated, gasified biomass, and removal of carbon gas emissions using a biological gas reformer.” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy , 29 (3), 283-290 (2004).
- W. Mérida, G. McLean and N. Djilali, “Non-Planar Architecture for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells,” Journal of Power Sources 102 , 178-185 (2001).
- W. Mérida and J.A. Barclay, “Development of Monolithic Regenerator Technology for Low Temperature (4 K) Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers”, Advances in Cryogenic Engineering , 43 , 1597-1604 (1998).
