Join us as grad student/postdoc speakers from various technical areas deliever short and accessible presentations about their innovative clean energy research. Learn more about cutting-edge science and the most recent breakthroughs in areas such as renewables, energy conversion materials and devices, catalysis, and decarbonization from the researchers themselves!

Refreshments will be provided starting at 2:45pm. Share your feedback on the speakers for a chance to win a Coupa giftcard!

Speaker Topics:

Will McNeil- Data Center Load Growth and Power System Costs in California

Abstract:

Data centers and other large loads have the potential to reshape U.S. electricity demand growth, generation investment needs, and grid decarbonization pathways. In this study, we develop a techno-economic and capacity expansion modeling framework in PyPSA-USA to quantify the grid impacts of data center load growth in California. We evaluate how proposed California policies and cost allocation frameworks influence electricity prices, infrastructure investment needs, emissions outcomes, and grid reliability. We identify tradeoffs between reliability, affordability, and decarbonization and provide actionable information for policymakers regarding data center policies in California.

Speaker bio:

Wilson (Will) McNeil is passionate about the clean energy transition and ensuring energy systems are reliable, affordable, and low-carbon. Will is a 2025 Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellow advised by Dr. Inês Azevedo and Dr. Steve Davis. Will earned his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley under the mentorship of Professor Robert Harley and Dr. Corinne Scown. His doctoral research focused on the life-cycle economic, climate, and human health impacts of emerging technologies including heavy-duty vehicle electrification and post-combustion carbon capture and storage.

 

Yousif Alkhulaifi- A stirred-tank flow-electrode reactor for direct lithium extraction from brines

Abstract:

Global lithium demand has risen rapidly with widespread lithium-ion battery deployment, and this has intensified interest in selective Li recovery from low-grade brines. These resources often contain <200 ppm Li and high concentrations of competing cations such as Na+, K+, and Ca2+. To date, flow-electrode concepts for direct lithium extraction (DLE) have largely relied on cell architectures that pump slurries through long, thin millimeter-scale channels. These geometries increase surface-to-volume ratio and reduce ionic resistance, but they are difficult to seal, prone to clogging, and difficult to scale. Here, we introduce a stirred-tank flow-electrode architecture for DLE, in which iron phosphate (FePO4) and carbon black particles are suspended in brine and vigorously mixed in a cathode tank. Stirring sustains particle motion and causes frequent collisions of particles with a cathode collector and with each other. These collisions facilitate electron transfer to the FePO₄ particle phase and drive selective Li intercalation. In lab-scale experiments, the reactor achieves Li/Na intercalation selectivity up to 280 and current densities up to 1 mA cm⁻², with low impedance and high intercalation rates despite a small cathode area. We will present the reactor design and an experimental study of this system, including measurements of key performance metrics.

Speaker bio:

Yousif Alkhulaifi is a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, advised by Prof. Juan G. Santiago. His research focuses on transport phenomena and electrochemical systems for sustainable resource recovery, with emphasis on flowable electrodes, ion-selective intercalation, and direct lithium extraction from brines. His current work explores stirred-tank electrochemical reactors that use suspended battery materials to selectively recover lithium from low-grade, high-salinity resources. More broadly, Yousif is interested in technologies that connect fundamental fluid mechanics, electrochemistry, and energy materials to practical separation and manufacturing processes. Before Stanford, he trained as a mechanical engineer with interests spanning energy systems, clean technologies, and applied transport science. He is supported by King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, where he plans to continue work on electrochemical separations, resource recovery, and sustainable energy technologies.