Vanesa Muñoz-Perales
Ph.D. Electrochemistry
I am a postdoctoral researcher at IMDEA Energy in the Electrochemical Processes Unit. My research focuses on advancing electrochemical flow reactors through the improvement of charge/mass transport by engineering alternative flow cell architectures and tailoring specific porous electrode microstructures for low-cost redox flow batteries. I obtained my Ph.D. at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Prof. Marcos Vera's research group and in collaboration with Antoni Forner-Cuenca (EMS group, TUe). Recently, I started to work on membraneless microfluidic redox flow batteries using new electrolyte concepts (advisor Dr. Rebeca Marcilla in the Electrochemical Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy).
Research interests
Engineering new
flow cell architectures
By optimizing the flow cell architecture, the performance trade-off between electrochemical response and pressure losses can be improved in the electrochemical stacks of RFBs. I design new flow field designs and electrode configurations using SLA 3D printing and experimental diagnostics.
Charge and mass transport in porous electrodes
Porous materials are used in a wide range of electrochemical applications. However, the impact of electrode microstructure on the charge and mass transport in the cell still remains poorly understood. I investigate structure-property-performance relationships in diverse porous microstructures and relate them to the flow battery performance.
Continuum modeling of electrochemical devices
Continuum models are a powerful tool to predict and optimize the macroscopic behavior of electrochemical devices. Operating variables, geometry and materials can be evaluated to improve the performace and mitigate undersirable effects.