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Gladys Anyenya

Hillsdale College , Kenya, Class of (2012)

Major(s)

B.Sc. Mathematics and Physics, MS. and PhD. Mechanical Engineering

Current Occupation

Graduate Research Assistant at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center as I work toward my MS. and PhD. in Mechanical Engineering

Synopsis

Journal Publications:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775315304614

About 600 million people and more than 10 million micro-enterprises across Africa cannot access electricity. Combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases or the reduction of child mortality is not possible without the energy required to run hospitals and keep vaccines refrigerated or power medical equipment (such as incubators). Irrigation systems,post-harvest processing and storage of produce,access to clean water and other labor-intensive domestic chores all require energy to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. It is for these reasons that I have chosen to investigate ways to improve the lives of people in the third world through energy research.

My research project at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center involves testing of the world’s first geothermic fuel cell (GFC).The geothermic fuel cell will serve as a source of heat for on-site in-situ processing of oil shale. The solid-oxide fuel cells packaged within the GFC operate at high temperature (nearly 750 ºC) to convert natural-gas fuel into electricity and heat.When implemented,clusters of GFCs will be placed into the earth within oil shale formations for oil recovery.GFCs present a potentially transformative technology for accessing the world’s vast oil-shale reserves,which are estimated at 4.8 trillion barrels worldwide,in an environmentally responsible manner.