PhD Research Student Photo of Faye

Email: Faye.Al-hersh13@imperial.ac.uk

Office: RODH 149

Department of Chemical Engineering 

Biography

Date

Role

2014 - present

PhD in Chemical Engineering, REaCT group, Imperial College London

2012 - 2013

MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures, Energy Futures Lab, Imperial College London

2008 - 2012

BEng in Sustainable Engergy Engineering, Queen Mary University of London

Research

Photo-electrochemical Hydrogen Production

Faye Alhersh is a PhD student researching photo-electrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production. After graduating with a BEng in Sustainable Energy Engineering in 2013, she joined the Energy Futures Lab department at Imperial College to pursue an MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures and in the following year became part of the REaCT research group under Prof Klaus Hellgardt.

PEC hydrogen production represents a promising renewable energy technology worldwide as it makes use of two abundant sources; solar energy and water, to produce hydrogen which is a clean fuel, as well as oxygen gas. A PEC system generates a voltage in an electrolysis cell using the energy of solar photons to electrolyse water and split it into hydrogen and oxygen. However, there are currently a number of limitations to this technology such as the need of an electrical/chemical bias to drive the reaction, the lower and upper limits placed on the band-gap of the semiconductor material used as the photo-electrode, and the photo-electrode lifetime in the aqueous conditions of the PEC cell. With a combination of reactor design, material deposition methods and temperature variation, Faye’s research aims to overcome some of the above limitations to technology

Honours and Memberships

Awards and Honours

DateAwards and Honours
2012-2013  Graduated with 1st class honours in BEng Sustainable Energy Engineering
2012-2013  Beng Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE) Project Certificate for third year prize in Sustainable Energy Engineering
2010-2011 Beng Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE) Certificate for first year prize in Sustainable Energy Engineering
2010-Present The Distinguished Student Scholarship (DSS) from SCO, Abu Dhabi
2010 Valedictorian of Class 2010
2009-2010 Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cambridge Award for receiving the highest average across three Cambridge international AS-levels