Prof. Ravindranathan Thampi, Associate Professor of Solar Energy and Vice-Principal of Internationalization in Engineering and Architecture at University College Dublin (Ireland), visited the Kochi and Amritapuri campuses from November 9th – 14th, 2016. During this time, Prof. Thampi gave talks, held interactive Q&A sessions, and visited several research centers.
At the Kochi campus, Dr. Thampi visited the Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine (ACNSMM) and its key labs. He gave talks titled, 3rd Generation Solar Cells and H2 Production Through Photo Electrochemical Water Splitting, Fuel Cells, and Fixation of Co2 Using Solar, followed by a discussion forum on Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies. Various research topics in renewable energy conversion, storage and major challenges involved in the current technologies were discussed. Dr. Thampi started with an introduction to Photovoltaic (PV) technology and its future roadmap. Materials and device related properties were the major focus of his presentation. He covered functional materials, device fabrication and studies for the development of third generation PV technology. The lecture primarily focused on dye sensitized solar cells and issues associated with stability and performance. Dr. Thampi also held highly engaging and interactive Q&A sessions with ACNSMM faculty, research scholars, and students.
In Amritaprui, Dr. Thampi visited the WINSOC Lab and met with faculty members from the Amrita School of Biotechnology. He had fruitful discussions with staff from the Amrita Center for International Programs and attended an inspiring presentation about the work done by the institution’s Live-in-Labs® program. Dr. Thampi also reprised his talk, 3rd Generation Solar Cells, with a special emphasis on sensitized solar cells, to faculty, research scholars, and students from the Amrita School of Engineering, the Amrita School of Arts and Sciences, and several research centers.
Dr. Thampi obtained his Ph.D. from IIT Madras and worked as a manager at the Laboratory of Photonics & Interfaces at EPFL, Switzerland for over 23 years. His research interests include: heterogeneous catalysis & photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, solar cells, fuel cells (particularly SOFC and DMFC), mesoporous materials and chemical sensors.
