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John Van Zee |
Growth ClubJohn Van Zee has been a driving force in hydrogen research at Carolina |
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For years, John Van Zee's name has been synonymous with hydrogen research at the University of South Carolina. He developed and directs the Center for Fuel Cell Research, which is now co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and includes a bevy of industrial partners; it is the only such center in the nation. Van Zee, who earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, has also helped start two hydrogen fuel cell companies. "Our role is to assist industry in moving toward the commercialization of fuel-cell technology and in training well-qualified engineers and scientists," says Van Zee, a chemical engineering professor at Carolina since 1984. "Carolina has a strong, well-established faculty and research facilities in electrochemical technology, catalysis, and hydrogen storage suitable for fuel-cell development." Van Zee stresses South Carolina's natural opportunity to lead the transition to hydrogen fuel cell use. "Our state already has surplus hydrogen available from industrial plants that produce bleach for the paper industry," he says. |
A number of start-up companies have resulted from Carolina's research enterprise and are in the University's Technology Incubator. They include:
- Energy, storage and generation of hydrogen gas for fuel cell operations
- Palmetto Fuel Cell Analysis & Design, advanced software and consulting to the fuel cell industry
- Palmetto Fuel Cell Technologies, advanced hardware for emerging fuel cell manufacturers
- Hydrogen Hybrid Mobility, hydrogen fuel-cell adaptation of Segway personal transporters
"Columbia is becoming a hub for hydrogen-related research," says Van Zee, who helped develop the two Palmetto Fuel Cell companies. "I'm particularly proud of the growing cadre of our own Ph.D. graduates who are filing for corporate charters here and becoming technology leaders in start-up companies."