Aaron Palumbo
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Energy Materials

ECES 1B47
1111 Engineering Drive,
​Boulder, CO 80309

Education

  • Ph.D., Chemical and BiologicalÌýEngineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2014)
  • B.S., Chemical and BiologicalÌýEngineering, Colorado State University, Magna cum Laude (2009)

Post-doctoral Research

Aaron is the project manager and technical lead on an ARPA-E funded project (award DE-AR0000404)Ìýto investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of magnesium production using carbothermal reduction. The project builds from WW2-era technology in order to realize cost and energy savings forÌýlight metal production.ÌýMagnesium has inherent appeal as the lightest structural metal, and it is a direct replacement for steel and aluminum in applications such as automotive parts, electronics housings, and consumer devices (e.g. laptop cases). Aaron and two other Team Weimer members have since founded as the medium for commercializing the innovative process technology.

Ph.D. Dissertation

Aaron's thesis involved high temperature, solar-driven thermochemical processing of biomass and natural gas for the production of synthesis gas (CO & H2) specifically for liquid fuel production. The focus was to understand the fundamental transport phenomena occurring within the reaction tube and characterize overall gasification performance. Emphasis was placedÌýonÌýthe process of flash pyrolysis and the heat transfer between the tube wall, particles, and fluid using a variety of experimental and modeling efforts.Ìý

Publications

Chubukov, B.C., Paumbo, A.W., Rowe, S.C., Hischier, I., Groehn, A.J., Weimer, A.W. "Pressure dependent kinetics of magnesium oxide carbothermal reduction."ÌýThermochimica ActaÌý636Ìý(2016) p23-32. DOI:Ìý

Palumbo, A.W., Sorli, J.C., Weimer, A.W. "High temperature thermochemical processing of biomass and methane for high conversion and selectivity to H2-enriched syngas."ÌýApplied EnergyÌý157 (2015)Ìýp13-24. DOIÌý

Palumbo, A.W. and A.W. Weimer. (2015) "Heat transer-limited flash pyrolysis of woody biomass: Overall reaction rate and time analysis using an integral model with experimental support."ÌýJournal of Analytical and Applied PyrolysisÌý113 (2015) p474-482. DOI:Ìý

Rowe, S.C., Groehn, A.J., Palumbo, A.W., Chubukov, B.C., Clough, D.E., Weimer, A.W., Hischier, I. "Worst-case losses from a cylindrical calorimeter for solar simulator calibration."ÌýOptics ExpressÌý23 (2015) A1309-A1323. DOI:

Palumbo, A.W., Jorgensen, E.L., Sorli, J.C., Weimer, A.W. "Co-processing methane in high temperature steam gasification of biomass."ÌýBioresource TechnologyÌý128 (2013) p553-559. DOI:Ìý