Five graduate students and one young faculty member from Missouri University of Science and Technology have been invited to present papers at the World Congress of Young Scientists on Hydrogen Energy Systems to be held Oct. 7-9 in Torino, Italy.

Mathew Thomas, a graduate student in engineering management and systems engineering at S&T, has been selected for a $1,000 Euro Cash Award for submitting the best paper in hydrogen systems applications. In addition, Thomas will receive a $250 Euro Grant from the event’s organizers.

Thomas, who worked with other Missouri S&T researchers, is listed as the first author on the paper “Design Layout of Hydrogen Research and Development Garage,” which will be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

Thomas is a member of Missouri S&T’s EcoCAR team, which is working on a hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The team is one of 17 university groups from the United States and Canada participating in a three-year competition to design a more eco-friendly vehicle. EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge tests students’ abilities to re-engineer a Saturn VUE. The ultimate goal is to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while retaining a vehicle’s performance and commercial appeal.
During the three-year competition, General Motors is providing production vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and organizational support. The Department of Energy and the Argonne National Laboratory are also providing support.

Thomas received support while working on his paper from the following co-authors at Missouri S&T: Dr. Kevin Martin, assistant research professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Dr. Scott Grasman, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering; Dr. John Sheffield, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Edward Anculle Arauco, a graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Martin and Sheffield are joining Thomas and four other students on the trip to Italy. Also presenting papers will be Martin and graduate students Anculle Arauco, Joseph Ishaku, Andrew Meintz and Clint Cottrell.