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Vânia Oliveira

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Vânia Oliveira

About

Vânia Oliveira obtained her PhD degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2009, at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), where she focused her research activities on Direct Methanol Fuel Cells with particular interest in Heat and Mass Transfer, Numerical Modelling and Electrochemical techniques. Since then, she works as researcher in the energy field, including chemical and biological fuel cells, in CEFT (Transport Phenomena Research Centre) at FEUP.

Her research activity aims the development and optimization of fuel cells towards its commercialization, using both experimental and modelling studies, including advanced modelling (2D and 3D models). She published one book and several papers, and book chapters in international journals (Scopus or SCI) with a high impact factor.

She has been a team member of several National and European projects, in her area of specialization, being the project leader in one of them, NewPortCell (PTDC/EQU-EQU/32116/2017), which aimed the development of an alcohol fuel cell (methanol) as an alternative to lithium batteries for portable applications.

She is involved in the supervision of Master, Doctoral and Post-Doctoral students and fellow researchers, and in different dissemination activities, such as attendance to international and national conferences, seminars and workshops, organizing scientific conferences and other diffusion events.

She has been invited to review manuscripts in top-ranked international peer-review journals in her area of expertise.

Vânia Oliveira has a permanent position as Auxiliary Researcher at FEUP and is professor at Renewable Energies II and Mass Transfer in the Chemical Engineering Department.

Research interests

Alcohol Fuel Cells, Microbial Fuel Cells, Desalination Fuel Cells, Numerical Modelling, Electrochemical techniques

Selected publications

  1. Boas, J.V., Oliveira, V.B., Simões, M. and Pinto, A.M.F.R. Review on microbial fuel cells applications, developments and costs. Journal of Environmental Management, 307, 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114525
  2. Braz, B.A., Moreira, C.S., Oliveira, V.B. and Pinto, A.M.F.R. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for passive direct methanol fuel cells. Energy Reports, 8, pp. 7964-7975, 2022.doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2022.06.045
  3. Braz, B. A., Moreira, C. S., Oliveira, V. B. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. Effect of the current collector design on the performance of a passive direct methanol fuel cell. Electrochimica Acta, 300, pp. 306-315, 2019.doi: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.01.131
  4. Vilas Boas, J., Oliveira, V. B., Marcon, L. R. C., Simões, M. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. Optimization of a single chamber microbial fuel cell using Lactobacillus pentosus: Influence of design and operating parameters. Science of the Total Environment, 648, pp. 263-270, 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.061
  5. A.M.F.R. Pinto, V.B. Oliveira and D.S. Falcão. Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells for Portable Applications: Fundamentals, Engineering and Advances Academic Press Inc, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-128-11849-8
  6. Ferreira, R. B., Falcao, D. S., Oliveira, V. B. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. 1D+3D two-phase flow numerical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Applied Energy, 203, pp. 474-495, 2017.doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.06.048
  7. Ferreira, R., Falcao, D. S., Oliveira, V. B. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. Experimental study on the membrane electrode assembly of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell: effects of microporous layer, membrane thickness and gas diffusion layer hydrophobic treatment. Electrochimica Acta, 224, pp. 337-345 (339), 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.electacta.2016.12.074
  8. Pereira, J., Falcao, D. S., Oliveira, V. B. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. Performance of a passive direct ethanol fuel cell. Journal of Power Sources, 256, pp. 14-19 (16), 2014. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.12.036
  9. Oliveira, V. B., Simoes, M., Melo, L. F. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. A 1D mathematical model for a microbial fuel cell. Energy, 61, pp. 463-471, 2013. doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2013.08.055
  10. Oliveira, V. B., Rangel, C. M. and Pinto, A. M. F. R. One-dimensional and non-isothermal model for a passive DMFC. Journal of Power Sources, 196(21), pp. 8973-8982 (8910), 2011. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.01.094