Doug Aaron

Associate Department Head, Undergraduate Programs, Research Associate Professor

Biography

August 2023-Present
Associate Department Head of Undergraduate Programs and Research Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2016–2023
Assistant Department Head of Undergraduate Programs and Research Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2014-2016
Senior Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2010–2014
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2005–2010
Graduate Research Assistant, Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

Research

Diagnosis of electrochemical and physical phenomena that contribute to losses in high performance redox flow battery systems.

Cost reduction and performance enhancement of microbial fuel cells for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity production.

Education

Ph.D., 2010, Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

M.S., 2007, Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

B.S., 2005, Chemical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Professional Service

Member - Electrochemical Society, American Society of Engineering Education

Current technical reviewer – Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Electrochimica Acta, Journal of Power Sources, Bioresource Technology, and Energies.

Senior Design project advisor.

Awards and Recognitions

2020 Prof. Toby Boulet Outstanding Faculty Service Award

Publications

Aaron, D.S.; Sun, C-N.; Bright, M.; Papandrew, A.B.; Mench, M.M.; Zawodzinski, T.A. In-situ kinetics studies in all-vanadium redox flow batteries. ECS Electrochemistry Letters, 2013, 2: A29 – A31. 

 Aaron, D. S.; Liu, Q.; Tang, Z.; Grim, M.; Papandrew, A. B.; Turhan, A.; Zawodzinski, T. A.; Mench, M. M. Dramatic performance gains in vanadium redox flow batteries through modified cell architecture. Journal of Power Sources, 2012, 206: 450-453. 

 Clement, J.T.; Aaron, D.S.; Mench, M.M. In-situ localized current distribution measurements in all-vanadium redox flow batteries. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2016, 163 (1): A5220 – A5228. 

 Ashraf Gandomi, Y.; Aaron, D.S.; Zawodzinski, T.A.; Mench, M.M. In-situ potential distribution measurement and validated model for all-vanadium redox flow battery. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2016, 163 (1): A5188 – A5201. 

 Sun, C.N.; Delnick, F.M.; Aaron, D.S.; Papandrew, A.B.; Mench, M.M.; Zawodzinski, T.A. Resolving losses at the negative electrode in all-vanadium redox flow batteries using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2014, 161: A981 – A988. 

 Tang, Z.; Svoboda, R.; Lawton, J.; Aaron, D.; Papandrew, A.; Zawodzinski, T. Composition and conductivity of membranes equilibrates with concentrated solutions of sulfuric acid and vanadyl sulfate. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2013, 160: F1040-1047. 

 Lawton, J. S.; Aaron, D. S.; Tang, Z.; Zawodzinski, T. A. Qualitative behavior of vanadium ions in Nafion membranes using electron spin resonance. Journal of Membrane Science, 2013, 428: 38 – 45. 

 Aaron, D.S.; Sun, C-N.; Bright, M.; Papandrew, A.B.; Mench, M.M.; Zawodzinski, T.A. In-situ kinetics studies in all-vanadium redox flow batteries. ECS Electrochemistry Letters, 2013, 2: A29 – A31. 

Sun, C.N.; Delnick, F.M.; Aaron, D.S.; Papandrew, A.B.; Mench, M.M.; Zawodzinski, T.A. Probing electrode losses in all-vanadium redox flow batteries with impedance spectroscopy. ECS Electrochemistry Letters, 2013, 2: A43 – A45. 

 Tang, Z.; Keith, R.E.; Aaron, D.S.; Lawton, J.S.; Papandrew, A.B.; Zawodzinski, T.A. Proton exchange membrane performance characterization in VRFB. Electrochemical Society Transactions, 2012, 41 (23): 25-34. 

 Aaron, D. S.; Borole, A. P.; Yiacoumi, S.; Tsouris, C. Effects of operating conditions on internal resistances in enzyme fuel cells studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.  Journal of Power Sources, 2012, 201: 59 - 65. 

 Lawton, J.S.; Aaron, D.S.; Tang, Z.; Zawodzinski, T.A. Electron spin resonance investigation of the effects of vanadium ions in ion exchange membranes for uses in VRFBs. Electrochemical Society Transactions, 2012, 41 (23): 53 – 56. 

 Aaron, D. S.; Tang, Z.; Lawton, J. S.; Papandrew, A. B.; Zawodzinski, T. A. In-situ single electrode studies of an all-vanadium redox flow battery. Electrochemical Society Transactions, 2011, 41 (23): 43 - 51. 

 Aaron, D. S.; Tang, Z.; Papandrew, A. B.; Zawodzinski, T. A. Polarization curve analysis of all-vanadium redox flow batteries.  Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 2011, 41 (10), 1175 – 1182. 

 Aaron, D.S.; Borole, A.P.; Hussey, D.S.; Jacobson, D.L.; Yiacoumi, S.; Tsouris C.  Quantifying the water content in the cathode of enzyme fuel cells via neutron imaging.  Journal of Power Sources, 2011, 196 (4), 1769-1775. 

 Tsouris, C.; Aaron, D.S.; Williams, K.A. Is carbon capture and storage really necessary?  Environmental Science and Technology, 2010, 44(11), 4042 – 4045. 

 Book Contribution 

Aaron, D.S., Tsouris, C.  CO₂ Capture in Energy Production.  Waste Gas Treatment for Resource Recovery (Chapter 18). IWA Publishing, London, England.  2006