Kariana Moreno Sader

Kariana Moreno Sader is a PhD candidate whose research explores new strategies for decarbonizing the trucking sector, a crucial but challenging part of the economy to decarbonize in the interest of mitigating climate change. Kariana’s previous work included investigations of battery electric and hydrogen approaches. Her second MathWorks Fellowship will enable her to extend this work to liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), which could be substantially more cost- effective than battery electric and compressed hydrogen and also require only minimal changes to the existing fuel infrastructure. Kariana is developing a new powertrain option featuring onboard hydrogen release, in which engine exhaust heat is recovered to power the dehydrogenation reactor, negating the need for compression or high-pressure onboard storage. MATLAB is a vital tool in Kariana’s research. Her proposed concept, if successful, could transform the trucking industry by offering a cost-competitive alternative to diesel that is simple to implement and globally accessible. Ultimately, Kariana’s work has the potential to advance the decarbonization of long-haul trucking, and the development of other LOHC mobility applications, with significant economic and climate impacts.