David Ward

Dr David Ward serves as a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the Chemical Engineering BEng (Hons) programme at the University of Chester's School of Natural Sciences within the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise. His research focuses on advancing sustainable energy technologies through innovative fuel cell systems.

Ward's primary research domain centers on chemically regenerative redox cathode polymer electrolyte fuel cells (CRRC PEFCs), where he investigates polyoxometalate-based catholytes as alternatives to platinum catalysts. His work examines temperature dependencies, catholyte concentration effects, regeneration kinetics, and system optimization to address durability and cost limitations in conventional fuel cells. Key contributions include identifying optimal operating conditions (80°C, 0.3M catholyte concentration) and demonstrating superior performance metrics compared to traditional systems.

His publication record reveals consistent specialization in electrochemical energy conversion, with recent work emphasizing catholyte formulation chemistry (vanadium content, counter ions, pH) and system integration. Articles in Journal of Power Sources and Johnson Matthey Technology Review highlight practical advancements in CRRC PEFC technology, including regeneration rate quantification methods and power density optimization.

As Programme Leader, Ward oversees curriculum development for Chemical Engineering while contributing to the university's Sustainability and Environment Research and Knowledge Exchange Institute. His work bridges fundamental electrochemistry research with practical engineering applications for clean energy solutions.