David A. Vermaas

Dr. David A. Vermaas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Applied Sciences. He leads the Electrochemical Flow Systems (EFS) lab, which is embedded within the Transport Phenomena group and part of the e-refinery institute. His research focuses on engineering and studying electrochemical flow cells for renewable energy applications.

Vermaas' research interests center on mass transport phenomena in electrochemical systems. His work spans across water electrolyzers, CO₂ conversion technologies, CO₂ capture systems, and various types of flow batteries. He investigates multiphase and multi-ionic mass transport around gas bubbles, in diffusion boundary layers, and through ion exchange membranes to enhance system performance and prepare technologies for practical applications.

His current research portfolio includes significant projects such as an ERC Starting Grant focusing on mass transport enhancement strategies, the ReCoVR project on selective CO₂ capture, and he serves as coordinator for the EU-funded MELODY project developing membraneless H₂-Br₂ flow batteries. Previous innovations from his lab have spun off into clean-tech startups including AquaBattery and SeaO₂.

• ERC Starting Grant on mass transport enhancement strategies
• ReCoVR project on selective CO₂ capture
• MELODY project (coordinator) on membraneless H₂-Br₂ flow batteries
• OFFSET project and HyPRO project on water electrolysis

Vermaas maintains strong industry collaborations and has co-founded the clean-tech company AquaBattery, which develops flow batteries using water and salt gradients. He previously worked with REDstack and maintains a visiting position at Berkeley National Lab following his 2019-2020 sabbatical. His teaching responsibilities include courses on Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy, Thermodynamics and Transport, and Chemical Product Design.