#FaradayPathways Edward Brightman
Dr Edward Brightman shares his #FaradayPathway, from a PhD on fuel cells at Imperial College London to his current role as a lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, where his first big grant as an academic came from the Faraday Institution as part of the Transforming Energy Access programme. Currently working on the ReSTOR project in collaboration with StorTera, Ed’s research focuses on developing flow battery systems for sustainable energy storage in emerging economies.
He reflects on his career across industry, a start-up and academia, sharing aspirations for his research to aid the transition of the energy economy away from fossil fuels and ambitions to expand electrochemical energy research and know-how in Scotland.
Early motivations
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Ed’s fascination with science started early.
“I have a distinct early memory from primary school when someone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, perhaps expecting me to say “fireman” or “doctor” – I said I wanted to be a research scientist.”
Ed’s passion for science stayed with him throughout high school, where chemistry quickly became his favourite subject. Ed went on to study for a Master’s in Chemistry at Merton College, Oxford, where his final year project provided a taste of life as a researcher. After his undergraduate degree, he took a year to explore different interests.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do immediately after university, I didn’t do any summer internships – I mucked around, I sang in an a cappella group and went on tours with them!”
After a year of “soul-searching”, Ed says, “I realised that the most pressing issues of the day, and now, revolved around climate change – the root being our reliance on fossil fuels. I was determined to contribute to the solution.” He decided to pursue a PhD in hydrogen fuel cells at Imperial College London.
Career development: industry, academia, and a start-up!
Ed explains how his undergraduate and PhD supervisors made lasting impressions, playing a crucial role in laying the foundations of his interest in industry-relevant research and providing career pointers.
“Paul Burn was the first mentor who really influenced me; as an academic with strong industry links and applied research he really inspired me. Then, during my PhD, Nigel Brandon was a great mentor who had also spun out a company and was involved in many industrial applications for his research. Nigel’s support and enthusiasm created a fantastic environment for my growth.
“A role at the NPL – the National Physical Laboratory – came up at the right time towards the end of my PhD. I doubted I could get the role there and I’d like to thank Dan Brett for encouraging me to go for it; the move was a really nice step.”
Ed’s time at NPL marked a significant transition in his expertise and focus, and the development of his knowledge of the importance of quantifying uncertainty in research.
“During my PhD, we mostly focused on materials and catalysis. At NPL, I realised that there was loads more electrochemistry that I hadn’t learned. It was like doing another PhD. I realised that the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know. NPL was a great place to work, they have such a range of expertise there.”
After 4 ½ years at NPL, Ed sought new challenges, moving to France as a visiting scientist with IFP Energies Nouvelles (part of the French Institute of Petroleum) to work on electrolysers and developing a CO2 electrolysis rig.
“My research focus on measurement techniques at IFP led to a paper on pH measurement methods for the catalytic element of the cathode of the electrolyser. This period was really interesting and also a lot of fun, filled with great food and a really friendly group.”
In 2016, Ed joined the University of Glasgow as a senior research associate, returning to academia and bringing him closer to family in Scotland. This was where he first developed his vision for what would be his own particular research area when applying for a permanent academic position in the future, and furthered his experience with flow batteries: batteries where the energy is stored in liquids that are pumped through the cell, meaning the capacity depends on the volume of the tanks. Flow batteries have the potential for long lifetimes and reduced costs, meaning they could be very important for the future of long duration stationary energy storage.
“At Glasgow, I worked on commercialising a hydrogen production technology for a company that is now Clyde Hydrogen, helping develop the proof-of-concept rig. I was fascinated by Lee Cronin’s research, which was on a device that was essentially a flow battery in all but name. The role allowed me to come up with ideas for fellowships and lectureships. Flow batteries excited me as an important technology for low cost, large-scale and longer-duration energy storage, a solution for transitioning the energy economy away from fossil fuels and a research area that I could develop.”
Following his time at Glasgow, Ed took an opportunity to re-enter industry through a role at a startup, Enocell.
“I joined Enocell in 2017, as Research and Development Manager. Due to being a startup, the role was exhilarating and exhausting, providing a fast-paced environment to develop light-assisted fuel cells. I engaged with managers and investors regularly, and learned a lot about manufacturing and integration.”
Current role and Faraday Institution ReSTOR project
Despite his leanings towards industry and his acknowledgement that he doesn’t see himself as “an academic at heart”, Ed dedicated one day a week to a secondment at the University of Strathclyde during his tenure at Enocell, leading him, in 2019, to his current position as a full-time lecturer at the university.
“I didn’t want to abandon academia completely. I saw that Scottish universities could do with more academics and coordination of research and teaching in the field of electrochemical energy devices, particularly with hydrogen, but I also wanted to develop flow batteries.”
“My first big grant proposal as an academic came from the Faraday Institution in 2020, when StorTera were looking for someone to lead a project to improve the efficiency of their innovative graphite polysulfide single liquid flow battery suitable for use in developing countries.”
Ed is currently leading a follow-up project – ReSTOR – as part of the Ayrton Challenge on Energy Storage. It optimises simplified processes to enable the installation, repair and recovery of StorTera’s flow batteries in emerging economies by local engineers, as a further step towards bringing more renewable and sustainable energy solutions to Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific Region. The team is also scoping out partners for a potential larger-scale demonstrator for the technology, possibly in Malawi or Sri Lanka – countries that the team has links to.
“I’d always wanted to get involved with The Faraday Institution due to its structure, ethos and high calibre ways of research and coordination; it seems a real success story in terms of UK research and innovation funding, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be involved with it. I’m keen for my PhD students and post-docs to get involved with opportunities that the Faraday Institution leads on.”
Aspirations and advice
Ed still has aspirations to continue to juggle his academic and industrial interests and in growing electrochemical energy research in Scotland.
“I still keep an eye on industry and commercialisation. However, I have ambitions to grow my group and expand the Chemical and Process Engineering Department’s activities in electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering.
“I’m excited to grow the Strathclyde Incubator for Green Hydrogen Technologies (SigH2t) to fill the gap in electrochemical engineering and energy materials at Strathclyde. We hope to coordinate with the PNDC (The Power Networks Demonstration Centre) and other industry-facing centres. That’s the vision.”
As for advice for his younger self, Ed has one main takeaway.
“When you’re stuck, ask questions! As a PhD student I usually tried to solve problems on my own, but I think I could have got much further if I’d asked for help more.”
Read more:
- Find out about routes into battery research in the Faraday Institution’s career portfolio and other examples of how research careers don’t necessarily follow linear paths.
- BBC article about StorTera’s flow batteries
#FaradayPathway written by Rebecca Dawes, Science Communications Intern and published in August 2024.