Kathleen Lask

Contact

Kathleen M. Lask
klask@berkeley.edu

Education

Kathleen with the lighting cone on a traditional Haitian stove.

Research Interests

Solid fuel combustion, cookstoves in the developing world, laser diagnostic techniques

Research Experience

LBNL Stove Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab/University of California Berkeley  (Fall 2010 – Present)
Graduate Student Researcher,  Advisor: Prof. Ashok Gadgil  (Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering)
Current Projects:
– Examining mechanisms of particulate matter reduction in the flame zone of cookstoves using laser diagnostic techniques.
– Reducing hazardous emissions produced in the Berkeley-Darfur stove by increasing turbulence in the combustion zone using forced air injection

Previous Projects:
– Designed, modeled, and tested lighting cones for traditional Haitian stoves.
– Compared several charcoal stoves proposed for dissemination in Haiti using water boiling and controlled cooking tests.
– Built a Patsari stove and suggested modifications for increased turbulence generation and use as a heating stove.

Centre for Energy Technology, The University of Adelaide   (Spring 2015 – Fall 2015)
Visiting Scholar,  Advisors: Dr Paul Medwell & Dr Cristian Birzer (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering)
– Developing novel applications of laser diagnostic techniques, specifically laser-induced incandescence, OH laser-induced fluorescence, and particle image velocimetry.
– Examining effects of increased turbulence in combustion zone using laser diagnostic techniques to visualize reaction zones, high particulate concentration regions, and velocity fields created by air injection.

Previous Projects:
– Evaluated flow velocity fields of impinging water jets using particle image velocimetry (Spring 2014).
– Conducted laser extinction experiments using the Berkeley-Darfur Stove to establish baseline soot volume fractions for the stove, as well as developing the technique as applied to solid fuel burning cookstoves (Summer 2013).

Combustion Analysis Lab, University of California Berkeley  (Fall 2008 – Summer 2010)
Graduate Student Researcher,  Advisor: Prof. Robert Dibble  (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering)
– Studied the combined use of after burners and three-way catalytic converters to reduce pollutant emissions from fuel rich engines, specifically large engines burning landfill gas.

Low Temperature Lab, Southern Illinois University Carbondale  (Fall 2004 – Spring 2008)
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Advisor: Prof. Aldo Migone  (Dept. of Physics)
– Conducted gas adsorption experiments on nanomaterials, specifically metal-organic frameworks.

In San San Pond Sak, moving sea turtle hatchlings to the weighing station.

Association of Friends and Neighbors of the Coast and Nature,  San San Pond Sak Wetlands, Panama  (Summer 2007)
Biological Research Volunteer
– Observed manatee habits in the wild. Recorded the number and weight of sea turtle hatchlings per nest, including stage of development for unborn hatchlings. Protected laying sea turtles and their hatchlings from poachers and natural enemies and relocated nests in danger of flooding.

Superconductivity and Magnetism in Novel Materials Lab, Montana State University  (Summer 2006)
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Student, Advisor: Prof. John Neumeier  (Dept. of Physics)
– Designed and constructed an oven and a quartz dilatometer cell to measure the thermal expansion of superconductors with tenths of Angstroms accuracy

Other Experience

• Board Member for Graduate Women of Engineering (May 2011 – May 2014)
• Assistant to the Editor for the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources (August 2011 – November 2013)
• Webmaster for Applied Science & Technology (March 2012 – June 2013)
• LBNL Cookstove Testing Facility manager  (Feb. 2011-Sept. 2011, Dec. 2012 – April 2013)
• University of California NERDS graduate mentor  (Summer 2012)
• NSF REU SUPERB graduate mentor  (Summer 2009)

Honors and Awards

Publications

K. Lask, A.J. Gadgil, “Performance and Emissions Characteristics of a Lighting Cone for Charcoal Stoves,” Energy for Sustainable Development, accepted (2016)

K. Lask, A.J. Gadgil, “Simplified Model for Lighting Cone Design,” LBNL Report 6965-E (2015)

K. Lask, K. Booker, T.W. Han, J. Granderson, N. Yang, C. Ceballos, and A.J. Gadgil, “Performance comparison of charcoal cookstoves for Haiti: Laboratory testing with Water Boiling and Controlled Cooking Tests,” Energy for Sustainable Development 26: 79-86 (2015)

Y. Wang, M.D. Sohn, Y. Wang, K.M. Lask, T.W. Kirchstetter, A.J. Gadgil, “How many replicate tests are needed to test cookstove performance and emissions? – Three is not always adequate,” Energy for Sustainable Development 20: 21-29 (2014) (PDF)

K. Lask, “Lighting Cones for Haitian Stoves,”  Master’s Report  (2013), (PDF)

K. Lask, J.L. Jones, K. Booker, C. Ceballos, N. Yang, A.J. Gadgil, “Performance of Charcoal Cookstoves for Haiti, Part 2: Results from the Controlled Cooking Test,” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Report Number: LBNL‐5341E  (2011), (PDF)

K. Booker, T.W. Han, J. Granderson, J.L. Jones, K. Lask, N. Yang, A.J. Gadgil, “Performance of Charcoal Cookstoves for Haiti, Part 1: Results from the Water Boiling Test,” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Report Number: LBNL‐5021E  (2011), (PDF)

V. Krungleviciute, K. Lask, A. D. Migone, J.-Y. Lee, J. Li, “Kinetics and equilibrium of gas adsorption on RPM1-Co and Cu-BTC metal-organic frameworks: potential for gas separation applications,” AIChE J. 54 918-923 (2008)

V. Krungleviciute, K. Lask, L. Heroux, A.D. Migone, J.-Y. Lee, J. Li, A. Skoulidas, “Argon Adsorption on Cu₃(Benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate)₂(H₂O)₃ Metal-Organic Frameworks,” Langmuir 23 3106-3109 (2007)

Presentations & Conference Papers

K. Lask, K. Booker, A.J. Gadgil, “Lessons Learned from a Comparison Study of Charcoal Stoves for Haiti,” UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development: From Innovation to Social Impact, (accepted) 2-4 May 2016, Lausanne, Switzerland

K. Lask, A.J. Gadgil, “Effect of Lighting Cones on Charcoal Stoves,” ETHOS Conference, 29-31 January 2016, Kirkland, WA

K. Lask, A.J. Gadgil, “Simplified Model for Lighting Cone Design,” ETHOS Conference, 23-25 January 2015, Kirkland, WA

K.M. Lask, C.H. Birzer, P.R. Medwell, A.J. Gadgil “Understanding the Reduction of Particulate Emissions in Biomass Cookstoves,”  35th International Symposium on Combustion, 3-8 August 2014, San Francisco, CA (Poster)

K.M. Lask, P.R. Medwell, C.H. Birzer, A.J. Gadgil “Particulate emissions from a wood-fired improved biomass stove,” Proceedings of The Australian Combustion Symposium, 6-8 November 2013, Perth, WA, Australia (PDF)

K.M. Lask, P.R. Medwell, C.H. Birzer, A.J. Gadgil “In-situ Measurements of Soot Production in the Berkeley-Darfur Stove using Laser Extinction,” Western States Section of the Combustion Institute Fall Technical Meeting, 7-8 October 2013, Fort Collins, CO (PDF)

<poster> K. Lask, “Lighting Cone for Haitian Stoves,” AS&T research symposium poster session, 04 May 2013, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Poster)

<poster> K. Lask, J. Jones, “Comparison Testing of Haitian Cookstoves,” BERC research symposium poster session, 18 October 2012, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA — first place award winner (Poster)

A. Gadgil, J. Jones, K. Lask, “Haiti Cookstove Project,” Carbon Cycle 2.0 Seminar Series, 27 October 2011, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA (Video)

<poster> D. Wilson, K. Lask, “The Trouble with Cooking: the impact of biomass-burning on health & environment and what we are doing about it,” BERC research symposium poster session, 20 October 2011, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Poster)

K. Lask, V. Krungleviciute, M. Bulut, A.D. Migone, J.-Y. Lee, J. Li “Kinetic and steric differences in adsorption in two porous metal-organic frameworks,” American Physical Society Meeting, 10-14 March 2008, New Orleans, LA

K. Lask, V. Krungleviciute, A.D. Migone, J.-Y. Lee, J. Li “Gas separation using novel materials: kinetics of gas adsorption on RPM-1 and Cu-BTC metal-organic frameworks,” American Physical Society Meeting,   5-9 March 2007, Denver, CO

V. Krungleviciute, K. Lask, A.D. Migone, B. Buller, T. Beattie, U. Venkateswaran “Neon adsorption on single walled carbon nanohorns,” American Physical Society Meeting, 13-17 March 2006, Baltimore, MD

K. Lask, V. Krungleviciute, L. Heroux, A.D. Migone, J.-Y. Lee, J. Li “Argon adsorption on a microporous metal organic framework, Cu₃(BTC)₂(H₂O)₃ (Copper (II) Benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate),” American Physical Society Meeting, 13-17 March 2006, Baltimore, MD