Current Research Topics

DOE ARPA-E EVs4All:  Fast-Charge, High-Energy-Density, Solid-State Battery

  • Project will increase battery charge/discharge-rate capability, energy density, and operating temperature window by use of recently developed mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) ceramics and newly established processing techniques to fabricate thinner, higher porosity, and thus lower mass (porous/dense/porous) “trilayers”.

Optimizing Cathode Architecture for Solid-State Li-metal-Sulfur Batteries

  • To demonstrate solid-state Li-S cells based on a thin (~10 um) ionic-electrolyte LLZO dense layer supported by 3D porous MIEC garnet layers achieve.

Fabrication of MIEC Garnet Structures

  • ION has licensed UMD’s mixed ionic electronic conducting (MIEC) garnet technology and would like to receive samples to evaluate this technology in its cell production facility as soon as possible. UMD will fabricate and deliver MIEC garnet bilayer and trilayer samples to ION as prepared on an ongoing basis for 5 months.

US-German Collaboration, Solid Electrolyte-Cathode Thrust

  • Investigating sintering of LLZO garnet electrolytes and interfacial impedance in contact with NMC cathodes.

Advancing Transformational Army Batteries, II

  • In order to advance beyond the current limitations of modern battery technologies, this research will pursue several themes that explore the full extent of a battery’s capabilities, including:
    • Extreme Charging – to facilitate the rapid return of critical Army systems to battlefield readiness
    • Extreme Safety – to reduce or eliminate the flammability/explosive risk of batteries to the warfighter
    • Extreme Voltages – to enable batteries which can be charged to higher voltages to achieve a higher energy density and thus reduce the battery mass burden for the warfighter
    • Extreme Evaluations – to better understand the inner workings of batteries and their degradation mechanisms, thus facilitate the transitioning of advanced battery materials from basic research into the commercial cells used for Army batteries
    • Extreme Transformational Innovations – to promote the development of new materials and novel battery designs such as solid-state lithium batteries
    • Click here more information and the partnership with CREB

Lithium and Sodium Metal Solid State Batteries for Advanced Energy Storage Applications, the U.S. Israel Energy Center

  • The proposed innovation consists of solid-state batteries that use either lithium or sodium metal as the anode material; these batteries offer a breakthrough in terms of energy per unit mass and volume at the cell level (>30% improvement vs. current Li-ion batteries), cost (by increasing energy density and using low-cost materials), safety (by use of electrolyte materials with improved intrinsic thermal stability), and an ability to serve numerous end-use sectors including specialized applications such as aerospace, as well as larger markets in transportation and stationary storage.  The cooperative project will focus on advancing the science and development of solid state batteries, including work on advanced coatings, cell components, cells, and materials informatics software, for both Na and Li metal batteries. Click here for more information on the Energy Consortium. 

 

DOE ARPA-E REEACH: Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Turbogenerator for Aircraft

  • The project will lay out a basic design for a full-scale (26-MW) hybrid turbogenerator/fuel cell energy storage and power generation (ESPG) system with fuel tank,
  • Develop an integrated autothermal reformer (ATR) / solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with anode gas recycling that is at the heart of the ESPG system
  • Develop high power SOFCs with active areas of 16 cm2 based on gadolinia-doped ceria electrolytes as a stepping stone to developing high power density 81 cm2 cells.

 

Development of GTL Membrane Reactor

  • Shell Game Changer Award
  • Phase 1: Reactor Performance Optimization and Feed Impurities & Stability Demonstration
  • Phase 2: Membrane Reactor Tube Scale-up

Natural Gas to Value-Added Chemicals Without Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • Energy Seed Grant to make stainless-steel housing for GTL membrane reactor with high temperature seals and demonstrating true autothermal operation.

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