USU Engineering Professor Receives NSF Grant for Lithium Battery Research
Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Haoran Wang has been granted $246,549 by the National Science Foundation for his research on harnessing mechanics for the design of lithium batteries.
Wang intends to use mechanics as a new method for stabilizing the electrochemical process in batteries and achieving a long cycling life. The collaborative project is set to unite Utah State University and the University of Utah to contribute to renewable energy industries.
Utah State Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Haoran Wang received a grant from the National Science Foundation for his research on improving the life of lithium batteries.
“Here we connect two subjects, the material growth theories and all-solid-state lithium batteries, to understand the growth and depletion of lithium anodes during the charging and discharging process,” said Wang.
All-solid-state lithium batteries are promising as they provide a higher capacity with better safety. However, during charging, fracturing can occur when non-uniform lithium plating takes place. Cracking and dendrite growth can further cause short-circuiting.
This research will investigate how mechanics can be used to achieve uniform and stable plating and stripping in lithium anodes. It is the hope that advancing next-generation battery technology will contribute to the national economy and sustainability and will assist in improving the electric vehicle industry.
Wang will be collaborating with researchers across the globe: Roseanne Warren at the University of Utah and Angela Mihai at Cardiff University in Wales. He added he is excited for a “cross-county” collaborative project.
“Research today is becoming more complicated, requiring contributions from multiple disciplines,” said Wang. “We are excited to provide our new solution for the design of all-solid-state lithium batteries, which will broadly impact many aspects of our life.”
In total, the project was awarded $568,545 in funding with USU being the leading institution
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Writer: Sydney Dahle, 435-797-7512, sydney.dahle@usu.edu
Contact: Dr. Haoran Wang, 435-797-0951, haoran.wang@usu.edu