CEE Assistant Professor Scott Moura, Director of the Energy, Controls, and Applications Lab (eCAL) has been awarded a research grant on "Fast Charging Batteries via Electrochemical Model-based Control".
The single-PI award is sponsored by the Energy, Power, Controls, and Networks (EPCN) program of the National Science Foundation, and totals about $300,000 over 3 years.
The project will maximize the performance of lithium-ion batteries, in applications such as smart phones, electric vehicles, and grid-scale energy storage. In particular, eCAL will explore the fundamental limits of fast charging and trade offs with battery life.
The key idea is to combine complex mathematical models of battery electrochemistry with recent advancements in control theory. By monitoring the internal electrochemistry via estimation algorithms, one can operate batteries at their performance limits—safely.
This project will also leverage a newly launched Battery-in-the-Loop test facility in Davis Hall. This state-of-the-art test facility allows eCAL researchers to experimentally prototype electrochemical model-based battery control systems.
Moura teaches in CEE's Systems Engineering and Energy, Civil Infrastructure and Climate programs.