Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
This is the Johnson Controls Dry Room, a laboratory at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee’s
engineering building, a collaborative laboratory for prototyping advanced lithium-ion chemistry
cells for automotive applications; and it really is something special in that it represents
a unique technology processing capability probably in North America, certainly in the
United States, for drylab assembly of advanced chemistry energy storage technology.
In this lab we can make cells in the capacity of 3 amp-hour cells in the size range of applications
for things like hybrid electric vehicles ; a 40 amp-hour cell would be in the size range
for things like very large plug-in vehicle battery packs or full electric vehicles.
There are scientists from Johnson Controls working right alongside students at UW-Milwaukee.
It’s just an incredible opportunity, because there’s a certain skill set that’s in
industry that we don’t necessarily have here. It only makes our work stronger. And
so some of the work that I’m doing is looking to create new materials that can be used to
push the envelope forward and expand the capability of energy storage so that it can go out in
different areas.
I feel more prepared to move into industry after I finish my studies. This kind of experience
will make it easy for me to transit from academia.
On this floor we are intensely focused on what are the best materials from the standpoint
of the amount of energy you get out per unit weight, the amount of power you get out per
unit weight, and what is the cost. The glove box, again, a rare piece of equipment
at academic institutions, it’s a large investment, it’s a sealed glove box, pumped down and
filled with argon; there’s nothing else in this in terms of an atmosphere but argon,
we are certain that there will be no contaminants or any unwanted chemical reaction. And we’re
not afraid to fail, the key thing is fail fast. Move quickly through the permutations,
decide which materials are worthy of further investigation, and move on with life towards
the ultimate goal which is a product, a battery system, that meets our customer needs.
It gives us access to a lot of great intellectual capital, engineers, material engineers, other
engineers, that can give us perspective on things that if you’re too close to the product
sometimes you miss opportunities. What we need are more modern day versions of the Manhattan
Project model where you get together the right skill set in a very collaborative activity
where management has the vision, everyone’s committed , and you work toward a specific
set of goals until you get it done.