Press Release

Center for Research in Extreme Batteries hosts national experts

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Steve Daines to open the forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  January 11, 2021

CONTACT:
James Short
301 949-1285
jshort@umd.edu

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The University of Maryland’s (UMD) Center for Research in Extreme Batteries (CREB) will host (virtually) some of the nation’s top researchers and developers in the battery industry on Friday, January 15, 2021, at their semi-annual meeting. The topic is “Commercializing Battery R&D”; the full agenda is available online. In response to the Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) Open Campus Initiative, CREB was created at UMD to address the extreme energy storage needs identified by the Army, creating a timely opportunity to co-develop a synergistic research ecosystem addressing the critical needs of advanced battery technology under harsh conditions. 

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen will welcome the participants on Friday, January 15th at 1:15pm to be followed by prerecorded video remarks by U.S. Senator Steve Daines.

Senator Van Hollen of Maryland is a strong supporter of clean energy technology and creating and nurturing local small businesses. He has noted that not only are clean energy technologies better for our environment, they also have enormous potential to boost our economy and create good-paying jobs. Furthermore, he continues to support small businesses as a cornerstone of Maryland’s economy, creating jobs and driving innovation. And in fact, the business industry will be well represented during the panel on “Innovating new cell technology to meet DoD’s extreme performance needs” with leaders from Amprius, American Lithium Energy, Solid Energy Systems, Cuberg, and Ion Storage Systems (a UMD start-up company) presenting.

Senator Daines of Montana is a strong supporter of both clean energy technology, and equipping and maintaining the best military in the world.  Towards these two ends he is a champion for extreme battery research that will provide safe, dependable, long-lasting batteries tailored to the needs of America’s troops wherever they may operate.  Among the goals of extreme battery research is lighter weight batteries of increased power and energy, reducing the load a soldier must carry. Today, a typical 72-hour mission requires a soldier to carry more than 20 pounds of batteries in addition to combat gear. 

Among about twenty speakers are:

  • Dr. Ashley Ruth, a chemical engineer in the Tactical Power Branch/Power Division at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.  In 2019 she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest award bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding early career scientists and engineers.

  • Dr. Khalil Amine, a materials scientist at the Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory.  He leads the Advanced Lithium Battery Technology group.  He is an Argonne Distinguished Fellow.  In 2019 he was awarded the Global Energy Prize. 

  • Dr. Daphne Fuentevilla, a Staff Specialist for Energy & Power/Ground & Sea Platforms, Platforms & Weapons Directorate at the Naval Surface Weapons Center, Carderock Division.  Her lithium battery and power systems & lithium battery safety expertise serves the Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity.

CREB is the recent recipient of a $7.2M research award from the ARL to collaborate and advance transformational Army batteries. This collaboration targets EXTREME research themes including: 

  • Extreme Charging - to enable faster deployment and return to battlefield capability;

  • Extreme Safety – to reduce the flammability/explosive risk of current batteries to the warfighter; 

  • Extreme Voltage – to enable higher energy density and thus reduced mass burden for the warfighter;

  • Extreme Evaluation - to understand battery limitations and facilitate the transition of advanced battery materials from basic science to their incorporation into commercial batteries; 

  • Extreme Transformational Innovations – to enable the multiple Extreme capabilities noted above, as well as an Extreme Temperature capability (both cold and hot) through new materials and novel battery designs.

Press and others are invited to attend the open session. Please contact James Short, PhD, Program Administrator for the Center for Research in Extreme Batteries (jshort@umd.edu) if interested in attending.