Professor Lin Li awarded two new grants
Professor Lin Li has been awarded two new grants to investigate automotive supply chains and battery technology.
The first grant is a two-year award from the Department of Energy (DOE) for research titled “Automotive Supplier Diversification and Conversion Playbook Deployment.”
For this research, Li is focusing on deploying the DOE’s playbook to assist automotive manufacturers in navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.
The playbook serves as a strategic guide for small- and medium-sized manufacturers, helping them adapt or transition part or all their manufacturing processes to align with the electric vehicle supply chain or other clean energy sectors. This approach enables the manufacturers to tap into emerging markets while leveraging their expertise and production capabilities.
“This project aims to help small and medium-sized manufacturers thrive in the rapidly evolving clean energy landscape. This initiative aligns with the DOE’s mission to strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, enhance resilience, and accelerate the transition to clean energy solutions. By utilizing this resource, manufacturers can discover new ways to diversify their products, expand their customer base, and remain competitive in the global automotive industry and market”, said Li, director of the Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Research Laboratory and the DOE Industrial Assessment Centers at UIC.
Better Battery Technology
In addition to the DOE grant, Li received a one-year award from Beam Global for a project titled “Enhanced Safety & Charging for eVOTL Vehicles.”
Beam Global produces innovative, sustainable technology for electric vehicle charging, outdoor media, and energy security without the construction, disruption, risks, and costs of grid-tied solutions.
For this research, Li plans to use an intelligent battery thermal management system coupled with phase change composite technology to enable rapid charging capabilities for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) batteries, used on aircraft to store energy and power motors.
“This innovative approach addresses current limitations in battery technology, aiming to achieve a 50 to 60% charge in less than 15 minutes,” he said.
Li and his team propose fully characterizing power cells for eVTOL applications. The cell characterization, which analyzes a cell’s properties to understand its identity, behavior, and function, will utilize Beam Globe’s equipment at their facility in Broadview, Illinois.
“Expertise in thermal modeling, battery characterization, and algorithm development and coding is required for this project, and a small-scale battery pack with phase change composite as thermal management solution will be used as a testing sample,” Li said.
The goal is to produce comprehensive testing data to be used to train models and enhance the intelligent battery thermal management system.