U.S. DOE Funds FSC Energy Research
July 23, 2018
FSC has been awarded $170,000 over four years by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of its Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) program. The program brings together researchers from multiple disciplines and institutions — including academic institutions, national laboratories and nonprofit organizations—and combines them into synergistic, highly productive teams. The EFRC goals are to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to strengthen U.S. economic leadership and energy security.
According to Dr. Jack Simonson, assistant professor of physics, a significant portion of the grant money will be set aside for student stipends over the next four years.
Said Dr. Simonson: “Better battery materials will result in batteries that hold their charge longer and can be recharged both more quickly and more often before failure. In this project, we will study how to make better lithium metal oxides and how mixing between their atoms impacts their performance. Our objective is to control how the lithium and metal mix together. We will achieve this control by carrying out measurements at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, while the materials are forming at nearly 2000 F.”
“America’s continued energy security and global competitiveness will depend vitally on a sustained effort in science and discovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “By mobilizing the talents of our nation’s top scientists and forging them into powerful, pro-active teams, the EFRC program will help ensure America’s leadership in the development of critical energy technologies and innovations.”
