{"id":23102,"date":"2015-11-02T16:55:29","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T22:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?p=23102"},"modified":"2016-02-04T12:34:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T18:34:26","slug":"jciuwm-partnership-fuels-the-future-of-energy-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/jciuwm-partnership-fuels-the-future-of-energy-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"JCI\/51ÁÔÆæ partnership fuels the future of energy storage"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world facing shortages in energy and water, 51ÁÔÆæ researchers are focused on tomorrow \u2013 building new distribution and conservation technologies that will change the game in our search for a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n

This work is already rebooting the economy in Wisconsin, where the energy industry is the No. 1 driver, according to the Midwest Energy Research Consortium. The university\u2019s partnership with Fortune 100 company Johnson Controls Inc., the world\u2019s largest supplier of batteries, has already earned tens of millions of dollars in energy-research grants aimed at developing batteries for next-generation vehicles.<\/p>\n

At no time since the first Model T rolled off the manufacturing assembly line in 1908 has vehicle technology evolved as quickly as it is today.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t that long ago when the only electric vehicles that existed were golf carts,\u201d said Deyang Qu, Johnson Controls Endowed Professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. \u201cNow, you have the pure electric vehicles, the hybrid plug-in and the \u2018micro-hybrid.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

With new car technology comes a need for advanced batteries capable of powering the vehicles. But one battery does not fit all, Qu said. At Johnson Controls, the research is focused on two kinds of vehicle batteries: lead-acid batteries, existing technology that\u2019s being upgraded to enable higher vehicle performance; and lithium-ion, which can be recharged more quickly than their lead-acid counterpart.<\/p>\n

Qu is heading research at both 51ÁÔÆæ and UW-Madison as part of a unique partnership between Wisconsin\u2019s two public research universities and Johnson Controls. The company\u2019s multi-million dollar investment supports the endowed professorship, graduate student education and research laboratories at both universities. Faculty members, students and Johnson Controls scientists work side-by-side in two labs at 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s College of Engineering & Applied Science. One is a \u201cdry lab\u201d with the right conditions to test-manufacture next-generation lithium-ion batteries. It\u2019s the only one of its kind at a North American university.<\/p>\n

Results are promising. Since 2012 work done in these labs has attracted $35 million in federal grants for energy storage research and several 51ÁÔÆæ grads have been hired by Johnson Controls.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure there is a return on this investment that benefits the economy of Wisconsin,\u201d Qu added.<\/p>\n

This includes turning out skilled engineers with coveted expertise in the highly charged field of battery research.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of this collaboration Johnson Controls is on our campus all year round. Students can be working on a real-world project as part of their education. And we can tailor our curriculum to take advantage of those experiences to give our students the maximum benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qu came to Milwaukee from University of Massachusetts Boston, where he built a research program in energy storage systems for electric vehicles and smart-grid technology. Prior to 2005, he worked as a research scientist for private industry, including at Wisconsin-based Rayovac Corporation (now called Spectrum Brands). In his new position, Qu has three goals:<\/p>\n