Reaction Engineering

Fire hazard in electric vehicle is one of the key problem that requires immediate attention. One of the way to prevent such fires in battery systems is have a competent battery management system which can predict the potential failure of the battery pack. Battery management system (BMS) consists of battery model, parameters and state estimation algorithms and optimziation toolboxes. Traditionally, circuit based models are being used in these BMS which do not provide physical understanding of the battery systems.

Battery pack design for an e-scooter, drone or EV is very interesting problem. With the new e-scooter boom in the market and pending EV boom in India, the need for battery pack design engineers is destined to grow. A battery pack design requires deeper understanding of the workings of a li-ion battery along with their dynamics in a group of batteries. This work consist of both simulation and experimental component.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) offers a way to determine and quantify the transport and kinetic processes occurring in energy storage and conversion systems such as Li-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzer. EIS is a powerful technique that helps in quantifying the various transport and kinetic resistances hampering the performance of the said systems. Apart from that, health monitoring of batteries and fuel cells (estimating the remaining life and capacity fade) has become very critical for enabling e-mobility.

Battery charging time is one of the most critical factors that will govern the penetration of electric vehicle in the market. Reduction in battery charging time is also desirable for portable electronics including cellphones. Significant research is underway to reduce the charging time of a lithium-ion/Na-ion battery. Ensuring safety while fast charging as well as discharging is also crucial for battery usage.

Nanoparticles show new and interesting properties different from bulk materials due to their extremely small size (diameter), large specific surface area and spatial anisotropy. It is thus critical to understand the variables that control its synthesis, leading to a desired application. Control of mean nanoparticle size, particle size distribution and specially, anisotropic particle shapes is the first step in many of these applications, involving enhanced adsorption and reaction rates.