Bio
I am a Technical Professional in the Grid Systems Hardware Group at the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center. I have worked at ORNL since 2016 and have worked across the campus in several groups within the Energy Science and Technology Directorate. The research I carry out at the BRACE Lab is pivotal in addressing the challenges associated with the end-of-life management of electrochemical energy storage systems. By focusing on automation, efficiency, and sustainability, I aim to create a robust framework for the circular economy of battery materials, ultimately supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy future.
Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are ubiquitous. A fundamental, but often overlooked corollary to this statement is, end-of-life lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous. These end-of-life LiBs are valuable commodities considering the amount of critical materials involved, manufacturing value held, as well as energy storage modalities it can service. In spite of this, a large fraction of end-of-life batteries currently end up as landfill. As the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), portable electronics, and renewable energy storage solutions continues to surge, the volume of spent LiBs is expected to rise exponentially. It is estimated that by 2030, millions of metric tons of these batteries will reach the end of their service life, creating an urgent need for effective and sustainable disposal solutions. The environmental and economic implications of improper disposal are significant, as landfilled batteries can lead to soil and water contamination due to the leaching of toxic elements. Moreover, the critical materials within these batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, are finite resources that are essential for the production of new batteries.
Critical material circularity is a key challenge facing the world as it aspires to achieve carbon neutral energy security. I tackle this problem head-on at the Battery Recycling and Automating Circular Economies (BRACE) Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) where I work as a Technical Professional, and lead PI. My research focuses on advancing the circularity and resilience of electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems through innovative recycling and disassembly methodologies. The core of my research addresses the pressing need for automated disassembly technologies that can safely and efficiently handle high-voltage battery systems. My primary objective is to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of lithium-ion battery recycling processes, thereby promoting a circular economy for critical materials.
One key project I am spearheading involves pioneering the automated recovery of critical materials from end-of-life energy systems. This includes developing and optimizing robotic systems capable of dismantling EV batteries with precision. This development will reduce human exposure to hazardous energy levels and life-threatening chemicals and increase the throughput of recycling. For this development, we have developed semi-autonomous robotic control algorithms, that pair machine vision along with tool path design to achieve optimal disassembly processes. I have also contributed significantly to development of preliminary classification techniques for cell configurations in series/parallel that can be encountered in real-life systems to help disassembly.