(6dk) Techno-Economic Analysis and Optimization for Energy Storage Systems

The overall theme of my research is to develop advanced computational models and decision-support tools for solving problems in energy storage and manufacturing systems. My immediate focus is on reducing the cost of lithium-ion batteries for automotive applications. In order to accomplish this, I plan to apply a combinatorial approach (Fig. 1) of the following research problems. (1) Techno-economic analysis of automotive lithium ion battery manufacturing processes, (2) Integrated supply chain optimization and operations analysis, and (3) Improving operational efficiency and design. My PhD and postdoctoral training in modeling, optimization, supply chain analysis, and developing decision-support tools will be critical for the aforementioned research plan. Furthermore, my postdoctoral work at Argonne National Laboratory has enriched my knowledge of lithium ion battery design, characterization, manufacturing, and supply chain. This experience and relevant expertise puts me in a good position to undertake the proposed research.

In a preliminary work, the major cost contributing components – ranging from materials costs to the cost of unit operations, have been studied to identify the cost and energy drivers and to explore options that enable the reduction of battery manufacturing cost. As the cost of materials is a major contributor to the overall battery cost, a primary focus of this work has been to identify production routes to reduce material costs. On one hand, detailed techno-economic models are developed to estimate the cost and energy required to produce cathode materials such as nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide (NCM) and lithium manganese oxide (LMO) and electrolyte materials such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆). On the other hand, process models are developed for electrode coating step to study solvent drying and recovery in further detail and identify factors to reduce the cost of operations and improve the quality of product. In this poster, a collage of results will be presented highlighting the key learnings and outcomes from the aforementioned studies. The results will show the impact of various process, operating, and economic parameters on the overall battery cost. Also, the pathways to minimize the battery manufacturing cost will be outlined. The poster will conclude with a discussion on the lessons learned, and the research needs and trends.

In future, I wish to continue my work in the area of techno-economic analysis of battery material production. Furthermore, I intend to design and optimize integrated production and recycling facilities for manufacturing lithium ion battery materials. In addition, I intend to develop models for supply chain optimization including decisions such as capacity planning, material sourcing, inventory management, international material transfers, and material recycling.

Teaching Interests:

I am comfortable to teach any of the core chemical engineering courses such as Process Design & Modeling, Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering, Transport Phenomena, Mass & Heat Transfer, Separation Processes, and Reaction Engineering. In addition, I am interested in developing elective courses stemmed from my research experience in the area of energy systems modeling and optimization. Here, I plan on introducing students to techno-economic and environmental impact analysis techniques and their application to energy systems such as power systems design, evaluating low carbon energy supply alternatives, and challenges in waste disposals and emission control.