FUSE Internship from Faraday Institution in Modelling of Damage Processes in Solid-state Batteries
Research Group Activity
Research in our team has been on computational materials engineering of advanced functional materials for a range of applications, from aerospace to energy storage.
We have focused on the modelling of the coupling between mechanics and underlying physico-chemical processes occurring in those materials (e.g. stress-affected chemical reactions). In operando experimental analysis of those effects is quite complex, and theoretical approaches and numerical simulations are invaluable to understand mechanisms governing those phenomena.
For this, we have been developing both mechanistic and data-driven modelling approaches combining different theoretical frameworks and simulation tools from across time and length scales, down from the atomistic level right up to the continuum scale.
Project Description
Note: This project is funded by the Faraday Institute. The successful candidate will received an enhanced stipend for this internship.
Mechanical damage arising from electrochemical processes in solid-state batteries can alter significantly their mass transport capability and thus their overall performance. The damage is frequently initiated at internal interfaces at the microscale, subsequently disrupting ionic and electronic conductivity paths. The effect of mechanical damage at interfaces on the mass transport and overall battery performance is not yet fully understood.
This summer project will assist in the development of a predictive and physically-sound chemo-mechanical model that describes the link between interfacial damage and ionic transport in solid-state battery materials. The model will link micro and macro battery length scales, and will be implemented within a non-linear finite-element approach. It will be the applied to study interface damage between active particles and surrounding materials within a solid-state battery cathode. The model will ultimately assist in the design of interfaces and electrode materials with improved resistance to mechanical damage for solid-state batteries.
Required Skills
Interest in engineering simulations (finite element analysis) and materials modelling.
Interest in materials for energy applications.
Apply for this Project
If you wish to apply for this project, fill in the form below including uploading your CV and personal statement, explaining why you want to do this particular internship project. Attachments must be in PDF format.
