Energy research supported by MIT's Energy Initiative: Seven innovative projects, including ammonia as a hydrogen storage solution and electric vehicle battery management.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative (MITEI) has awarded over $1.2 million in grants to seven novel energy research projects as part of its Seed Fund program. The projects, which will receive $175,000 in funding over two years, focus on innovative solutions in transportation, energy storage, and hydrogen storage and transport.
Ammonia as a Hydrogen Carrier
One of the funded projects explores the potential of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. This promising approach to hydrogen storage and transport could advance clean energy use, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs). Sylvia Ceyer, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, leads the project to reduce the energy cost of decomposing ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen.
Electric Vehicle Battery Management
Another project aims to develop fast-charging protocols and fault prognostic methods for electric vehicle (EV) battery management. Richard Braatz, a professor of chemical engineering, leads this initiative, which aligns with MITEI’s broader focus on improving energy storage technologies vital for EV proliferation and grid decarbonization.
Sustainable Energy Pathways for Africa
The Sustainable energy pathways for Africa project will create a framework for evaluating decarbonization and energy transition pathways for Africa. Jennifer Morris and Angelo Gurgel are the principal investigators for this project.
Robotics for Efficient Infrastructure Maintenance
Andreea Bobu leads the Robotics for efficient infrastructure maintenance project, which aims to make renewable energy systems more reliable and scalable using robotics.
Other Funded Projects
Other funded projects include the electric-field enhanced CO capture project, the project for accelerating grid planning for the data center era, and the goal of the separation and recycling of rare earth elements project, all of which reflect the complex, interdisciplinary nature of the global energy transition that MITEI seeks to advance.
The Importance of Energy Storage
Improving energy storage capabilities is key to expanding the use of renewable energy and enabling energy system decarbonization. Over the past four cycles, the largest concentration of projects awarded funding have been related to batteries and energy storage, accounting for about 30% of MITEI’s recent funding rounds.
These projects represent part of a portfolio addressing challenges from rare earth separation to recycling, power infrastructure, and transportation decarbonization, reflecting the complex, interdisciplinary nature of the global energy transition that MITEI seeks to advance.
- The robots developed in the "Robotics for Efficient Infrastructure Maintenance" project, led by Andreea Bobu, could potentially streamline operations in various sectors, not just renewable energy, such as finance, technology, and even the energy industry.
- The Sustainable energy pathways for Africa project, led by Jennifer Morris and Angelo Gurgel, demonstrates a collaboration between the industry, finance, and technology sectors to address energy accessibility and decarbonization issues in Africa, enhancing its overall economic development.
