Chelsea Chen, a polymer physicist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is researching energy storage improvements that could significantly enhance electric vehicle (EV) battery life. Chen’s work centers on ion transport in solid electrolytes, a crucial part of EV batteries. Her aim is to extend the driving range of EVs by improving their batteries’ energy density, which requires a significant change in battery chemistry.
Chen is part of the Fast and Cooperative Ion Transport in Polymer-Based Materials (FaCT) center. This center is one of 16 recently funded DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers that work with universities and national labs across the country. These centers aim to tackle key scientific challenges in fundamental energy science research. The FaCT team is developing a model of ion transport in polymers to guide the future design of energy storage and conversion materials.
Chen’s work at ORNL involves developing solid-state batteries and understanding ion transport in polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes and at electrolyte/electrode interfaces. Current designs with high energy density use a lithium metal anode, which can react with liquid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries, causing safety concerns. Solid-state electrolytes could solve this issue, and combining them with a high-voltage cathode and a lithium metal anode could improve energy density.