NE Alumnus involved in Purdue research projects funded though U.S. Navy Partnership

Neptune team photo
Purdue School of Nuclear Engineering Alumnus Dr. Tom Adams, scientist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division and visiting scholar in the School of Nuclear Engineering; is part of the research team comprised of Vikas Tomar, professor of aeronautics and astronautics; Vilas G. Pol, professor of chemical engineering; Corey Love, scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory. The team received an award for the second phase II of Purdue’s Naval Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities for National Excellence (NEPTUNE) Program.

The 3-year project titled “In-Situ Examination of Thermal Runaway in Lithium-Ion Batteries under Dynamic Loading and at High Temperatures Using Nanomechanical Raman Spectroscopy” will investigate techniques to predict lithium-ion battery failure as a function of number of charge-discharge cycles, operation temperature, impedance rise and mechanical loads.  Lithium battery technologies are needed in critical military applications but are prohibited applications due to the unsafe and hazardous nature.  Tom Adams will work with the team in developing evaluations and techniques to assess the safety aspects of lithium battery technologies, incorporating In-Situ characterizations, and developing post-mortem investigations of failure, and translating research results to critical military applications.   Dr. Adams will help establish a CRADA between Purdue and NSWC Crane for this investigation, and help connect navy veterans and military personnel for graduate research support.