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At the recent IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Exposition (ITEC+) held in Anaheim, CA, ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Lyle PhD students in Electrical Engineering, alongside mentor Dr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy, the Vin and Caren Prothro Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, were honored with the prestigious Best Paper Award. This recognition highlights groundbreaking research in advancing the safety and resilience of battery-powered electrified vehicles.

Their paper titled “Analyzing Suitability of Pulsing Techniques for Fast-Charging of Commercial NMC811/Graphite Li-Ion Batteries,” was authored by Mohammad Qasem, a PhD student in Dr. Krishnamurthy’s lab at ¾«¶«´«Ã½, in partnership with Beam Global, an industry leader in clean energy transportation. The work was co-authored by Lyle PhD students Yazan Yassin and Mariana Haddadin, under the mentorship of Dr. Krishnamurthy.

As an expert in energy-efficient transportation, professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Lyle, Dr. Krishnamurthy’s research centers on advancing sustainable design in hybrid and electric vehicles without sacrificing efficiency. For more than two decades, his lab has investigated the full range of electrified transportation, from hybridized to self-powered electrical motors and batteries, innovating systems to function at their best while maintaining sustainability goals.

“We’re not just talking about on-road personal vehicles – we’re talking about trains, drones, airplanes, mining equipment, everything,” Dr. Krishnamurthy said. “Our goal is to make them safer and more efficient.”

The recent evolution of electric vehicles emphasizes lithium battery technology as the future of electrified transportation. Despite industry and consumer interest in clean energy alternatives as climate concerns mount, reports of battery-related fires due to overheating and system stress have slowed the switch to electric models.

With these concerns in mind, investigators in the Krishnamurthy lab set out to develop solutions to increase the safety and resilience of lithium-ion batteries while reducing charge time – a key advantage that will help electric vehicles compete against gas-powered alternatives in the global market. Qasem, whose PhD focuses on understanding the aging mechanisms inside a battery that compromise safety, concentrated his efforts on addressing a key industry question: how can we fast-charge electric vehicle batteries efficiently while increasing their safety and functionality?

With the help of his collaborators, Qasem and the Advanced Sustainable Power and ENergy (ASPEN) Lab team were surprised to find that the solution lies in heating the battery to a chemical sweet spot before charging – a process known as preconditioning. A heated battery readily accepts a stronger charge and lowers the risk of thermal runaway, the phenomenon that leads to battery explosions and fires. Their methods, although counter-intuitive to the industry-wide assumption that a cooler battery always performs better, were tested across a broad range of extreme conditions and found to extend battery life while reducing risks associated with rapid charging.

Alongside partner Beam Global, a longtime collaborator with the ASPEN Lab led by Krishnamurthy, investigators hope to utilize these insights to revolutionize the electric vehicle industry by increasing the safety and capability of lithium-battery-powered systems.

“Industry set the vision, and our students brought it to life,” said Dr. Krishnamurthy. “Together, we brought their perspectives together to develop solutions that make an impact.”

“This recognition reinforces the value of research that bridges theory and real-world application,” Qasem explained. “It motivates me to continue pursuing solutions that make advanced battery technologies more reliable, efficient, and accessible.”

About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering
¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Lyle School of Engineering thrives on innovation that transcends traditional boundaries. We strongly believe in the power of externally funded, industry-supported research to drive progress and provide exceptional students with valuable industry insights. Our mission is to lead the way in digital transformation within engineering education, all while ensuring that every student graduates as a confident leader. Founded in 1925, ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Lyle is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees.

About ¾«¶«´«Ã½
¾«¶«´«Ã½ is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, community and the world.