Get charged up and join us to hear Dr. Quinn Horn on battery technology!
Prior to Alessandro Volta’s invention of the battery in 1799, the only type of electricity known to science was what we now call static electricity. The battery was the first source of reliable direct current electricity, and Volta’s invention ushered in a massive wave of scientific and technical advancements in the 19th century. World changing technologies like the telegraph, the electric motor and the economical extraction of aluminum metal from ore were all enabled by the battery. Fast forward to the end of the 20th century and we see an analogous impact from the commercial introduction of the lithium-ion battery in 1991. We now drive electric vehicles, carry the equivalent of a super computer in our pockets and light our homes at night with the stored energy of the sun, all thanks to lithium-ion batteries. However, despite the fact that for nearly two centuries battery R&D and manufacturing were centered in the US and Europe, the lithium-ion battery was commercialized in a country that as of the late 20th century had virtually no experience with battery technology: Japan. In this presentation we will explore the history of the development of the lithium-ion battery and how geopolitical events, industrial accidents, and a few questionable corporate decisions, led to the rise of Japanese dominance in battery technology.
Bio:
Dr. Quinn Horn obtained his PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He led the Microscopy and Materials Group at Energizer/Eveready Battery Company prior to joining Exponent, Inc in 2004. At Exponent, Dr. Horn consults on battery technology issues related to performance, reliability, safety and intellectual property.
