Mechanical engineering team earns $2.3 million in ARPA-E funding for electrochemical power transfer system

The United States electrical grid is fragmented, which means transferring excess power from one region to another is no easy feat.

The U.S. Department of Energy is searching for promising solutions to this challenge through its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), including ways of transferring power using chemicals.

With that in mind, ARPA-E selected a project led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor James Pikul for a three-year, $2.3 million grant as part of the agency’s Vision OPEN 2024 program.

Pikul is working with UW-Madison mechanical engineering colleagues Eric Kazyak and Luca Mastropasqua, both assistant professors, to create a system for electrochemically charging chemicals, which could then be shipped or piped to locations where the energy could be extracted back into electricity.

Specifically, the researchers will use the ARPA-E funding to develop an electrolyzer, essentially a fuel cell that converts electrical energy into chemical energy, containing a class of sulfur-based compounds that are naturally found in broccoli and manufactured domestically as food additives.

“The energy-density of our materials are about three times more than a lithium-ion battery,” says Pikul. “That is critically important for reducing the cost of shipping power, because you’re paying for the mass and weight when you’re shipping chemicals.

“We have a material that’s liquid, it can be shipped very easily, it can be stored for a long period of time, it’s domestically produced, and it’s low cost.”

The researchers previously worked on the back-end of the process—discharging the chemically stored energy into electricity—in a laboratory setting, work they’re planning to publish.

Pikul specializes in using electrochemistry for applications ranging from energy storage to robotics. Mastropasqua adds expertise in electrochemical systems operating at elevated temperatures, while Kazyak brings experience using lithium metal and solid electrolytes, which are key components to the group’s effort.

Overall, 49 projects received a total of $147 in funding through the Vision OPEN 2024 program, which is one of the most competitive programs across ARPA-E.

James Pikul is the Leon and Elizabeth Janssen Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.