MAE Seminar: Identification, Control and Fault Diagnostics of PDE Battery Electrochemistry Models

Abstract: Batteries are ubiquitous. However, today’s batteries are expensive, range-limited, power-restricted, too quick to die, too slow to charge, and susceptible to safety issues. For this reason, model-based battery management systems (BMS) are of extreme interest. In this talk, we discuss eCAL’s recent research with electrochemical-based BMS, which are modeled by nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). Specifically, we discuss optimal experiment design for parameter identification,  optimal safe-fast charging control, and fault diagnostics. Finally, we close with exciting new perspectives for next-generation battery systems.

Bio: Scott Moura is an assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley and director of eCAL. He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2011, a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 2008, and a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in 2006 - all in mechanical engineering. He was a postdoctoral scholar at UC San Diego in the Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics and a visiting researcher in the Centre Automatique et Systèmes at MINES ParisTech in Paris, France. He is a recipient of the O. Hugo Shuck Best Paper Award, Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Award, Hellman Faculty Fellows Award, UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, University of Michigan Distinguished ProQuest Dissertation Honorable Mention, University of Michigan Rackham Merit Fellowship and Distinguished Leadership Award. Moura has received multiple conference best paper awards, as an advisor and student. His research interests include control and estimation theory for PDEs, optimization, machine learning, batteries, electric vehicles and the smart grid.