Date: April 29, 2013

Time: 4:30 pm -

Location: Computer Science 104

Dr. Mark Verbrugge, Director of the Chemical Sciences and Materials Systems Laboratory at General Motors, presents “Electrified Vehicles for Personal Transportation, the Role of Surface Coatings, and the use of Thin Films for Electrode Characterization” as part of the Andlinger Center’s 2012-2013 Highlight Seminar Series.

ABSTRACT
We seek energy sources that are affordable, readily available, clean in terms of environmental concerns, and sustainable.  Although automobiles emit far less unwanted emissions than in the past, personal transportation is challenged in that nonrenewable petroleum, which supplies about a third of the World’s energy needs, is used almost exclusively for transportation purposes.  Great progress has been made in recent years relative to traction battery technology, as exemplified by the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle (EREV).   In this talk, we will cover recent advancements in electrified vehicles.  For characterizing electrode materials, we shall highlight thin-film investigations.   In addition, we will look at the critical role surface coatings in terms of making current lithium ion batteries function.

BIOGRAPHY
Mark Verbrugge is the Director of GM’s Chemical Sciences and Materials Systems Laboratory, which maintains global research programs—enabled by the disciplines of chemistry, physics, and materials science—and targets the advanced development of structural subsystems, energy storage and conversion devices, and various technologies associated with fuels, lubricants, and emissions. Mark is a Board Member of the United States Automotive Materials Partnership LLC and the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC, and an adjunct professor for the Department of Physics, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Mark has received a number of GM internal awards as well as external awards including the Norman Hackerman Young Author Award (1990) and the Energy Technology Award (1993) from the Electrochemical Society, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Council for Automotive Research in 2006.  Mark was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2009.