The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering presents its Spring 2025 Seminar Series featuring guest speaker Kevin W. Knehr, assistant chemical engineer in the Chemical Science and Engineering Division at Argonne National Laboratory, who will give a presentation on “Battery Performance and Cost Modeling.” This seminar will take place on Wednesday, April 9, from 3:15–4:30 p.m. in Perlstein Hall’s auditorium (room 131).

Abstract

The demand for batteries is growing due to the expanding electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Maximizing the economic benefits of batteries in these markets requires providing solutions that meet customer needs at affordable prices.

Technoeconomic analysis (TEA) is a key tool for directing research efforts and setting research targets to ensure batteries continue to meet performance and cost requirements. This talk will present recent work at Argonne National Laboratory focused on modeling the performance and cost of batteries for electric vehicles. Several applications of TEA within the electric vehicle field will be highlighted and discussed.

Attendees will gain a better understanding of batteries, their manufacturing, directions for battery research, and available tools for battery TEA.

Biography

Kevin Knehr is an assistant chemical engineer in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division at Argonne National Laboratory. Kevin focuses on the research and development of advanced battery systems for applications in electric vehicles, commercial electronics, and the electric grid. His work includes the use of physical and techno-economic models to understand the factors controlling performance and cost in these systems. Prior to joining Argonne, Kevin was an advanced R&D engineer at Honeywell UOP. He also served as a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University in the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Kevin received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 2016 from Columbia University in New York City.