Jenny Börjesson Axén

Reaching towards the future of energy distribution and usage through battery simulation research

In the last few years, the interest for using battery technology has grown significantly. In transportation, everything from bicycles to mining dump trucks has been electrified and the popularity of stationary energy storage has soared. At the forefront of this rush has been the rapid development of the Li-ion technology, lauded for its high energy density. However, with the demand for batteries increasing rapidly, it will be difficult supply all of that demand with Li-ion batteries only.

 I am an industrial PhD student at the Division of Applied Electrochemistry at the Royal Institute of technology. My industry employer is Nilar AB, a Swedish manufacturer of NiMH batteries and battery systems for large scale applications. I enjoy working close to the application, which is something you get to do as an industrial PhD student: discovering problems or aspects not apparent in a lab research setting. My interest in energy technology began at a young age, and I believe that having an efficient energy system is the key to the future of humanity.

My research is centered on the NiMH battery, with both experimental studies of battery behavior and simulation of battery processes. Better understanding and simulation of battery behavior can increase the lifetime and energy efficiency of battery systems. This since these improvements in the field of battery modeling leads to better BMS technology, as well as better production and dimensioning of energy storage systems depending on intended use.