IUB alumnus wins NASA grant for next-gen space tech battery research

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) alumnus Md Wahidul Hasan, a PhD candidate and research assistant at the South Dakota Mines, USA, and his team have won the prestigious $750,000 NASA EPSCoR grant to fund research into the next generation of lithium-sulfur batteries for use in space technology. 

The grant follows an innovation leading to the use of corn stalk residues to stabilise battery chemistry and nearly double the charging capacity of current technology, reads a press release.

Wahid, who obtained his BSc degree in 2013 and MSc in 2016 in electrical and electronic engineering (EEE) from IUB and also taught computer science and engineering at the institution IUB. He specialises in solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries and electrochemical energy storage. 

In 2021, Wahid won the prestigious Elsevier Foundation Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge for his project on generating electricity from cattle urine.

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state or region research infrastructure, research and development (R&D) capacity and its national R&D competitiveness.

According to a NASA press release issued last month, the South Dakota School of Mines and

Technology will look to create a new lithium-sulfur battery technology that is superior to existing lithium-ion batteries. Improving the power capacity and life of batteries could help NASA power rockets, spacecraft, and habitats on the Moon, and eventually, Mars.

"Lithium-sulfur battery is a relatively new type of battery that is still in the development and testing phase but it has already shown promise as a next-generation energy storage technology. Sulfur is abundant in nature and we got the carbon from Corn stalks, making it a bioproduct, which means it is going through a renewable process. Therefore, we can definitely say that this battery is a source of renewable energy," said Wahid.

"In recent times, the USA is focusing on promoting electric vehicles because they suit climate goals and help protect the environment. This technology, once fully matured, can be used in transportation and thus immensely help in reducing pollution in a developing country like Bangladesh," added Wahid. 

Apart from pursuing his PhD education and the research on lithium-sulfur battery technology, he aims at doing further research on developing carbon emission-free renewable energy and battery storage.

Wahid, whose father is a businessperson based in Chittagong and mother a homemaker, also plans to set up a research facility in Bangladesh for young scientists to develop new technologies.