Research and Development of Advanced Batteries for Transportation Applications
Tien Q. Duong, M.S.
Office of Vehicle Technologies, U. S. Department of Energy
Abstract: This presentation will discuss the current status and direction of the energy storage
R&D effort conducted by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP). The energy storage
R&D effort is responsible for researching and improving energy storage technologies for a wide
range of vehicle applications, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (EVs). This effort encompasses multiple activities
– hardware development with industry (United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC)),
mid-term R&D (Applied Battery Research (ABR)), and focused fundamental research (Batteries
for Advanced Transportation Technologies (BATT)). These three energy storage R&D activities
are designed to complement each other. The USABC’s goal is to support the development of a
domestic advanced battery industry whose products can meet technical goals. The ABR program
assists industrial developers in overcoming key barriers to the use of lithium-ion batteries for
transportation applications – mainly safety, life and cost. The BATT program addresses
fundamental issues of chemistries and materials associated with lithium batteries.
Bio: Tien Duong is currently Senior Technical Advisor and Manager for the Batteries for
Advanced Transportation Technologies (BATT) Program at the U.S. Department of Energy
(http://batt.lbl.gov/). Tien is a member of the United States Advanced Battery Consortium
(USABC) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Management Committee (MC). Tien has
been a part of the Energy Storage R&D Effort within the Vehicle Technologies Program Office
since 1994. Tien managed the Energy Storage R&D Effort from 1999 to 2003, and led the Hybrid
and Electric Systems Team from 2004 to 2008. Tien studied Chemistry at the University of
Saigon, Vietnam before emigrating to the United States in 1979. He holds a B.S. degree in
Electrical Engineering and a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. Tien is a
licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia.