Langley Research Center
August 23, 2021-February 10, 2022
Goals of your project/s:
The goal of my project was to research the usage of machine learning in future battery development. Due to the threat of climate change, there has been a lot of interest in electric vehicles, including electric regional aircraft. However, current batteries are either too unsafe to be used on an aircraft, or do not have a great enough energy density. There’s been a lot of interest in using machine learning to speed up the discovery of new materials for solid-state batteries.
Describe what you did during your internship:
Going into the internship, I had very little background battery technologies or materials science, so there was definitely a learning curve. I had to do a lot of background research to understand the latest advancements in solid-state battery development. I then researched the cutting-edge research that was being done in the field of applying machine learning to battery development. This was tough, because this is such a new field of study. There was some good information out there, but there was a lot of bad information out there to filter out too. Finally, I worked on analyzing different approaches to using machine learning and the advantages and limitations of each approach. We looked at how each of these approaches could potentially apply to the team’s solid-state battery development. Additionally, I learned about computer clusters and how to operate NASA’s computer cluster.
Did you achieve your goals? What were the results and conclusions?
One of the first conclusions we reached is that there are two different applications for machine learning on our project. Machine learning could either be used to analyze performance of a certain material or configuration, or it could be used for discovery of new materials. We also determined certain algorithms are more well suited to one application over the other. The team is currently working on setting up a machine learning system to test our capability to predict the performance of coin cell batteries produced in the lab.
Describe positive lessons learned from this experience:
Working on this project really helped me understand what it was like to apply engineering and science to an actual project. It was really interesting working in an area that was pretty unfamiliar to me, and it gave me great insight into the field of battery development. It was also a great experience just being on a team with people who are experts in their field. The feedback and knowledge I learned from them is something I will carry with me into my future career.
Describe negative lessons learned from this experience:
With the Covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately my internship was virtual. This meant that a lot of times I missed out on the networking and ease of communication that comes with working in an in-person environment. However, this helped me to learn the importance of communication and reaching out with questions. It’s easy for people to get on different tracks in a virtual environment, so communication is key to making sure everyone is on the same page.