Steven T. Boles

This PhD opening at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is part of the joint BATT-MECH project, linking the Department of Structural Engineering with the Department of Energy and Process Technology. The project is carried out across SIMLab (Structural Impact Laboratory) and the Battery Mechanics and Sensing Lab , and is developed in close collaboration with Audi AG, giving the research a strong industrial and automotive relevance. The project addresses the behaviour of lithium-ion batteries across normal operation and mechanical abuse, bringing together laboratory experiments, advanced measurements, and numerical modelling. The advertised work is centered on understanding coupled mechanical-electrochemical behaviour in battery cells and using that knowledge to improve predictive tools for safer battery cells, modules, and packs. One of the PhD directions investigates how internal short circuits form in lithium-ion battery cells under impact and crushing loads. This involves mechanical abuse testing, advanced characterisation of failure mechanisms, and high-fidelity finite element modelling to study crash-relevant loading conditions and battery safety. The other PhD direction focuses on diagnostic approaches using sensing strategies, including fiber optic battery sensing, to study electrolyte motion induced salt inhomogeneity and its consequences for degradation, state of health, and state of safety. This work combines electrochemical and mechanical perspectives to support faster and more effective cell assessment. The positions are embedded in a strong international academic environment with excellent research infrastructure for experiments and modelling, and they are designed to connect theory with experimental and numerical work in a collaborative research setting.