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Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumNew Prismatic Line Unlocks Powerful Possibilities for U.S. Battery Research
https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/new-prismatic-line-unlocks-powerful-possibilities-us-battery-researchJune 1, 2026 News Release
PNNL can now team up with industry to develop and test a more scalable, safer type of battery
Oliver Peckham, PNNL JoAnna Wendel, PNNL
RICHLAND, Wash.A major step in energy storage development hummed to life this month as researchers flipped on a new battery production line at the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The production line, made up of 16 pieces of equipment that fill an entire 1400-square-foot laboratory space, will create a cutting-edge type of battery cell called a prismatic cell. A first for the national laboratories, the prismatic cell line will allow researchers to test emerging energy storage technology that may become vital to supporting grid operations.
And because even the tiniest amount of water can damage battery materials, the prismatic line is housed in a dry lab where the humidity is lower than the driest places on Earth.
With the new prismatic line, we can create, test and demonstrate real-world prismatic cells at an industrially relevant scale. This helps our researchers bridge the gap between science and industry, said Adam Jivelekas, operations manager of DOEs Grid Storage Launchpad, which is operated by PNNL on its campus in Richland and funded by DOEs Office of Electricity. We can help external researchers or industry partners test and validate their prismatic cell designs.
https://vimeo.com/1195699088/d947f67110
Materials scientist Mark Weller walks through every step of the prismatic cell line, showing how PNNL researchers build new batteries. (Video by Eddie Pablo | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
PNNL can now team up with industry to develop and test a more scalable, safer type of battery
Oliver Peckham, PNNL JoAnna Wendel, PNNL
RICHLAND, Wash.A major step in energy storage development hummed to life this month as researchers flipped on a new battery production line at the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The production line, made up of 16 pieces of equipment that fill an entire 1400-square-foot laboratory space, will create a cutting-edge type of battery cell called a prismatic cell. A first for the national laboratories, the prismatic cell line will allow researchers to test emerging energy storage technology that may become vital to supporting grid operations.
And because even the tiniest amount of water can damage battery materials, the prismatic line is housed in a dry lab where the humidity is lower than the driest places on Earth.
With the new prismatic line, we can create, test and demonstrate real-world prismatic cells at an industrially relevant scale. This helps our researchers bridge the gap between science and industry, said Adam Jivelekas, operations manager of DOEs Grid Storage Launchpad, which is operated by PNNL on its campus in Richland and funded by DOEs Office of Electricity. We can help external researchers or industry partners test and validate their prismatic cell designs.
https://vimeo.com/1195699088/d947f67110
Materials scientist Mark Weller walks through every step of the prismatic cell line, showing how PNNL researchers build new batteries. (Video by Eddie Pablo | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
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New Prismatic Line Unlocks Powerful Possibilities for U.S. Battery Research (Original Post)
OKIsItJustMe
5 hrs ago
OP
rampartd
(5,539 posts)1. i'm glad doe is doing this research but
the requiremdent for de humidifiers might make this a good project for space.
are we, the taxpayers, going to give this technology to a billionaire err trillionaire so that he can sell it back to us?
OKIsItJustMe
(22,434 posts)2. Well... if we want a grid powered by "Variable Renewable Energy" sources (i.e. wind, PV) to work, we will need batteries
(Lots and lots of batteries.)