Keeping the wheel turning

Deepak Pratap Singh (27) is a third-year PhD student in TU Delft’s Radiation, Radionuclides and Reactors department, where his specialist areas include lithium ion batteries, neutron & xray diffraction, energy storage and electrochemistry. A degree in Nano-science, a summer internship in 2006 at India’s reknowned Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and  research work from 2007-2008 at the University of Cambridge’s department of Material Science and Metallurgy are some of his impressive CV’s highlights. 

Singh was also a team member of the prestigious Cambridge Innovation Team (Michaelmas 2007), attending the Oxford School on Neutron Scattering and the prestigious Hercules course at France’s Institute Laue Langevin. Such achievements helped earn him the honor of being selected to conduct his research in the Shell-TU Delft Sustainable Mobility Program.

Your current work mainly involves studying and improvising battery technology.

“I’m studying various aspects of lithium ion battery technology, although I’m not yet the one making the new Super Power Battery. My PhD studies involve trying to explore and understand the fundamental properties of battery materials that limit and influence a battery’s power performance, while subsequently developing ‘cost effective’ strategies to improve this.”

What does the future of electric vehicles (EV) and battery technology look like? Would you recommend these areas to students interested in pursuing careers in this field?

”Definitely! EVs are no longer future fantasies or sci-fi. With the tiny Mahindra REVA from India, or sporty Tesla Roadstar in the US, EVs are now claiming the road. Further, batteries are extensively used in our daily lives, from mobile devices to handheld emergency lights. The battery life in these devices directly affects our mobility and behavior. People panic when their electronic device shows ‘low battery’. This is very important field and will continue to be so.” 

One of the UK’s top scientists, Dr Richard Pike, said “EVs are not that efficient after all”. Do you agree?

“Right now the main issue is the necessity for EVs in society. Since 3500 BC, ‘the wheel’ is constantly changing and moving ahead. Even if we decide to not focus on major issues like global warming and environmental pollution, we simply cannot ignore the fact that global petrochemical reserves will run out eventually and fail to keep ‘the wheel’ running. With EVs the world is already preparing to keep our wheels running even when our reserves run out. At present, EV Batteries requires 7 to 8 hours for complete charging and provide only limited mobility range of 80-120km on every charging. The research currently being conducted to build affordable batteries that can charge within 30 minutes and travel 200-300km looks promising.”

Living and working in the UK, an English speaking nation, must’ve been more comfortable than in the Netherlands?

”Knowledge of the local language is always helpful for easily integrating into the society you live in and also for getting part-time jobs while studying. Most Dutch people are quite fluent in English and very supportive. I must say the Netherlands is a better place to work and live.” 

Are TU Delft’s research facilities better than those at Cambridge or India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center?

“My experience is that all these laboratories are equally good and among the top few in the world, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. In terms of accessibility to equipment, Cambridge’s system is more open and easily accessible. TU Delft’s system however is very well organized, which limits the accessibility to facility. It’s unfair to try to compare which is better.” 

Do you feel consistently under pressure to perform well? Do you feel you receive enough support in carrying out your important research?

“My motivation to perform well at TU Delft is kept consistently high. As for support received, every country provides the best available resources and respect to support its researchers. Unfortunately, researchers don’t get the highest salaries! Conditions in the Netherlands are slightly better but not exceptional.”

Was it difficult getting a PhD position at TU Delft, and did you consider other universities as an option?

“Frankly speaking, I don’t know about the difficulty level for PhD admission here as TU Delft. I applied to only two universities: TU Delft and Cambridge. Fortunately both universities were kind enough to admit me.” 

And yet you chose TU Delft over Cambridge for your PhD. Why?

”My first and very basic reason for choosing to do a PhD here was that the research project matched my interest. Secondly, and also most importantly, my supervisor, Dr Marnix Wagemaker, has remarkable research experience in battery materials. I’m highly looking forward to continue working with him.”  

Why is Shell interested in battery research when its main and highly profitable business is oil? Do major oil companies consider developments like EVs as a threat and thus want to buy research so they can control it?

“Let me answer me your second question first. EVs have zero emission and are ‘the fuel efficient’ mode of transportation, which presents opportunities for oil companies to use their reserves, efficiently and strategically, in the market for extended periods of time, as well as in systems where electric-driven mechanisms are not possible, like ships or airplanes. With the remarkable breakthroughs in recent years, ‘Electric Mobility’ and the storage business are getting very serious. I believe Shell also wants to explore the potential and role of other alternatives, like battery technologies, in sustainable mobility.” 

What role has your family played in your life and education?

“I come from a family full of engineers. My grandfather had a passion for electrical engineering since the 1930-40s, when the place he came from – and most of India as well – did not have access to electricity. He felt the need to bring electricity to his society and this served as his motivation. I share a similar motivation. The reason why I chose to work in this field is because I feel responsible for bringing this technology into society. My family – more than emphasizing on the importance of success in life – have always emphasized the importance of being a good human being first.”

’s Nachts net zo goed zien als overdag? Nooit meer een zaklamp nodig? Of een nachtkijker? Volgens studenten van de masterclass van gastschrijver Herman Koch is het binnenkort mogelijk. Na acht weken zwoegen presenteerden zij vorige week de resultaten van de masterclass in de Vermeerlezing. De strekking van de gepresenteerde uitvinding was als volgt: men extraheert wat eiwitten uit een Australische garnaal, injecteert die in het menselijk oog en na een paar minuten inwerktijd kun je in het donker kijken. Het klinkt als iets dat iedereen wel zou willen. Maar is het echt zo gemakkelijk?

De odontodactylus scyllarus is een garnaalsoort die leeft bij het Australische Great Barrier Reef. Onlangs is door Amerikaanse wetenschappers ontdekt dat dit zeediertje de meest complexe ogen van de gehele dierenwereld heeft.
De studenten die deelnamen aan de masterclass kwamen door een artikel op het spoor van bijzondere garnaal en de werkzame stof in zijn ogen. Deze zorgt voor een grotere gevoeligheid van de staafjes en kegeltjes in het garnalenoog. De studenten bedachten dat het injecteren van deze stof in het menselijk oog, hoogstwaarschijnlijk ook een positieve uitwerking op het zichtbare spectrum van de mens heeft. Door gevoeligere staafjes en kegeltjes in het oog kunnen mensen niet alleen ’s nachts meer kleuren zien maar wordt ook een deel van het infrarood spectrum omgebogen naar zichtbaar, en dus waarneembaar licht.
Met het openingscollege ‘Het liegen van de waarheid’ van Herman Koch nog vers in het geheugen, was het na de presentatie hoog tijd om het verhaal van de studenten te controleren. In het openingscollege slaagde Herman Koch er namelijk in de aanwezigen in de zaal zodanig te verwarren dat niemand meer wist wanneer hij loog en wanneer hij de waarheid vertelde. Het is daarom niet verwonderlijk dat meerdere aanwezigen bij de Vermeerlezing nogal wantrouwend om zich heen keken.

Voor de sceptici daarom even het volgende: de odontodactylus scyllarus googlen levert bijna zestig duizend hits op. De onaantrekkelijke Youtube-filmpjes over ooginjecties die tijdens de presentatie werden vertoond, leken ook overtuigend bewijs van de waarheid van het verhaal. Blijft alleen die mysterieuze investeerder over die aan het einde van de lezing totaal onverwachts een grote som geld voor verder onderzoek doneerde. Onvindbaar op het net…

Hebben Herman Koch en zijn studenten hun verhaal van begin tot eind verzonnen en de losse eindjes goed verhuld? Hebben de leerlingen hun meester overtroffen in het liegen van de waarheid? Of is het toch een echte uitvinding en is de straatverlichting over een paar jaar verleden tijd? De meningen na afloop van de presentatie waren verdeeld, de tijd zal het uitwijzen.