This semester, a partnership between Brainerd High School chemistry students, the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science and the UL Research Institutes gave the high school students greater understanding of “thermal runaway.” Photo courtesy of UL Research Institutes.
Thanks to faculty and students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Engineering and Computer Science, the future’s not what it used to be for a handful of students in a Brainerd High School chemistry class.
As part of a collaboration between Brainerd chemistry students and UTC engineering students and faculty, the high schoolers were exposed to real-world safety experiments shaped by world-class research from UL Research Institutes.
From the start of the spring semester, chemistry teacher Ethan Schubert brought UTC faculty into his classroom and took his classroom to UTC, where his students worked with UL Research Institutes’ Xplorlabs resources.
Alongside UTC students, the Brainerd students gained a greater understanding of battery chemistry and the safety hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries that can result in overheating—which is called “thermal runaway.” Thermal runaway in batteries causes rapid heat generation and leads to swelling, venting, smoke, fire and explosions. After learning about this problem, the students helped engineer solutions.
Hands-on investigations and testing at both Brainerd and UTC allowed the high school students to model the chemical reaction happening inside batteries.
Applying what they had learned from their coursework, the students took on UL Research Institutes’ Xplorlabs engineering challenge—designing an enclosure that protects batteries from overheating and prevents thermal runaway.
Through the collaboration, students learned about potential careers in safety science and future education pathways by meeting UTC chemical engineering faculty. They also furthered their understanding of battery safety and the potential risks surrounding worldwide energy storage.
As a result, two of Schubert’s students who hadn’t planned to attend college applied to UTC and Chattanooga State Community College to pursue engineering and mechatronics degrees. A third student changed their intended college major to engineering and a fourth student applied for a job working with electric vehicles at the local Volkswagen plant.
“Going into the project, my hope was that students would be engaged and find the design challenge interesting,” said Schubert, who is also head of Brainerd High’s science department. “What surprised me was the level of engagement, excitement and natural inquiry students displayed. Each day, students showed a desire to participate in the project and to connect with career professionals.
“I am excited for what is to come in future years in helping students engage in science in a meaningful way and for students to explore career opportunities they may not have been exposed to in the past.”
The UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science conducts 10-15 community outreach events annually, serving up to 1,500 K-12 students from primarily underserved populations. To better serve UTC students and surrounding communities such as Brainerd that use campus facilities, University chemical engineering labs are undergoing a $250,000 upgrade—including new benches, equipment and a mock control room.
Dr. Bradley Harris, associate professor and head of the UTC Department of Chemical Engineering, said he “can’t say enough about how inspiring this experience has been.”
“My students and I especially enjoyed the opportunity to visit Brainerd. Walking among the high school students and sitting at individual tables to participate in group discussions was a unique experience I won’t soon forget,” Harris said.
“I was also thrilled by how well the hands-on demonstration at UTC went. Together with my college seniors, every high school group was able to power a miniature LED bulb—and some were even able to power a bubble-making machine. Their reactions were unforgettable. Getting to apply what you’re learning about, build something and take ownership of its completion is one of the most effective ways to learn.”
Like Schubert and Harris, Megan O’Keeffe knows something about effective learning. She’s a senior education specialist for UL Research Institutes’ Xplorlabs and a former eighth-grade science teacher.
“Xplorlabs works to show students that science—and safety—are all around us. By engaging students in real-world scenarios, they gain greater understanding of the science all around them, how they can build future solutions and make safer decisions,” O’Keeffe said.
“With Ethan’s class, we saw students grow their knowledge of battery chemistry and the potential thermal runaway risks surrounding lithium-ion batteries, but we also saw the impact learning about safety science can have on their engagement in school, as well as future education paths and careers.”
Photo gallery courtesy of UL Research Institutes
