Using Artificial Intelligence to Optimise Batteries
Junior Professorship for Umbrella Award Winner Weihan Li
As a newly appointed junior professor at RWTH Aachen University and recipient of the 2024 Umbrella Award, Weihan Li is working with his team at the Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) to fundamentally modernise the development and testing processes for batteries.
Instead of time-consuming stress tests, his research relies on data-driven models, digital twins and AI-supported diagnostic systems. These technologies enable real-time predictions about the performance, service life and optimal application potential of individual battery cells already during production.
A particular emphasis is placed on accurate ageing forecasts to reduce production costs, shorten development times and improve the sustainability of battery systems. This research is supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space as part of the “SPEED” project.
An International Scientific Career
Weihan Li’s academic path is marked by international experience. After studying automotive engineering in Shanghai, he moved to Aachen in 2014, where he completed both his master’s degree and doctorate in electrical engineering with distinction. His academic career has included research stays at Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Umbrella Award Winner 2024
At the 37th Umbrella Symposium in 2024, Weihan Li was honoured for his research achievements. The event — a key part of the Umbrella cooperation between RWTH Aachen University, Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, established in 1983 — focused on the role of AI in materials and energy research. Li impressed the jury with his work on integrating AI and physics in battery research, spanning from the material level to entire battery systems.
Further information is available on the RWTH Aachen University website: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/wir/Aktuell/Pressemitteilungen/Juni-2025/~bofkuo/Mit-KI-zur-besseren-Batterie/ (german)