City of Chicago and IIT to Collaborate on Sustainable Vehicle Project
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) will partner with The Chicago Department of Fleet Management (CDFM) to convert a hybrid SUV in the city fleet into Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) using lithium-ion batteries. The batteries utilize IIT’s patented thermal management technology using phase change material (PCM). The project’s goal is to double the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in the city’s hybrid Ford Escape SUV.
The project will be headed by Said Al-Hallaj, research associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering and coordinator of IIT’s renewable energy programs. All Cell Technologies, LLC, will contribute financial and technical support for the project. All Cell is an IIT-based technology transfer company formed to commercialize IIT’s PCM technology and a tenant of the Business Incubator at University Technology Park At IIT. Major technical contributions to the project will come from MicroSun Technologies, LLC (Lisle, IL), a PCM technology licensee and an IIT strategic partnering company with worldwide experience in designing and building innovative energy systems.
“This partnership is a major step in advancing Mayor Daley's commitment to make Chicago the most environmentally-friendly city in the nation," said Howard Henneman, CDFM Commissioner. “This is a great opportunity to grow sustainable companies, set up manufacturing facilities within the city and create ‘green jobs’ in the Chicago area.”
The project is intended to demonstrate the technical feasibility of PHEV vehicles and analyze the long-term environmental and economic benefits of the conversion. The vehicle will be converted at IIT’s facilities within nine months and tested at CDFM facilities over the following nine months.
“The long-term goal of this project is to establish a commercialization strategy and wide-scale implementation of this conversion technology,” said Al-Hallaj.
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting technological university awarding degrees in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, as well as architecture, psychology, design, business and law. IIT’s interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum prepares the university’s 6,200 students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and culturally diverse global workplace.
