Girls' Day 2022: A Look Inside the Battery

Whether in smartphones, tablets or electric vehicles: batteries are an essential part of our everyday lives. On 28 April 2022, fifteen participants of the Girls' Day gained insights into research on the important electrochemical energy storage devices at MEET Battery Research Center of the University of Münster and Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich. Three scientists and technicians of both research institutions showed them which professions can be chosen in battery research, how daily work looks like and why they are so enthusiastic about working in the laboratory.

Diving into the World of Battery Research

Dr Peter Bieker, MEET Battery Research Center and Helmholtz Institute Münster, introduced the world of batteries. “Working in battery research means for me researching on a highly relevant subject that has become irreplaceable for all of us in our everyday life,” Bieker told the female school students. Anode, cathode, electrolyte and various chemical materials – the scientist explained to the participants the structure of a battery cell as well as different research approaches.

MEET technician Yvonne Höppener showed the 15 female school students how a complete battery cell is made from the separate materials. Step by step, she took them through the state-of-the-art laboratories of MEET. Friederike Reissig, PhD student at HI MS, provided a look inside the battery. She showed the scanning electrode microscope (SEM), which can be used to examine the electrodes of the battery from a top or cross-section view. Both researchers not only gave insights into their work, but also shared their personal backgrounds and answered numerous questions from the interested participants.

The next nationwide career orientation day Girls' Day is planned for 27 April 2023. Further information about the offers of MEET Battery Research Center for school students can be found here.