R.M. LaFollette, Founder

RML Photo

Throughout his career, Dr. Rodney M. LaFollette has worked on high efficiency designs of secondary batteries and fuel cells, especially bipolar designs. Funded research activities over the past ten years include lithium/lithium peroxide solid state batteries, bipolar silver/zinc batteries, several types of bipolar lead acid batteries, including an effort funded by General Motors/Department of Energy to build a bipolar lead acid battery for use in hybrid vehicles. Further funded efforts include microscopic batteries for use in MEMS and other integrated circuits, remote autonomous sensors, fuel cells, and capacitors .Dr. LaFollette also has extensive experience with mathematical modelling of batteries, including the development of a model of spirally-wound lead acid batteries used in the Hybrid Vehicle Program at General Motors. Dr. LaFollette has served as Principal Investigator on research contracts and grants totaling over $4M over the past 13 years.

Education

Academic Diploma, International School of Brussels, Brussels Belgium, 1975

B.S., M.S., Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, 1984

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, 1988

Professional/Honor Societies       Areas of Expertise

Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi,                  Mathematical Modeling,

Electrochemical Society,AIChE           Electrochemistry, Colloid Chemistry,

Publications

LaFollette, R., Hedman, P., Smith, P., "Analysis of Two-Color Coal Particle Temperature Measurements," Combustion Science and Technology, 66, p. 93 (1989).

Ashley, K., Parry, D., Harris, J., Pons, S., Bennion, D., LaFollette, R., Jones, J., King, J., "Properties of Electrochemically Generated Poly(p-Phenylene), Electrochimica Acta 34, No. 5, 599 (1989).

LaFollette, R., Bennion, D., "Design Fundamentals of High Power Density, Pulsed Discharge, Lead Acid Batteries I. Experimental," J. Electrochem. Soc., 137, No. 12, 3693 (1990).

LaFollette, R., Bennion, D., "Design Fundamentals of High Power Density, Pulsed Discharge, Lead Acid Batteries II. Modeling," J. Electrochem. Soc., 137, No. 12, 3701 (1990).

LaFollette, R., "Design and Performance of High Specific Power, Pulsed Discharge, Bipolar Lead Acid Batteries," Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, Long Beach, CA, p. 43, January (1995).

Stewart, L., Bennion, D., LaFollette, R., "Mathematical Model of the Anodic Oxidation of Lead," J. Electrochem. Soc., 141, No. 9, p. 2416 (1994).

Ryan, D., LaFollette, R.M., Salmon, L., "Microscopic Batteries for Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)," Proceedings of 32rd IECEC, 97-8, 97136, Honolulu, HI, August (1997).

LaFollette, R.M.,  Salmon, L.G., Barksdale, R.A., Beachem, B., Harb, J.N., Holladay, J.D., Humble, P.H., Ryan, D.M., "The Performance of Microscopic Batteries Developed for MEMS Applications," Proceedings of 33rd IECEC, 98-8, Colorado Springs, CO, August (1998).

Harb, J., LaFollette, R.M., "Predictions of Thermal Behavior of a Spirally-wound Lead-Acid Battery," Proceedings of 33rd IECEC, 98-8, Colorado Springs, CO, August (1998).

Salmon, L.G., Barksdale, R.A., Beachem, B.R., Harb, J.N., Holladay, J.D., Humble, P.H., LaFollette, R.M., Ryan, D.M., "Fabrication of Rechargeable Microbatteries for Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Applications," Proceedings of 33rd IECEC, 98-8, Colorado Springs, CO, August (1998).

Salmon, L.G., Bardsdale, R.A., Beachem, B.R., LaFollette, R.M., Harb, J.N., Holladay, J.D., Humble, P.H., "Development of Rechargeable Microbatteries for Autonomous MEMS Applications," , Proceedings of the Solid State Sensor & Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head, SC (1998).

Salmon, L.G., Barksdale, R.A., Beachem, B.R., Harb, J.N., Holladay, J.D., Humble, P.H., LaFollette, R.M., Ryan, D.M., "Fabrication of Rechargeable Microbatteries for Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Applications," Proceedings of 33rd IECEC, 98-8, Colorado Springs, CO, August (1998).

Harb, J., LaFollette, R.M., "Mathematical Model of the Discharge Behavior of a Spirally Wound Lead-Acid Cell," J. Electrochem. Soc., 146, No. 3, p. 809 (1999).

Ryan, D., LaFollette, R.M., Harb, J.N., "Power Supply Concepts for Remote, Autonomous Sensors," SAE Proceedings 1999, Phoenix, AZ, April (1999).

Harb, J.N., Holladay, J.D., Humble, P.H., Barksdale, R.A., Crop, T., Anderson, B.A., Salmon, L.G., Ryan, D.M., LaFollette, R.M., "Electrochemical Behavior of Microscopic Secondary Batteries,"  Proceedings of 34th IECEC, 99-8, Vancouver, B.C. (1999).

LaFollette, R.M., Harb, J.N., Humble, P.H., "Microfabricated Secondary Batteries for Remote, Autonomous Electrical Devices," Proceedings of the 16th Annual Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, IEEE 01TH8533, Long Beach, CA, p. 349 (2001).

Rajagopalan, J., Singh, P., LaFollette, R., Reisner, D., "Architecture and Preliminary Design of a Fuzzy Logic-Based Microbattery Charge Controller," Proceedings of the 16th Annual Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, IEEE 01TH8533, Long Beach, CA (2001).

Ryan, D.M., LaFollette, R.M., "Power Supply and Energy Storage Options for Autonomous MEMS," SAE Proceedings 2001, October (2001).

Humble, P.H., Harb, J.N., LaFollette, R.M., "Microscopic Nickel-Zinc Batteries for Use in Autonomous Microsystems," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 148, No. 12, p. A1357 (2001).

Harb, J.N., LaFollette, R.M., Selfridge, R.H., Howell, L.L., "Microbatteries for Self-Sustained Hybrid Micropower Supplies," Journal of Power Sources, 104, Issue 1, p. 46 (2002).

Singh, P., Rajagopalan, J., LaFollette, R., Fennie Jr., C., Reisner, D.E., "Fuzzy-Logic Charge Controller for Microbatteries," Proceedings, 28th IEEE Conference (2001).

LaFollette, R., Singh, P., Broadhead, J., Reisner, D., "Development of a Fuzzy-Logic Managed Microscopic Battery," IEEE Proceedings, Sensors 2002 Conference, Orlando, FL, June 12-14, (2002) (Invited Paper).

Patents

1.  Bennion D.N.; LaFollette R.M.; Stewart L.L., "Electrochemical System using Bipolar Electrode." U.S. 5,536,598, 25 Aug, 1992.

2.  LaFollette R.M., "Bipolar Battery Cells, Batteries and Methods," U.S. 5,536,598, Jul 16, 1996.

3.  LaFollette R.M., "Bipolar Battery Cells, Batteries and Methods," U.S. 5,556,627, 17 Sept, 1996.

4.  LaFollette R.M., "Methods of making Bipolar Battery Plates comprising Carbon and Fluoroelastomer," U.S. 5,582,622, 10 Dec, 1996.

5.  LaFollette, R.M., "Bipolar Battery Cells, Batteries and Methods," U.S. 5,582,937, 10 Dec 1996.

6.  LaFollette, R.M,. "Source of Electrical Power for an Electric Vehicle and Other Purposes and Related Methods," U.S. 6,063,525, 15 May,2000.

7.  LaFollette, R.M., "Source of Electrical Power for an Electric Vehicle and Other Purposes and Related Methods," U.S. 6,479,179, 25 Aug, 2002.

8.  LaFollette, R.M., Salmon, L.G., Harb, J.H., "Microscopic Batteries for MEMS Systems," U.S. 6,610,440B1, 26 August, 2003.

Several Others pending or in submission

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