Michael Glenn

Battery Energy manufactures gel batteries for energy storage and reserve power. As a system integrator, we provide turnkey energy storage solutions. This includes batteries, power systems, PV, housing and installation. We design drop-in-replacement batteries that are quick to install and bespoke power systems. Battery Energy is recognised for its long-life SunGel batteries that were initially developed in partnership with the CSIRO. I improve battery performance by modifying chemical formulations and resolve manufacturing issues. I was able to significantly improve production by applying my technical knowledge. I also steward lithium technology development by designing battery packs and battery energy storage systems. We design packs to for 1) quick battery replacements and 2) to most effectively utilise the preexisting enclosure, thus maximizing available energy for a given footprint. We exhibited these BESS products at All Energy Australia in 2022 and they have been rolled out into telecom networks on an ongoing basis. In 2023, I presented our Dual Chemistry Power System and at the 20th Asian Battery Conference. This combines lithium and lead acid chemistries to optimise the total cost of ownership when the goal is to maximise the utility of a single battery asset.   Recently in 2025, I presented a paper at the 21st Asian Battery Conference on our Solar Hybrid Storage Sites. Through design optimisation, we have been able to extend service life under Australia’s harsh conditions in both telecom and energy storage applications. Our solar hybrid systems provide hundreds of kilowatt-hours of battery storage each; moreover, thousands of sites that have been in field operation for over five years. In this work, I examined system topology, duty cycle and battery analytics.

I plan for Battery Energy’s technology roadmap and drive R&D activities including: • enhancing Battery Energy’s advanced gel technology; • lithium-ion battery development and integration into power systems; • manufacturing non-flow zinc-bromine batteries and zinc hybrid batteries with Gelion our strategic partners; • development and enhancement of our Battery Energy Asset Management system. I lead a team that was recently awarded a major opportunity to supply lithium-ion batteries into Australia’s leading telecommunications network. I also stewarded a project to integrate battery management systems at hundreds of telecommunication sites across Australia. This project involved multiple stakeholders. Recently, I presented at the 20th Asian Battery Conference on our Dual Chemistry Power system. This combines lithium and lead acid chemistries to optimise the total cost of ownership. The work received media coverage by Batteries International Magazine.

Ecoult was an energy storage company that used UltraBattery® strings to store renewable energy in a partial state of charge. UltraBattery® is an advanced lead-acid battery invented by the CSIRO that has a carbon electrochemical capacitor in parallel with the negative electrode. I was Ecoult’s representative on the Technical Committee for CBI. In this role I collaborated with leading battery research organisations; i.e., CSIRO, East Penn Manufacturing and Furukawa Battery. I researched electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a tool for managing large batteries in systems (150-900 Ah). This was a multidisciplinary work stream seeking to transform fundamental scientific research into a safe, reliable and cost-effective product. Moreover, I presented a paper on this at the European Lead Battery Conference in 2020. I was also part of a small team working to optimise a predictive model for battery performance and aging in 48 V parallel strings.

Development and Optimisation of the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell I worked with a team to develop a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) demonstration plant. The DCFC is a high temperature hybrid solid oxide fuel cell/molten carbonate fuel cell system that uses a carbonaceous the fuel. Thermodynamically and kinetically its efficiency is much higher than a coal fired power station; i.e., thermodynamic efficiency is 100%, while practical (kinetic) efficiencies are ~80%. Additionally, emissions arising from the DCFC are essentially pure CO2, which is immediately available for sequestration. SOx, NOx and particulates largely do not form because there is no combustion, with any residual species remaining in the system electrolyte. In this project we built on previous studies conducted by our research group with further fundamental studies to support the ultimate development of a 1 kW DCFC demonstration plant. The purpose of the demonstration plant was to prove the technology on a larger scale, and then evaluate its performance capabilities and emissions.

Corrosion Protection for the Wedgetail E-7A At Boeing Defence Australia I developed a corrosion protection manual (CPM) alongside a colleague. This manual is essentially a best practices guide for protecting the Wedgetail E-7A from corrosion. The Wedgetail is a modified Boeing 737, which is utilised by the RAAF for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes. In addition to constructing the CPM, I co-developed test plans aimed at mitigating corrosion. The supervising staff at Boeing received my plans well, as they were both practical and inexpensive. I also performed fieldwork measurements on the aircraft themselves at the RAAF base Williamtown. The data from those measurements was utilised to assess corrosion.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Tutor - PHAR6114

Demonstrating for Introductory Chemistry - CHEM1010

Chemistry for the Life Sciences Tutor

Glenn, M., 2017. An Investigation into Alkali Metal Carbonate Mixtures for Application in Direct Carbon Fuel Cells (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Newcastle). Academic scholarship provided by NSW Resources and Geoscience.