Chuancheng Duan, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, has received the FY25 Army Collaboration Award from the U.S. Army Research Office’s Advanced Energy Materials Program.
The award recognizes Duan’s collaboration with Storagenergy Technologies, Inc. through the Army Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to advance solid oxide fuel cell technologies for Army applications.
The partnership builds on research supported by Duan’s Army ECP award and combines the University of Utah team’s expertise in electrochemical materials, solid oxide fuel cells, and advanced characterization with Storagenergy’s capabilities in stack development, system integration, and commercialization. Together, the team is working to translate fundamental materials research into efficient, durable, and fuel-flexible power systems designed for demanding operational environments.
“This award is a meaningful recognition of the close collaboration among our university research team, Storagenergy, and the Army,” Duan said. “The support provided through the Army ECP award established a strong foundation for this research, while the Army STTR program enabled us to expand the work toward practical technology development and system demonstration. We are grateful for the continued support and guidance from the Army Research Office and Program Manager Dr. Matthew Glasscott.”
The award was presented during the Army Research Office Advanced Energy Materials Program Review in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. At the meeting, Duan also shared recent progress in the use of in situ spectroscopy to better understand how solid oxide fuel cell materials behave under realistic operating conditions.
The collaboration demonstrates how sustained Army support, from early-career fundamental research to university–industry technology development can help advance next-generation energy technologies toward promising applications across defense and civilian power systems.