Angela was tasked with modeling how a promising novel laboratory material might perform in a supercapacitor for an electric vehicle. First, at MIT, Angela made and characterized coin cells made with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) synthesized by the Dinca lab, as well as coin cells made with industrial supercapacitor material from dismantled commercial product. Then, at Lambo, she characterized the industrial supercapacitor on a larger scale and created a model to predict the performance of the large-scale MOF based on the commercial supercapacitor data. In the process, Angela learned a lot about how the powertrain in a car works and various issues with scaling up supercapacitors, and deepened her existing knowledge.
Angela's Story
Angela’s project was part of an MIT-Italy Program facilitated research partnership between MIT Dinca lab and LamborghiniSpa.
“MIT-Italy has given me an invaluable chance to immerse myself in a research topic I am very passionate about in a professional setting with real, global applications. I have presented my findings and suggested future research direction to representatives from several departments at my host organization. When I finish my current work assignment, I plan on using the experience and connections gained here to pursue graduate study in this field.”Angela Cai '19
Angela really liked that while she had plenty of help from both MIT and Lambo, the planning and execution of the project was entirely up to her, offering her an intellectual challenge on how to best approach the issue. Something she truly appreciated was the common spirit of innovation in both organizations, despite the different culture and geography.
Major & Class Year
Chemical Engineering and Chemistry '19
Location
Sant’Agata Bolognese
Program Type
Internship
Host
Riccardo Parenti | Concept Development,Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.