SAE 2026 World Congress Experience

Researchers from UL Research Institutes’ Electrochemical Safety Research Institute will contribute to the conversation at the 2026 World Congress Experience (WCX), from April 14-16, in Detroit, MI, where the global mobility engineering community addresses the next generation of vehicle systems, power and propulsion, connectivity, automation, and materials. WCX, produced by SAE International, serves as a collaborative platform for engineers, technical leaders, OEMs, and suppliers to exchange real-world solutions and advance transportation innovation.

Throughout the conference, a few members of the Electrochemical Safety Research team will share research insights on thermal runaway and modeling of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, critical to advancing battery safety in mobility applications:

• Byoungchul Kwon, Ph.D., research scientist, will present a poster on “Thermal Runaway of Lithium-ion Batteries and Fire Suppression in an Aircraft Cargo Compartment,” starting at 9:00 a.m. EDT (8:00 a.m. CST) on April 14.
• Vinay Premnath, director of Safety Research, will lead a discussion on “Detailed Characterization of Emissions from Thermal Runaway of Sodium-ion Cells,” at 11:00 a.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. CST) on April 15.
• Avijit Karmakar, Ph.D., research scientist, will speak on “Multi-Scale Thermal Runaway Modeling of Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Batteries Under Abuse Conditions,” at 11:30 a.m. EDT (10:30 a.m. CST) on April 15.
• Salvation Ihuaenyi, research scientist, will present on “Experimental Investigation of Thermal Runaway Characteristics of Various Lithium-Ion Cells,” at 3:30 p.m. EDT (2:30 p.m. CST) on April 15.

Join our research team and other industry experts in Detroit as they address critical battery safety challenges, shaping the future of electric mobility.