PNNL inventors acknowledged for technology development

Jun Liu, Vince Sprenkle among those recognized at PNNL celebration of innovation

News Brief

May 02, 2017

• Frances White, PNNL, (509) 375-6904

RICHLAND, Wash. - 2 seasoned researchers at the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab have been acknowledged for their long list of technological and scientific innovations.

Jun Liu was named PNNL Inventor of the Year and Vincent Sprenkle became PNNL's newest Distinguished Inventor of Battelle at an April 28 ceremony. The 2 were among 165 PNNL staff recognized at the lab's yearly celebration of staff accomplishments in scientific innovation and technology commercialization.

This is the 2nd time Liu has been named PNNL Inventor of the Year; he was previously bestowed with the honor in 2012 and was also named a Distinguished Inventor of Battelle in 2007. Liu holds a total of 50 U.S. patents in multiple research areas that range from new nanomaterials for environmental cleanup and breakthroughs in energy storage. He currently leads the Battery500 consortium, which is developing the next generation of lithium-metal batteries to drive electric cars farther on a single charge.

Sprenkle joins researchers from other Battelle-managed national labs to be acknowledged for receiving numerous patents for technologies they have developed. He holds a total of 21 U.S. patents for his work on fuel cells, batteries and electrochemical devices. He was previously named PNNL Inventor of the Year in 2014 and currently serves as a manager of PNNL's energy storage research.

Tags: Awards and Recognizes, Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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