News & Press Releases
Johnson Research and Development (JRD) is a technology incubator company. The core technology underpinning two independent companies successfully spun off by JRD will be discussed: Johnson Energy Storage, Inc., and JTEC Energy, Inc: JTEC Energy is commercializing an entirely new engine invented by Johnson that is more efficient than existing engines. The engine converts heat directly into electricity and has no moving mechanical components and is suitable for both power generation and refrigeration. Johnson Energy Storage (JES) is developing the next two generations of disruptive rechargeable batteries. JES has achieved revolutionary breakthroughs in solid state technology using glass electrolyte separator. An overview of its lithium air battery research will also be presented. The presentation will also include a teaser on energy technologies currently being researched at JRD for future spin offs, particularly ambient water vapor condensation for potable water production and a revolutionary approach to solar energy conversion.
Lonnie Johnson is president and founder of Johnson Research and Development Co., Inc., a technology development company, and its spin off companies, Excellatron Solid State, LLC; Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems, LLC; and Johnson Real Estate Investments, LLC. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering, and an honorary Ph.D. in Science from Tuskegee University. In 1979, he left the Air Force to accept a position as Senior Systems Engineer at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter. Returning to the Air Force in 1982, he served as an Advanced Space Systems Requirements Officer at Strategic Air Command (SAC) headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, and as Chief of the Data Management Branch, SAC Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal on two different occasions. In 1987, he returned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he worked on the Mars Observer project and was the fault protection engineer during the early stages of the Cassini (Saturn) project. He was responsible for ensuring that single point spacecraft failures would not result in loss of the mission. During his nine-year career with JPL, he received multiple achievement awards from NASA for his work in spacecraft system design.