Sandwiches and energy storage keep him going
"If you think about it, much of our lives run on batteries, whether it's a mobile phone, a car or, god forbid, a pacemaker," electrochemist David Rand said.
Born in Portsmouth on England's south coast and educated at Cambridge University where he obtained both a natural sciences degree and two PhDs - one in science and the other in electrochemistry - Dr Rand migrated to Australia in 1969 to work at the CSIRO.
On Friday night he received an Australia Day honour for significant service to science and technological development in the field of energy storage - particularly rechargeable batteries.
Dr Rand was part of the team that developed the CSIRO UltraBattery, a dynamic battery that turned the 150-year-old conventional battery on its head.
It was first conceived in 2003 and by the time the battery was tested in a hybrid car in England 2009, Dr Rand said "it did 100,000 miles and came up fresh as a daisy".
The UltraBattery is now made in Japan and America and promises to open new approaches to everything from low emission-transport to renewable-energy storage, particularly wind power.
Though he retired in 2008, the 70-year-old remains an honorary research fellow at the CSIRO and keeps a five-day week both mentoring and writing books.
"My wife makes my sandwiches every day to make sure I do go," he laughs.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Dr David Rand is an electrochemist who studied at Cambridge (holding a natural sciences degree and two PhDs, one in electrochemistry), migrated to Australia in 1969 to work at CSIRO, and was part of the team that developed the CSIRO UltraBattery. He received an Australia Day honour for significant service to science and technological development in energy storage, and even after retiring in 2008 he remains an honorary research fellow who mentors and writes about battery technology.
The UltraBattery is a dynamic rechargeable battery developed by a CSIRO team (including Dr Rand) that rethinks the conventional battery design. Conceived in 2003, it demonstrated strong durability in tests and is promoted as a technology that could open new approaches to low‑emission transport and renewable‑energy storage, particularly for intermittent sources like wind power.
According to the article, the UltraBattery was tested in a hybrid car in England in 2009 and covered 100,000 miles while still performing well—described as having 'came up fresh as a daisy'—which is cited as evidence of its durability in automotive applications.
The article states the UltraBattery is now made in Japan and America, indicating it has moved beyond lab development into commercial manufacture in at least those markets.
The article highlights that batteries power everything from mobile phones to cars—and even medical devices like pacemakers—so advances in rechargeable batteries can affect consumer electronics, automotive (including hybrid/low‑emission transport), and renewable‑energy markets by improving durability, performance and storage capability.
Key milestones in the article are: the UltraBattery was first conceived in 2003, tested in a hybrid car in England in 2009 (logging 100,000 miles with strong performance), and is now manufactured in Japan and the United States—useful reference points for understanding its development and commercialization progress.
CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) was the research organisation behind the UltraBattery project. Its involvement signals research‑led innovation in energy storage, and breakthroughs from national research bodies can seed commercial products and investment opportunities in battery technology and renewable‑energy storage.
Yes—despite his scientific achievements and ongoing work, the article shares a human detail: Dr Rand, who keeps a five‑day week mentoring and writing books, jokes that his wife makes his sandwiches every day to make sure he does go—an anecdote that underlines his continued hands‑on engagement.
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