Villanova Engineering Researcher Receives $1.2M from WWJR Enterprises to Advance Compressed Air Energy Storage Solutions

VILLANOVA, Pa. (August 28, 2026) - Sylvie Lorente, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and the William M. Brown '84, '87 Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering in Villanova's College of Engineering, has received $1.2M of funds managed by WWJR Enterprises Inc. (an entity affiliated with William "Beau" Wrigley, Jr.) to advance a new approach to compressed air energy storage (CAES).

CAES technology stores energy by using electricity to compress air and store it in tanks or underground facilities. When energy is needed, the compressed air is released to drive a turbine and generate electricity. While the concept for CAES has existed for decades, its widespread use has been limited by efficiency challenges.

"Advanced technology developments in our world today really call for different ways of producing and storing energy," said Dr. Lorente. "The immediate need is to improve compressed air energy storage, a technology that has been around for a long time but has stagnated because it isn't efficient enough."

As air is compressed, its temperature changes, causing energy losses that reduce overall efficiency. Dr. Lorente's research aims to address this challenge through her novel design that reimagines what happens during the compression process. She and co-inventor Meghana Athadkar '26 PhD use phase change materials-elements that exist as a solid at low temperatures and melt into a liquid as temperatures rise-within the system to help maintain a more consistent temperature during compression and expansion, making it possible to store and recover energy more efficiently.

The support provided by WWJR Enterprises will help further advance the development of the novel design to demonstrate its ability to provide a more efficient option for long-duration energy storage.

Dr. Lorente also recently served as a visiting fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Bologna, a prestigious international appointment covering all domains of science with a plenary lecture and meetings to foster international collaborations. Additionally, Dr. Lorente was invited to join the board of directors for the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers.

About Villanova University College of Engineering: Founded in 1905, Villanova University College of Engineering is committed to an educational program that emphasizes technical excellence, innovation and a liberal arts education within the framework of the University's Augustinian Catholic tradition. The result is rigorously educated, socially grounded, conscientious thinkers and doers who are professionally prepared to make meaningful change in the world.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges-the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation's top universities, Villanova supports its students' intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu