The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University is working with research and industry partners to optimize the fast charging capability of prismatic lithium-ion batteries.
The aim of the new, three-year SchnelleZelle project, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, is to expand the performance of batteries by reducing charging times and increasing charging power without compromising on safety and lifespan.
From initial development to cell integration, the project aims to innovate cell design, electrode interconnection, sensor integration and the development of improved cooling and control strategies. The aim is to increase the charging rate by several percentage points in the State of Charge (SoC) range of 10-80%.
By integrating location-resolving sensors into the battery cells and using machine learning algorithms, charging processes will be optimized and adapted to individual battery conditions. An optimized connection of the electrode stack to the cell housing is designed to improve thermal stability and minimize internal resistance. The results will be implemented as prototypes of individual cells and cell networks.
“The improvement of fast charging capability in lithium-ion technology is a dominant topic in both research and industry and can be tackled separately or in combination with the help of various levers,” said PEM Director Professor Achim Kampker. “This can be achieved by integrating sensors into the cells and with the help of innovative approaches to cell design, cooling and charging algorithms,” added PEM Professor Heiner Heimes.
Source: PEM