Project description
Structural modularity enhances the energy efficiency of lithium-ion batteries
Lithium (Li) ion-batteries have powered a revolution in portable electronic devices and are powering most electric vehicles on the road today. While potential alternative technologies are under development, Li will remain a cornerstone of these markets for at least a decade. The EU-funded iModBatt project aims to maximise the energy density of Li-ion packs for the automotive industry, reduce costs, and increase Europe’s independence and competitive position. This will be done by optimising the structural design and components in a breakthrough modular battery pack concept. The team plans to reduce the weight of the battery pack while maintaining its structural integrity and enhancing automated manufacturing and recycling.
Objective
iModBatt stands for Industrial Modular Battery Pack Concept Addressing High Energy Density, Environmental Friendliness, Flexibility and Cost Efficiency for Automotive Applications. The aim of iModBatt is to design and manufacture, with minimum environmental impact, a high energy density modular battery pack flexible enough to be used in automotive and small stationary applications. This battery pack will be suitable for industrial automated assembly with an easy disassembly design, to make possible the shift from primary applications to secondary ones, and to facilitate the pack recyclability or parts replacement if necessary.
The project concept is built around an already existing technologically breakthrough, modular battery pack design primarily developed for specialty applications, that has proven excellent performance and cost efficiency in such a manner that higher ambition, wider spread electric vehicle applications seem the natural next developmental step for such a concept.
The project focuses into maximization of the energy density of a lithium ion pack through the optimization of the structural design and components of a battery pack for a given cell form factor. In this sense the strategy is to increase the energy density by reducing the weight of the battery pack while keeping structural integrity and easy assembly and manufacturing. Chemistry and BMS work is beyond the scope of the project, which focuses in the structural design and manufacturing.
The Consortium includes industrial partners of every step of the battery pack value chain, including automotive OEMs, battery parts manufacturers as well as leading European research centres with ample experience in the field of batteries.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecycling
- natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectric batteries
- social sciencessocial geographytransportelectric vehicles
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
20014 San Sebastian
Spain