Advanced battery system integration for next generation vehicles

Deadline: 18 April 2024

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to address all the following outcomes:

  • Novel and innovative approaches to battery integration into vehicle structure focusing on solid state generation-4 cells, including modular systems capable of temporary expansion for long trips in small and medium sized cars without a permanently installed large battery.
  • Improvement of the fast-charging capabilities up to at least 3C, and aiming for higher capabilities for high energy cells, independent of battery topology in the vehicle.
  • Reduced battery system cost considering the functionalities of the vehicle structure. Safety aspects of the prototype cells need to be considered.     

Scope:

In order to reduce the overall cost of electric vehicles modularity, scalability and the development of strategies for their implementation will become increasingly important in the future. With the expected introduction of new cell technologies, specific choices for connections, cooling system concepts and materials for housing will play a crucial role in the future. With the expected introduction of new cell technologies, specific choices for connections, cooling system concepts and materials for housing will play a crucial role in the battery performance improvements and the battery integration in the vehicle structure. The development and integration of structural, thermal and mechanical aspects( at different levels of modularity or integration) will need to be improved, while exploiting the intrinsic advantages of innovative type of cells.

Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:

  • Structural battery pack design and integration in the vehicle considering trade-offs in all important areas such as energy density, thermal management, maintainability and repairability, crash safety, energy density, production cost, second life, dismantling and recycling processes.
  • Smart thermal management systems for both heating and cooling, with smart interfaces to the vehicle systems, contributing to further improvements in the overall battery system efficiency and optimising the overall battery system, also in consideration of passenger comfort.
  • Novel cooling system concepts exploiting the reduced thermal constraints of generation-4 cells ensuring minimal impact on system mass and costs, especially taking into account the thermal and electrical interfaces of different possible cell geometries.
  • Digital twin of thermal behaviour of EV and battery for optimal chemistry / energy management and safety assessment of batteries.