In Germany, the European battery research project Spartacus released a positive interim report one year after it first started the development of advanced battery sensors and battery management systems. The Fraunhofer Institute of Silicate in Würzburg served as the project coordinator.
Spartacus stands for "Spatially Analytical Acoustic, Mechanical, and Ultrasonic Sensing of Smart Battery" and is part of the EU research program Battery 2030. When the project started last year, the researchers stated that they hoped to reduce the charging time by as much as 20%. This should be achieved through the development of multifunctional sensor array technology for batteries, without sacrificing battery reliability and service life. The goal is to take advantage of previously unused reserves in battery management through comprehensive battery monitoring.
The technology being developed should transmit relevant data to the battery management system for optimal charging and discharging according to conditions. The project partners focus on mechanical and acoustic sensors, supplemented by electrochemical impedance measurement and temperature sensors. According to the interim summary of Fraunhofer ISC, many parts have been studied in the past 12 months, and it is now possible to combine the various components into a complete system.
Gerhard Domann, coordinator of Fraunhofer ISC, stated that not only is the preparation of new sensor concepts by combining acoustic-mechanical and thermal sensors with advanced analysis methods, but also the process modeling in the battery cell has also made progress in such a process. New predictive models for battery condition and optimal charge control become possible. "The problem now is to piece the puzzles together and connect them to successful battery monitoring technology," Dorman said.
In the second phase of the project, the new battery sensor technology will now provide real data in the test series, which will be correlated with model data. On this basis, scientists hope to develop sophisticated predictive models that will enable future battery management systems to make better use of the battery's performance range and detect failures and negative effects on battery life and performance at an early stage.
In addition to the Fraunhofer Institute ISC, other research institutions involved in Spartacus include CEA in France, CSEM in Switzerland, Free University of Brussels and Fundacion Cidetec in Spain. In terms of industry players, Arkema and ElringKlinger are both involved. The European Union will provide approximately 3.8 million euros in funding for the project, which will continue until August 2023.
Spartacus was launched with six other projects in September 2020 as part of the European research project BATTERY 2030. The main cross-departmental project is one of the broad initiatives in this area. It is part of the European Battery Union, which was initiated in 2017 by Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission.
BATTERY 2030 was launched in March 2019, bringing together stakeholders from scientific and industrial battery research and technology. The core team consists of 17 organizations from nine European countries and is coordinated by Kristina Edström, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Uppsala University. In April 2020, the group proposed a long-term roadmap for the development of sustainable battery technology.
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