Battery technology R&D capacities for analysis, disassembly, sorting and recycling

Short summary A Swiss non-profit organisation is a centre for applied research on industrial technology with several research areas. Their focus is on energy storage - and battery technology applications. They support related innovation development of module- and pack design, usage, analysis, disassembly, sorting and recycling. Their know how extends to e-mobility and renewable energy source/storage systems. The centre is looking for technology cooperation or research cooperation agreement.

Full description Battery technology is one of the most critical subjects of today. In the next decade, the way we use batteries will change drastically. We need to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the life cycle of every cell. A Swiss non-profit organisation focusses on energy storage applications and battery specific technology. Their primary work covers the development of the technology surrounding existing battery cells of various chemistries. This includes the electrical and mechanical designs of battery modules and packs, thermal management, custom solutions for integration into machinery, and analysis of battery performance. For custom solutions, their broad industrial and academic network allows the creation of multi-organization partnerships to achieve project goals. In support of green technology and a circular battery economy, battery performance analysis is expanded to characterization of used batteries (ageing, state-of-health, damages, etc), resulting in recommendations (sorting, triage) for repair, re-use, disassembly and recycling. The current goal of recycling technology development is to make the process as safe and efficient as possible. The market areas of their work often occurs in the design, building, retro-fitting, testing of electric vehicles/machinery and stationary energy generation and storage. Examples of previous and ongoing work include: - Design of light electric vehicles for urban areas - Retrofitting of heavy-load machinery for electric power trains - Green energy storage installations, such as compressed air or thermal management in buildings - Electric vehicle battery recovery, analysis, and preparation for repair, re-use, or recycling, looking at the whole value chain. Their broad project work relies on the combination of state-of-the-art facilities and their know-how, achieved through onsite infrastructure: - Battery test lab, suited for multiple energy system testing. See Figure 1: Battery Testing Laboratory - Inspection and disassembly of different battery types, including large traction batteries. See Figure 2: Battery triage (sorting) and disassembly Process - Research on Li-ion battery aging phenomena, non-invasive testing, and characterization using high precision coulombic efficiency (CE, also called faradaic efficiency or current efficiency) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements - Identification of battery safety procedures - Expertise in building high voltage traction battery packs The local innovation support system further expands possibilities of the Swiss non-profit organisation through cooperation with the other three research groups. In total four main research areas: - Battery technology - Industry 4.0 - Advanced manufacturing technologies - Health care technology As a non-profit, their mission is the advancement of innovation, supporting their project partners (from start-ups, SME’s up to large enterprises) in their technological development goals, with various funding options possible, including government grants. They are accredited to receive government research grants to de-risk projects. The Swiss non-profit organisation is the operational organization of a national battery & storage platform, part of a local innovation support system and several other research groups. Altogether they are an ideal partner for supporting innovative technology development, without compromising IP rights - meaning that the IP rights are owned by the client - and fit into cooperation with industrial partners under technology cooperation - or research cooperation agreement (as well Horizon Europe, Eurostars projects etc.).

Advantages and innovations Applied research on battery and storage technology: The Swiss non-profit organisation with competences on battery and storage technology, especially analysis, disassembly, sorting and recycling (within a circular economy), is a technology solution provider and development partner. It is the innovation of the cooperation partner that they take from abstract to reality. Their work of applied research puts them between pure academic research and already realized market solutions. This is where usable and profitable innovation really happens. Accelerate to market thanks to their accreditation to receive government grants: A key advantage for both EU (and Swiss) companies is their accreditation to receive government research grants to de-risk projects. Partial or full funding through research grants can give a small company or untested project the acceleration needed to generate further investment and bring an idea to market. Open for projects with complex and cross-sectional requirements: For projects which seem too complex or with cross-sectional requirements, the local innovation support structure offers solutions where others cannot. Internally and externally, through our networks of academic and industrial partners, our multi-disciplinary organization can succeed in projects that develop technology at the cutting edge. State-of-the-art competences enabling technology development: In the area of energy technology storage, the combined competences of the Swiss innovation support system enable technology development (fast iterations) through: - Integration of sensors into industrial processes for real-time safety and analytics management - Expertise in system design for a safe working environment - Use of robots for assembly/disassembly within the work environment - Artificial Intelligence to enable automated, semi-automated, and manual process to achieve high precision and reliability - Next generation 3D printed batteries - Custom energy solutions for medical

Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)