New Technology for Lighter and Cheaper Battery Production: Stores More Energy

By improving the battery cell architecture, Fraunhofer ISE increased the energy density by 15 percent. The new battery cell architecture offers lower costs.

Fraunhofer ISE has developed a technology that stores more energy with the same weight by changing the battery cell architecture. This new battery cell architecture increases energy density by 10 to 15 percent.

The Fraunhofer ISE team redesigned the electrode structure in its studies on conventional lithium-ion, sodium-ion and zinc-ion batteries. While in traditional methods the anode and cathode were arranged in many thin layers, in the new approach the electrode coatings were increased from 100-200 micrometers to 800 micrometers thick.

This thickening process reduces the number of current collectors within the cell, freeing up more space for the active material. Thus, higher energy storage capacity is achieved with the same physical volume and weight.

The researchers successfully tested this architecture on small cells in vitro. On the lithium-ion side, the work was taken one step further and prototype pouch-type cells were produced.

These prototypes were prepared with standard production processes used in the industry on the semi-automatic production line located in the institute's own facility. The adaptability of the developed concept to different battery chemistries reveals the flexibility and wide usage area of ​​the technology.

Lower production costs and environmentally friendly approach

The new architecture not only increases energy density, but also significantly simplifies production processes. Producing the electrodes without containing PFAS and using toxic solvents enables an environmentally sustainable production model.

The simplified production line aims to reduce operating costs as well as initial machinery and facility investments. This creates a serious cost advantage for small and medium-sized companies that want to establish their own battery production facilities.

This simplification in processes increases the efficiency of the industrial production line and also saves energy. The research team states that this architecture provides a suitable basis for the transition from laboratory prototypes to industrial production.

Potential for commercialization on an industrial scale

Helmut Hechinger, who is involved in the industrial leg of the project, expects the technology to yield positive results in terms of cost and performance during the scale-up and validation phases. If successful, commercialization steps are planned to be taken.

Particularly in the Baden-Württemberg region, there is great potential for local battery production for stationary energy storage systems. As the share of variable energy sources such as solar and wind in the networks increases, the need for such storage solutions is also increasing rapidly.

Germany sees producing these systems locally as a strategic goal. Researchers think that the new cell architecture they have developed will make a significant contribution to this goal.