Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility Bavaria Strategic partnership between Empa and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
IE4B – Solid state batteries for tomorrow's electric cars
As part of a strategic international cooperation program of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Empa in Dübendorf (CH) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg (D) launched a research project to create the basis for a production-ready next generation of traction batteries for electric cars. In contrast to lithium-ion cells currently in use, these will consist only of solids and will no longer contain flammable liquid electrolytes. They also provide advantages in terms of size and weight, because less complex safety housing is required. In addition, the use of metallic anode material (lithium) instead of the graphite anodes commonly used today in solid-state batteries promises both higher energy density and significantly shorter charging times.
The cooperation between Empa and the Fraunhofer ISC aims to remove the most important technological barriers to the industrial production of solid-state battery cells. It is important to achieve a long service life with high performance over as many charging and discharging cycles as possible, in order to outperform today's conventional battery systems. The partners aim to develop a solid-state battery that enables a stable charging and discharging cycle at room temperature and can be charged quickly at the same time.
Empa's main focus in the recently launched IE4B project is the development of solid state electrolytes, the production and characterization of thin films with customized electronic properties, and the development of nanostructured anode materials.
The Fraunhofer ISC with its "Fraunhofer Research and Development Center Electromobility Bavaria" works on lithium conducting polymers as well as on the development of protective layers of sol-gel materials with specific properties for batteries. In addition, it develops, manufactures and tests prototypes and small series of battery cells.
The project is divided into two phases: The first phase deals with basic aspects and uses battery model systems manufactured using thin-film methods at Empa and ISC. In this first phase, the processes taking place at the interfaces between cathode, solid state electrolyte and anode are to be precisely understood and monitored. In the second phase, this knowledge will be used to manufacture a functional solid-state cell with the process engineering expertise of the Fraunhofer ISC that will be produced in a small series.
Project details
The project IE4B (Interface Engineering for Safe and Sustainable High-Performance Batteries) started on January 1, 2019 and will run for three years as part of the Fraunhofer ICON (International Cooperation and Networkin") funding line. With ICON, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft aims to expand the strategic cooperation of its institutes with selected international centers of excellence in various fields.
Project partners
- Empa, Materials for Energy Conversion
- Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility Bavaria, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC
- Accompanying industrial companies (i.a. Heraeus, Bühler Group, Varta, ABB)
Information
Dr. Corsin Battaglia
Empa, Materials for Energy Conversion
Dr. Henning Lorrmann
Head Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility Bavaria (FZEB)
https://www.fzeb.fraunhofer.de/
Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC
https://www.isc.fraunhofer.de/en.html
lorrmann@isc.fraunhofer.de
Editors / Media contact
Rainer Klose
Empa, Communications
phone +41 58 765 47 33
Marie-Luise Righi
Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC
Head of PR and Communications
phone +49 931 41 00-1 50
Images
You can download highres-images here.
http://plus.empa.ch/images/2019-02-22-ICON-Fraunhofer-ISC/