Cambridge EnerTech’s
Battery Engineering for Automotive Applications
Building Better Batteries
June 8-9, 2020
Battery engineering involves the important aspects of designing electrodes and cells that will take maximum advantage of the active materials, designing packs that will guarantee reliable cell performance, and integrating battery packs into vehicles (or
other machines) and meeting vehicle constraints while ensuring safety, reliability, and durability. Cell design, including the choice of non-active components, has a considerable impact on battery performance and reliability. Battery pack design and
integration presents thermal, mechanical, and electrical engineering challenges, almost independent of cell chemistry. Optimizing cell and pack design according to the duty cycle of the application requires a careful balance between cell and pack
energy, power, manufacturability, abuse tolerance, thermal characteristics, and cost.
Final Agenda
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure
Monday, June 8
12:30 pm Symposia Registration
1:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Eric Darcy, PhD, Battery Technical Discipline Lead, Propulsion and Power Division, NASA-Johnson Space Center
1:35 High-Energy Long-Life Li-Ion (L3B) via Pre- and Continuous-Lithiation
Kandler Smith, PhD, Vehicle Energy Storage Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Life extension device is composed of metallic lithium reservoir and passive control internal to cell. Device has been shown to at least double the lifetime of both traditional graphite and next-generation Si cells. Device occupies less than 5% of the
volume, weight, and cost of high-energy-density cells.
1:55 Lesson Learned from PPR Testing of 160 Wh/kg High-Power/Voltage Battery
Eric Darcy, PhD, Battery Technical Discipline Lead, Propulsion and Power Division, NASA-Johnson Space Center
New combination of thin steel rings around the spin groove of 18650 cells and ceramic putty interstitial material shows great promise at mitigating the hazard of sidewall breaches during thermal runaway, while yielding 1 kWh battery deck assembly that
exceeds 160 Wh/kg and is capable of 3C continuous discharge.
2:15 Battery Safety Enhancement: The Cell Cooling Efficient
Yatish Patel, PhD, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
Lithium-ion cells can unintentionally be exposed to temperatures outside manufacturers’ recommended limits without triggering a full thermal runaway event. The question addressed in this paper is: Are these cells still safe to use? In this study,
externally applied compression has been employed to prevent lithium-ion battery failure during such events.
2:35 Sensorless Temperature Measurement Exploiting Online Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
Alexander Gitis, PhD, Postdoc, Aachen University; CEO, Safion GmbH
A novel methodology, which is based on online electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (oEIS), is introduced. The experimental validation with commercial automotive lithium-ion cell shows that a high measurement of accuracy in the range of conventional
temperature sensors was achieved even during demanding operation conditions.
2:55 Robust SMD Fuses in Higher Safe Power Density for Automotive Application
Shilong Wang, Strategic Sales Manager, Sales, AEM Components (USA), Inc.
Circuit protection is becoming more vital with Electric Vehicles. When faced with extreme high voltage & high current short circuit conditions, traditional fuses have shown an inadequate level of protection. This presentation highlights some potential
concerns and issues with these typical options and the importance of proper fuse selections.
3:15 Refreshment Break
3:35 Sustainability of Battery Manufacturing, Use, and Recycling
Michael Wang, PhD, Senior Scientist, Director, Systems Assessment Center, Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory
This talk will cover evaluations of energy and environmental impacts of vehicle technologies, transportation fuels, and energy systems, assessment of the market potentials of new vehicle and fuel technologies, and examination of transportation development
in emerging economies, such as China.
3:55 Fabrication of Current Collector and Binder-Free Electrodes on Separators Used in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Daniel Bélanger, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal
A composite electrode can be prepared by depositing electrode material components directly onto a separator commonly used in lithium-ion battery technology. This fabrication method avoids the use of a heavy and inactive metallic current collector. The
electrochemical performance of LiFePO4/C and Li4Ti5O12 half-cells and LiFePO4/Li4Ti5O12 full cell fabricated by the above process were evaluated and compared with those fabricated by the conventional method. This work has been done in collaboration
with Hydro-Québec.
4:15 Considering the Opportunities and Challenges for Battery Thermal Management, Fast Charging, and High Voltage Configurations
Brian Robert, Research Engineer, Ford Motor Company
With aggressive battery charging for vehicles comes concerns of reduced life and temperature stability. Enabling technologies, such as advanced thermal management and high voltage architectures, aid the charging gap and customer range anxiety. However,
as automotive OEMs target increasing electrified vehicle range (≥300 miles) and decreasing charge time (≤15 min), trade-offs in system design create opportunities and challenges.
4:35 Structure-Property-Performance Relationships of Advanced Lithium-Ion Electrode Active Materials and Architectures
David Wood, PhD, Senior Staff Scientist, Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing Team Lead, Fuel Cell Technologies Program Manager, UT Bredesen Center Faculty Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
This presentation will focus on methodologies such as particle-size and pore-size grading of multilayer thick electrodes, laser ablation structuring and patterning of electrodes, and co-extrusion of interdigitated structures with high and low porosity.
Challenges associated with thick, low-Co (high-Ni) cathode processing in water will be discussed. Perspectives on full-scale manufacturing methods for these structures and how they may be integrated with next-generation lithium-ion technologies and
active materials will be given.
4:55 Q&A
5:20 Grand Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
6:20 Close of Day
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure
Tuesday, June 9
8:30 am Morning Coffee
9:00 Chairperson’s Remarks
Marcelo Araujo Xavier, PhD, Research Engineer, Research & Advanced Engineering - Advanced Control Methods, Ford Motor Company
9:05 A Predictive Modeling and Control Approach to Improving Lithium-Ion Battery Performance in Cells Exhibiting Large Voltage Hysteresis
Scott Trimboli, PhD, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Electric vehicle battery management is a topic of growing concern for today’s high-performance lithium-ion battery systems and is especially important – and challenging -- for certain high-performance cells that exhibit significant hysteretic
behavior in the external voltage measurement. Previous work has shown the viability of using predictive control to manage cell-level behavior right to the limits of performance. This work describes an equivalent-circuit method that modifies the predictive
approach with a view toward achieving similar performance gains for cells with hysteresis.
9:25 Simple Low-Rate Pseudo-Steady-State Model of Lithium-Ion Battery Dynamics
Gregory Plett, PhD, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Future BMS algorithms will use physics-based reduced-order models (ROMs) of Li-ion cells instead of the presently used equivalent-circuit models because these ROMs can predict the internal cell electrochemical variables that are precursors to degradation,
and so enable controlling battery systems to effect a direct tradeoff between performance and service life. However, it is a challenging research task to develop methods to find all the parameter values needed to build a physics-based model: clever
lab-testing and data processing are needed.
9:45 A Model-Based Approach for Correcting State-Of-Charge (SOC) Drift in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
Marcelo Araujo Xavier, PhD, Research Engineer, Research & Advanced Engineering - Advanced Control Methods, Ford Motor Company
SOC is among the most important measures made by an HEV BMS since accurate SOC estimation can improve efficiency of power distribution, extend life, and ensure balanced pack operation. Existing methods that rely solely on current integration are prone
to sensor bias, causing the resulting estimate to “drift”. This work describes a model-based method using an equivalent-circuit augmented with a bias state that can correct SOC drift while driving and reduces SOC reset based on open-circuit
voltage (OCV) at key-on.
10:05 
Coffee Break
in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
11:00 How to Launch an EV: Demystifying EV Pack Development from Cell Selection to Vehicle Integration
Tal Sholklapper, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder, Voltaiq
Launching a new EV is a high-stakes game, where any problems encountered during development can jeopardize ship dates. We’ll walk through each stage of EV pack development, and will highlight how an integrated Battery Intelligence platform can drive
an on-time launch, while ensuring quality and traceability throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
11:20 Contamination Control for Enhanced HV Battery Cooling System Robustness
Michael Harenbrock, Principal Expert Electric Mobility, Engineering Filter Electric Mobility, MANN+HUMMEL GmbH
Cooling of battery packs is essential to achieve lifetime requirements and to prevent thermal incidents. In addition to air and indirect liquid cooling, immersion cooling offers potential for effective thermal management for high C-rate charging and discharge.
The presentation will focus on how to keep coolants in different cooling systems clean, thus preventing premature cell ageing caused by cooling system contamination.
11:40 Module & Battery Integration of All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Cells – An Outlook to What Changes to Expect
Wenzel Prochazka, PhD, Manager, Battery Benchmarking Program, AVL List GmbH
Changing to an all-solid-state cell will not be like today’s battery upgrade by incorporating a new cathode active material; it will be more of a change to the whole battery and support system. But, what is it exactly that must change? Why and what
consequences will this have? AVL is providing insight into a larger engineering study on integration of all-solid-state cells into modules and a pack for a future EV.
12:00 pm Cold Plate Cooling Simulation for Lithium-Ion Semi-Passive Battery Thermal Management System
Sonya Smith, PhD, Professor, Engineering, Howard University
Simulations were conducted for a thermal composite cooling system. The results showed that the design met the cooling requirement for a 4.8-kW unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) battery pack at peak power. The optimum temperature range was maintained for 13.5
minutes until thermal runaway occurred.
12:20 Q&A
12:40 Networking Lunch
1:35 Dessert Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
2:35 Chairperson’s Remarks
Chao-Yang Wang, PhD, Professor, Diefenderfer Chair, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
2:40 Fast Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries at All Temperatures
Chao-Yang Wang, PhD, Professor, Diefenderfer Chair, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
Range anxiety is a key reason that consumers are reluctant to embrace electric vehicles (EVs). To be truly competitive with gasoline vehicles, EVs should allow drivers to recharge quickly anywhere in any weather, like refueling gasoline cars. However,
none of today’s EVs allow fast charging in cold or even cool temperatures due to the risk of lithium plating, as well as the formation of metallic lithium that drastically reduces battery life and even results in safety hazards. Here, we present
an approach that enables 15-minute fast charging of Li-ion batteries in any temperatures (even at −50 °C) while still preserving remarkable cycle life.
3:00 Multi-Purpose Traction Motors for Integrated Charging Technology in Electric Vehicles
Narayan Kar, PhD, Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Director, Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research & Green Energy (CHARGE), University of Windsor
Integrated charging technology in electric vehicles employs existing motor powertrain components to facilitate level-3 fast battery charging capabilities with reduction in overall weight and cost of the vehicle, resulting in improved driving range per
charge. This beneficial feature is propelling research and development activities towards designing a high-performing, compact, and cost-effective multi-purpose traction motor for integrated charging application.
3:20 Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Behaviours of Laser Joints for Electric Vehicle Battery Interconnects
Anup Barai, PhD, Assistant Professor, Energy and Electrical Systems, The University of Warwick
An automotive battery pack used in electric vehicles (EVs) comprises several hundreds to a few thousand of individual lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells when cylindrical cells are used to build the battery pack. These cells are connected in series and/or parallel
to deliver the required power and capacity to achieve the designed vehicle driving range. This triggers the need for suitable joining methods capable of providing mechanical strength together with the required electrical and thermal performances.
3:40 The Right Amount of Force: Rework Ability of Gap Fillers in EV Battery Packs
Anurodh Tripathi, PhD, Senior Scientist, Chemical Research– Thermal Management, Parker LORD
We will discuss how to test and measure vertical pull-off force as well as possible solutions for reworking gap fillers in battery packs with little to no damage. Data will be presented comparing the performance of commercial liquid gap fillers along
with recommendations on what designers should be looking for.
4:00 Q&A
4:20 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
5:25 Close of Symposium
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure