Quality measurements in innovative maintainable Lithium ion batteries

Aceleron has developed lithium batteries that employ compression technology in place of the traditionally used spot welding, this enables the batteries to be the world's most maintainable battery on the market. However with the innovation in the design comes some hesitation in the industry, Aceleron must now test and demonstrate the capabilities of the compression technology in the context of the performance of the battery packs.

To do so NPL and ASTUTE have collaborated with Aceleron to propose a project that will use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as well as world leading practical measurements of the battery performance in environmentally controlled conditions, to create build an understanding of the current design's performance and limitations and also a validated model to benefit future product development.

The physical measurements performed by NPL will analyse the homogeneity of the pressure applied to all of the cells within a pack, how this may change in different environments and the affect this may have on the performance of the batteries. This analysis will be performed by experts in the electrochemistry field and guided in the battery design by Aceleron.

The modelling aspect will be carried out by industry leading experts at the ASTUTE centre of excellence that have a wealth of talent, experience and tools capable of modelling the battery design and assessing the performance and impact of thermal fluctuations on the battery.

The two aspects combined provide a powerful and valuable validated model of the battery that will provide lasting value to Aceleron and the UK economy as the SME grows.