Portable solar powered electricity supplies using recovered batteries

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: Engineering Science

Abstract

Millions of functional rechargeable lithium ion batteries are disposed of each year. Some of these are recycled to recover
the materials they are made of, but this is expensive and the recovered value is low. A better, and more sustainable
approach, is to identify those batteries that have remaining functional lifetimes and to use them in new applications. This
project is developing a process whereby these end of life batteries can be recovered, rapidly tested, and integrated into
portable, low cost, lightweight, solar cell (or grid) rechargeable power supply units that can be used to charge mobile
phones and to power low energy lighting. There are around 600 million people globally with mobile phones that have no
access to electricity at home. To charge them, they often have to walk for many hours to charging stations to connect their
phones to car battery-based chargers; a privilege for which there are high charges. The power supply units developed in
this project will provide low cost energy for phone charging and low energy lighting applications, using a circular economic
approach to the reuse of lithium ion batteries.

Planned Impact

This project addresses an enormous economic and humanitarian challenge: energy poverty. Around 1.3 billion people
(World Bank, 2011) do not have access to electricity worldwide, impacting quality of life and constituting a major barrier to
economic development of individuals, countries and society as a whole. The portable, low-cost power supply produced in
this project can deliver basic services such as charging mobile phones and powering electric lighting - key factors for
economic development. Owners of this technology can offer these services to others, thus generating value for their local
communities. At the core of the technological idea lies the concept of re-purposing waste batteries to create a new product.
Extending the useful life of a product and thus reducing the amount of waste and new raw materials required for production
are central values in a circular economy of goods. Building on their extensive experience in cost-benefit and life cycle
analysis, MTG Research and Valpak will establish a suitable business model to produce the proposed technology. They
will address the following factors with large potential impacts on financial feasibility: the supply networks of waste batteries,
processing routes to separate battery packs and identify which cells are still useful, optimisation of product design and
minimisation of the component count and cost for the power electronics. Moreover, legal issues will be addressed in the
context of "undeclaring" used batteries as waste to make them available for use in a new product.

The outcome of this feasibility study will be used to create a profitable business to produce and disseminate the
technology. The technology will provide economic benefits to both UK industry and end users. The power supply units are
anticipated to be produced in the UK. The UK's existing infrastructure for handling waste batteries will be the optimal
environment to test the business model. Companies like Valpak can pilot the circular economy business model, testing its
feasibility for extending battery life and reducing waste in this rapidly growing industry.
By addressing energy poverty while building on a circular economy of goods, this project has an immediate impact on both
people and environment alike. Ever growing demand for electronics boosts the production of high energy density Lithium
(Li)-ion batteries as well as associated waste streams (an estimated 40 million Li-ion cells are discarded p.a. in Europe). Liion
cells are generally assigned to pyrometallurgical recycling processes, which are highly energy intensive and only
recover a fraction of the materials used for production. Extending the useful life of Li-ion batteries in low-cost solar (or grid)
powered energy storage units can provide low income communities in developing countries with affordable electricity, while
reducing material waste and increasing production efficiency in the UK.
The project will also contribute to the training of researchers at a leading UK university by providing the opportunity to apply
their research to practical problems with high social and economic impact. Moreover, two UK companies will receive the
financial support required to explore entirely new business models with the potential to reduce material waste and extend
product life.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The project has demonstrated the ability to take end-of-life batteries from waste & reuse them in solar powered devices. Sustainable use of batteries in second life applications can significantly reduce the cost of energy storage and is made possible with the use of a Rapid Cell Testing Device and the unique cell charge controller.
Exploitation Route The rapid test method we have developed may be commercialised in order to source second life lithium-ion cells on a large scale. This could be achieved by one of the project consortium partners, or by licensing the technology to external companies.
Sectors Electronics

Energy

Environment

 
Description The award has been used to create technology which contributes to the development of a circular economy around lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, specifically through enabling rapid testing of their health and then showing that they can be re-used in second life applications. Li-ion batteries are a ubiquitous technology, which is highly energy intensive to manufacture and can create environmental and human health hazards if not recycled appropriately. Giving Li-ion batteries a second life reduces the materials used for creating new energy storage, alleviates impact on the environment and reduces cost for energy storage, making it more widely accessible. This is particularly relevant for societies in emerging economies. Researchers who worked on this award are now playing a pivotal role implementing intelligent battery management techniques, partly inspired by this award, in a UK-based university spin-out company employing 20 people that has developed a revolutionary battery management system that is able to exploit the capacity of each battery cell to its full potential, realising second life applications and improving first life applications.
First Year Of Impact 2017
Sector Electronics,Energy,Environment
Impact Types Societal

Economic

 
Description ACES seed accelerator call
Amount £148,524 (GBP)
Organisation The Faraday Institution 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2024 
End 01/2025
 
Title Oxford Battery Degradation Data 
Description This dataset contains the results of long term cycling of 8 lithium-ion cells in our lab in Oxford. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2017 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This data has been used by other energy storage researchers around the UK 
URL https://doi.org/10.5287/bodleian:KO2kdmYGg
 
Company Name Brill Power 
Description Brill Power has developed a lithium-ion battery pack which can combine cells from different chemistries and allows the replacement of individual cells within it. 
Year Established 2016 
Impact (1) Together with Delta Motorsport, Aston Martin Lagonda and Imperial College London, as part of an InnovateUK project, Brill Power is designing, building and testing a hybrid battery system for high-performance vehicles. The Brill Power BMS enables the combination of high energy-density and high power-density devices in a single energy storage system, without a separate DC/DC converter. Another innovation developed as part of this project will be a software toolkit for optimal hybrid energy storage system design and simulation. (2) Brill Power's Pozibot project aims to develop a novel, dynamic warranty insurance product for batteries which, with the help of AI, goes beyond traditional risk calculation and forecasting and enables the insurance provider to conduct prescriptive analytics based on real-time battery health and usage data. Brill Power's contribution to the project includes a BMS solution for both stationary energy storage and electric vehicles, which communicates the low-level battery data necessary for such a dynamic warranty insurance approach. (3) In 2021, Brill Power launched their new BrillMS B62 battery management system which can increased battery pack lifetime up to 60% and improve reliability and storage capacity by up to 129%. The technology has been independently accredited by DNV GL.
Website https://brillpower.com/