THE CELL
4
The cell is the heart of any battery. Basic properties, such as
performance and the ageing process, are determined by the electrochemical
processes in the cell and are largely dependent on
the design and integration of its
electrodes. Furthermore, battery
systems for the automotive industry
also comprise the application-specific
packaging of multiple cells
in modules and packs.
The powerhouse
of the whole
battery system
As Elon Musk observed at the 2020
European Conference on Batteries,
it is “…relatively easy to design the
prototype for an advanced technology.
(…) However, it is far harder
to upscale the production process
than to develop something on a lab
bench.” Integrating existing electrode
technology is proving to be increasingly
difficult. To achieve functional
improvements to battery systems, a
deep technical understanding is more
necessary now than ever before.
One starting point for this are the
electrodes in the cells. Through their
mirrored layer structure, electrodes
have inhomogeneous properties in
the three spatial directions. This inhomogeneity
is intensified through
the connection tab locations and the
geometry of the current conductor.
Among the aspects worsened by
this non-optimal distribution is ageing
due to material usage (increased
resistance and decreased capacity).