KOOP

Brief description

A central objective of the Fraunhofer FFB development is the sustainable reduction of “time to market”. The interface between the Fraunhofer FFB and the research institutions where research results worthy of scaling are developed offers a decisive lever for this reduction. The development and validation of methods and processes at this interface represents a challenge for the positioning of Fraunhofer FFB in the German research landscape. In the KOOP project, this challenge is addressed by developing a highly cooperative scaling, which includes the systematic exchange of personnel, data and management between the innovator and the Fraunhofer FFB. In cooperation with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components at RWTH Aachen University (PEM), which represents the lower TRLs, HS Tumbler assumes the role of innovator so that the developed tools can be tested in a practical manner. The validation is carried out using the example of sodium-ion battery technology, which is considered economically and ecologically sustainable in view of geopolitical challenges. The aim is to scale up from TRL 3-4 to TRL ≥ 7, with a focus on energy-efficient trajection mixing and aqueous processing of hard carbon anodes.

The work plan comprises ten work packages dealing with the highly cooperative scaling of a new mixed technology in battery cell production:

WP 1: In WP 1, tools for scaling will be developed.

WP 2: In WP 2, the sodium-ion cell will be designed.

WP 3: WP 3 is dedicated to the development of the hard carbon anode.

WP 4: Work package 4 begins with process development, where a trajection mixing process is created on a laboratory scale.

WP 5: In parallel, WP 5 tests research topics such as container design and material at HS Tumbler.

WP 6: In WP 6, the mixing process is scaled up at the Fraunhofer “FFB PreFab”.

WP 7: In WP 7, cell production of the sodium-ion batteries takes place.

WP 8: In WP 8, performance and safety investigations are carried out.

WP 9: Finally, the technical, economic and ecological evaluation takes place in WP 9.

WP 10: Project coordination takes place in WP 10.

Through the implementation of the KOOP research project, the competence and capability profile of the Fraunhofer FFB for partners from science and industry will be expanded by a further subject area. The scaling research on production technologies such as trajection mixing and the production of hard carbon anodes will provide new approaches for economic and scientific utilization.

In order to support commercialization, close cooperation between various scientific institutions and industry experts (e.g. machine and plant manufacturers, cell manufacturers) is already taking place during development in all work packages. This not only promotes the actual development work, but also enables more effective and efficient utilization and thus an increased economic impact.

Specifically, the exploitation plan of the Fraunhofer FFB and its project partners includes the use of the knowledge gained in the project for the acquisition of both publicly funded follow-up projects and industrial projects and the publication of the research results in white papers and peer-reviewed articles in specialist journals. It is also planned to pass on the knowledge gained to students and industrial partners in training courses. There are also plans to commercialize trajection mixing as a process to increase the efficiency of battery cell production of sodium-ion batteries.