"EMBATT" – Greater energy density and range as a result of stack construction
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS is working together with industrial partners on the "EMBATT" project to develop materials and processes to efficiently manufacture a large-format bipolar battery. The aim is to improve the energy density of batteries by constructing bipolar electrodes. To this end, the battery components are stacked in such a way so as to eliminate the laborious packing and connecting of the individual cells, and resistance within the stack is reduced. This way, the higher energy density at the cell level can be transferred directly to the stack and so to the entire battery system. Cathode materials with defined specifications are required for this stacked construction, and Fraunhofer IKTS is developing this part of the project. The experts are also currently working on other battery components, such as anodes, electrolytes and conductor foil, as well as seals for the bipolar stack design. It is hoped that the EMBATT technology will deliver a high energy density of 450 Wh/L at the system level, at a planned production cost of <200 €/kWh. In the future, this could allow electric cars to achieve ranges needed for everyday use. This will make an important contribution to the success of electromobility.