Battery simulation tool to offer advances in powering electric cars?

"Battery performance depends on the materials used in the components and these materials need to work in harmony with each other," said Jochen Zausch, a scientist from the Complex Fluids group at Fraunhofer ITWM. "Various material combinations can be simulated using our software, which has enabled us to come up with the ideal mix. The kind of trial and error testing done in the past is no longer necessary." According to Zausch, the researchers were able to simulate the entire battery cell on macroscopic and microscopic levels as well as the transport and reaction processes of the lithium ions themselves. "We can now show the microscopic structure of the electrodes," explained Zausch. "Every individual pore measuring 10µm can be seen – something none of today's off the shelf programmes can do. The position and shape of the electrodes can also be varied." By resolving the structure of the electrodes in three dimensions, Zausch and his team calculated parameters such as lithium ion concentrations and current density. For these computations a specialised "Finite Volume" code was used that was developed and implemented at the ITWM. "The distribution of the current flow provided an indication of heat production in the battery which meant that the software could pinpoint possible hotspots that may overheat and can lead to ignition of the battery," explained Zausch. "Aging effects could also be assessed." The scientists now intend to upgrade the programme to include aging models which they believe will make these kinds of studies even easier to conduct. "Ultimately, BEST should help both automakers and manufacturers of electric storage devices to build robust, safe batteries with greater range and, at the same time, improved acceleration," concluded Zausch.