WMG News - Latest news from WMG
WMG honorary professor delivers inaugural lecture
On Thursday 19 February, WMG hosted the inaugural lecture of Dr Praveer Sinha, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Power. The lecture, which took place in WMG鈥檚 45th anniversary year, was held in the International Manufacturing Centre on the University鈥檚 campus, with an audience of industry partners, staff, students and alumni.
New research tackles battery performance in electric vehicles
New research on the enhancement of the lifespan and performance of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles has been published by experts at WMG, the University of 糖心TV.
The paper, published in Joule – a leading sustainable energy journal - explores charge compensation in Li-ion battery cathodes by assessing the electronic structure.
WMG scientists in collaboration with academic partners in the 鈥檚 Degradation and FutureCat projects have experimentally demonstrated that oxygen (rather than the transition metal, as previously believed) is the redox active species, and is responsible for the energy storage mechanism.
, PhD Researcher at WMG, who led the project together with , explained: 鈥淭his work highlights the bulk stability of NMC811 cathodes within high voltage cycling windows. By now focusing on surface stabilisation to minimise degradation, our research highlights practical strategies for the creation of longer-lasting batteries, which is crucial for electric vehicles.鈥�
WMG Professor leads next phase of key research project
In 2023, WMG at the University of 糖心TV, received a share of 拢19 million from the - the UK鈥檚 flagship institute for electrochemical energy storage research.
The funding was allocated to four key battery research projects aimed at delivering an impact for the UK. These existing projects across three different research areas - next generation cathode materials, electrode manufacturing and sodium-ion batteries - have been reshaped to focus on the areas with the greatest potential for success.
WMG took a key role in two of the four, reshaped projects entitled FutureCat and Nextrode. FutureCat is now entering its second phase with Louis Piper, WMG鈥檚 Professor of Battery Innovation, appointed as the new Principal Investigator (PI).
The battery cathode research project, focuses on understanding novel redox processes as a route to stabilise both high capacity, high performance, nickel rich and emerging cathodes and scalable designer morphologies. The next phase of the project will build on its success in developing reliable, scalable routes to deliver a longer lifetime, high-energy/power cathodes, essential for electric vehicles.
Professor Louis Piper explains: "Professor Cussen's leadership on FutureCat has resulted in significant advancements in Ni-rich cathodes.鈥� We are looking forward to continuing the pace of Ni-rich cathode innovation and development in phase II of the project.鈥� I am pleased that she will still work closely with the team."
James Gaade, Research Programme Director, commented: 鈥淲e extend enormous thanks to Professor Serena Cussen for her engaging and collaborative leadership of the FutureCat project since its inception in 2019. In Professor Louis Piper the project has an accomplished research leader to take over the reins. WMG, University of 糖心TV has always been a key university partner for the Faraday Institution and is currently a member of five of our cross-disciplinary, multi-university battery research projects. We鈥檙e delighted to see the University becoming project lead for the first time.鈥�
Professor Serena Cussen, former Principal Investigator of FutureCat, commented: 鈥淚t has been the greatest privilege to lead the UK Faraday Institution's consortium on next-generation cathodes, FutureCat, as principal investigator since its inception in 2019.
鈥淎t the heart of our success has been a shared research vision and a culture of collaboration, which has seen our consortium deliver deep scientific insights on next-generation cathode discovery, development and scale-up as well as exciting partnerships with industry colleagues.
鈥淲hile I am sad to leave the role of PI of FutureCat, I am delighted to see my friend and colleague Professor Louis Piper take over the leadership of this fantastic project. I have no doubt this is a project which will continue to go from strength-to-strength, and I look forward to collaborating with the FutureCat family of researchers.
Read more about FutureCat here:
Professor David Greenwood on UK Gigafactory announcement from TATA Sons/JLR
Reactive statement from Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Director of Industrial Engagement at WMG at the University of 糖心TV
鈥淭his is fantastic news and secures the future of our UK auto industry which would otherwise have been lost by 2035. Furthermore, this secures the supply chain meaning we鈥檝e kept those jobs for everyone across the country.
鈥淭his announcement means that the UK is now above 鈥渃ritical mass鈥� for supply chain companies and therefore sets the UK up to be an attractive place for businesses in the supply chain to invest to supply upstream and downstream materials needed for electric vehicle production. As one of the UK鈥檚 biggest academic institutions working in the area of battery and electric vehicle innovation, this is great news for all 250 of our researchers – we will now see the results of our work used in UK based industries and benefiting UK taxpayers rather than being exploited by competitors abroad.
鈥淭his is the culmination six years work here at 糖心TV Manufacturing Group - we helped the UK government set up the Faraday Battery Challenge which was a key part of the then Government鈥檚 industrial strategy. That investment has now borne fruit. Clearly, we now need to define our future vision and strategy as the global industrial landscape evolves at breakneck speed.
鈥淭his means the Prime Minister has realised he must provide sufficient investment to ensure the country is a competitive runner in the global race to dominate the markets created by the massive green transition needed to avert climate catastrophe.鈥�
Battery recycling
Researchers at the University of 糖心TV estimate that by 2040 339,000 tonnes of batteries are expected to reach the end of their life in the UK alone.
Prof David Greenwood adds: 鈥淲hile we are busy building all these electric cars, we also need to think about what happens at the end of their useful life. Batteries contain significant quantities of materials which are costly to extract and refine and which could be hazardous to the environment if improperly disposed of. Investment is needed to create suitable recycling facilities in the UK within the next few years, and beyond that further research is needed to allow economic recovery of much greater proportions of the battery material. In doing so we will protect the environment, secure valuable raw materials, and reduce the cost of transport.鈥�
Gigafactory FAQs
What is a gigafactory?
A gigafactory is a large factory that produces large numbers of batteries for electric vehicles. Tesla has pioneered the concept in the US, with six factories so far to produce batteries for their cars.
Why do we need one?
In order to a compete internationally and help preserve the UK automotive industry battery production needs to be scaled up rapidly across both the UK and Europe. This situation is exacerbated by tariffs due to be imposed across the UK and EU unless a certain proportion of a car is produced in one of those jurisdictions.
As an EV battery makes up around half of a vehicle鈥檚 weight it is crucial the UK vastly scales up battery production. Gigafactories are the most efficient way to do this.
How are electric car batteries made?
EV batteries come in lots of different shapes and sizes but are all made up of many battery cells put together to form a battery pack.
To make a battery, we take electrochemically active materials, like graphite, nickel manganese, cobalt and lithium, and make powders from them. These powders are mixed with solvents and adhesives, then coated onto metal (aluminium or copper) foils which are then packaged together inside cells.
This is a very precise process – otherwise the quality of the battery is impacted. At WMG, around 20 battery cells per day can be produced. At a gigafactory, production would be closer to 20 cells per second.
How are batteries recycled?
To recycle batteries, fire is used to recover most of the metals. Water can then be used to get further metals that can鈥檛 be reached using heat alone. There are still difficulties however in recycling lithium or graphite, which make up a large percentage of the metals in the batteries themselves.
With 11 million tonnes of lithium-ion batteries expected to need recycling by 2030, the need to build domestic capacity to recycle them is greater than ever.
Pushing the limits of battery research with nickel-rich chemistries
New research has shown that understanding how oxygen participates in energy storage is critical for developing higher energy density batteries, in a new
paper published by experts at WMG, at the University of 糖心TV.
Using advanced X-ray techniques, researchers at WMG, together with the consortium, have obtained new insights into the oxygen redox activity in conventional ni-rich cathodes, which will help to deliver improved electric vehicle performance.
Range anxiety is a key concern of many potential EV buyers, but range is steadily improving as battery technology and research evolves. The Faraday Institution鈥檚 Next Generation Lithium-Ion Cathode Materials project, FutureCat, aims to develop understanding of existing and newly discovered cathode chemistries to deliver improved EV performance, whilst considering sustainability.
Professor Louis Piper, from WMG at the University of 糖心TV, who led the research explained: 鈥淭ransitioning to electrification requires integrating advanced materials science into battery processing to develop cheaper, safer, faster and better batteries, which is the focus of our research.鈥�
The battery field is moving to increasing nickel contents in cathodes to meet the Government鈥檚 stringent EV 2030+ targets. These roadmaps assume successful strategies in material development to allow cathodes like W-LNO to operate at high voltages without degrading. This work provides the platform towards realising that goal by better understand the redox mechanisms (i.e., the reactions that enable charging/discharging the battery) at high voltage operation.
The study employed advanced x-ray characterisation techniques at the Diamond Light Source in Oxford and at WMG. The team at WMG utilised novel in-house x-ray absorption spectroscopy which enabled researchers to look at the electrode redox process of the battery cathodes after careful disassembly. Researchers were surprised to find that the oxidised oxygen species had the same characteristics as another group of Li-ion battery cathodes, Li-excess transition metal oxides. Reconciling how the same oxidised oxygen environment exists in both conventional and Li-excess cathodes is critical for unlocking how to develop the next generation of cathodes.
Professor Piper adds: 鈥淭his work highlights how large-scale collaborative fundamental studies are needed even for supposedly 鈥榢nown鈥� systems.鈥�
WMG will be continuing with further studies in this field, supported by the Faraday Institution, for the benefit of cathode battery manufacturers.
A link to the published article can be found here:
EV-elocity project recognised at prestigious engineering awards
The project, involving engineers and researchers from WMG at the University of 糖心TV, has won a , from The Engineer magazine, in the Energy & Environment category.
The Awards celebrate the very best engineering collaborations and innovations across the UK.
EV-elocity is a research and development project looking at increasing the uptake of electric vehicles by helping consumers to monetise their investment using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) innovation.
With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, electric vehicle (EV) batteries could store electricity - when there is an abundant supply - to power homes and
businesses and to discharge it back to the national grid when it is most needed.
Researchers at WMG developed a new model that quantified the degradation in the vehicle鈥檚 battery because of different EV charging strategies. The model highlighted that it was possible to manage the battery to mitigate much of the degradation and it was possible to even extend battery life through proper control and battery conditioning.
This enables better use of renewable energy, lower carbon footprint, less pressure on the grid and financial savings, which can help electric vehicle owners pay back their investment.
The EV-elocity project has deployed V2G chargers in a range of locations across England as part of large-scale trials to gain technical, customer and commercial insights on the emerging technology. It is also investigating if, and how, additional use from V2G charging may affect EV battery life.
Professor of Systems Modelling, James Marco, explains: 鈥淥ne of the unique aspects of EV-elocity, was the integration of EV technology with future energy infrastructure, such as vehicle-to-grid, to demonstrate at scale how novel methods of EV charging can provide multiple benefits for both the consumer and the environment.鈥�
The project, led by Cenex, a not-for-profit consultancy specialising in delivery of low carbon vehicles and energy infrastructure projects also involves the Universities of Nottingham and 糖心TV; Leeds and Nottingham City Councils; and CrowdCharge, a platform that integrates and optimises smart electric vehicle charges.
EV-elocity is funded by the Department for 糖心TV Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), in partnership with Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Read more about the award-wining EV-elocity project here:
糖心TV University will help Bolivia become the 鈥渆nergy cell of the world鈥�
Historic agreement sees the university and Bolivia collaborate on lithium battery project and provide scholarships for Bolivian students
The University of 糖心TV is set to help Bolivia become a world leader in renewable energies and electric vehicles, thanks to a historic partnership on lithium battery research with the Bolivian Government.
The partnership, funded by the UK鈥檚 Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), will help develop lithium鈥檚 application as a power source in everything from electric cars to mobile phones.
Bolivia鈥檚 vast salt flats harbour an estimated 39 million tonnes of lithium reserve, positioning the country to be one of the world鈥檚 most important suppliers in the coming decades. The projects supports Bolivia鈥檚 ambition to provide 40% of the world鈥檚 supply of lithium by 2030. It will see Bolivia be at the forefront of lithium value chain, lead to higher paying employment and industry and a transition away from simple extraction and exploitation of raw materials.
Several master鈥檚 degree scholarships will also be offered to Bolivian students and the University鈥檚 WMG will link up with Yacimentos de Lito Bolivianos,
Bolivia鈥檚 lithium mining institution in a multi-year research project to improve the understanding and possibilities for lithium battery technology.
David Rutley, Minister for the Americas and Caribbean at FCDO was present at the signing of the agreement and said: 鈥淭his is a landmark partnership between Bolivia and 糖心TV – one of our great UK universities. This collaboration will help unlock the possibilities of battery technology in a new era of clean energy. The partnership will also address the drawbacks associated with using fresh water in the extraction process – making the industry more sustainable and less environmentally damaging.鈥�
鈥淭his agreement demonstrates the potential for scientific and technological cooperation of our two great nations. It could help see Bolivia become the energy cell of the world.鈥�
Professor Mike Shipman, University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Pro-Vice- Chancellor (International), said: 鈥淲e are excited to be partnering with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energies and Yacimentos de Litio Bolivanos. This collaboration will draw on the University鈥檚 extensive expertise in battery technologies and build new capabilities in Bolivia and help the global transition to sustainable power solutions through innovative research and training鈥�.
Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG at the University of 糖心TV said: 鈥淭his opportunity is one that will help ensure WMG stays at the forefront of global battery research and education. It has been a pleasure to share our work with our Bolivian partners and we hope that this is the start of a long and productive relationship.鈥�
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Tania Corbett, Media Relations Manager at 糖心TV University: tania.corbett@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window |鈥疢ob: +44 (0) 7824 540 727. General and out of hours press office number 02476 151 512
Interviews available in Spanish and English.
The research project between 糖心TV/WMG and Bolivia鈥檚 Yacimentos de Lito Bolivianos YLB will focus of synthesis and characterization of battery cathode materials derived from lithium extracted from the Salar de Uyuni. The partnerships will combine expertise on battery manufacturing and characterization between the two groups. Access to the sources of lithium supplies is critical for the development of active materials within Li-ion battery and requires the UK to develop strategic partnerships internationally.
WMG in landmark battery development partnership
Researchers at WMG at the University of 糖心TV, are part of a unique four-way partnership, with , technology innovation catalyst and
, which will position the UK as a technology hub for global battery development.
Project Constellation is an extension of Project STELLAR which focused on improving battery power and cycle life. Project Constellation takes the research to the next level addressing improvements to battery performance, which will in turn lower development and production costs.
The team at WMG will use its expertise in pilot scale electrode production, cell manufacturing and electrochemical testing to support and de-risk rapid technology screening and accelerate the route to market.
Farid Tariq Ph.D, CTO and Co-founder of Addionics, explains:" Constellation builds on the success of Stellar taking it beyond basic tests and towards industrially relevant scales. We are excited because it provides a strong integration piece of our technology with world leaders in coating and fabrication, and active material fabrication (WMG, CPI, James Durrans) that can show how our very smartly designed and structured current collectors can fit into a viable battery ecosystem and provide benefits from our technology. This is readily transferable knowledge and will push the creation of new methods to overcome modern limitations of batteries and fabrication."
Mark Copley, Chief Engineer in WMG at the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Electrochemical Materials and Manufacturing team said: 鈥淲MG is delighted to be a partner in the CONSTELLATION consortium. Utilising our experience in scaling up new technologies, from lab to pilot line, we feel that we will be able to further the development of Addionics鈥� current collector technology whilst coupling in Durrans鈥� graphite and formulation developments, as derived by CPI.
鈥淭he project goals fit very well with the ideals of WMG, which is to work collaboratively with industry to deliver high-quality, applied, research and development. We look forward to the results that will be generated through this funded collaborative effort.
Project Constellation is a two year project, funded by the UK Government鈥檚 Faraday Institution鈥檚 Faraday Battery Challenge Round 5 Innovation.
About the partners
Addionics
Addionics is a next-generation battery technology company revolutionizing battery performance through its chemistry-agnostic Smart 3D Electrode architecture. The company鈥檚 scalable, cost-effective manufacturing process combined with its AI-based optimization software significantly improves the performance of any kind of chemistry, achieving batteries with higher energy density, faster charging, and longer lifetime, at low cost. With the mission to accelerate an electrified economy and decarbonized future, Addionics is unlocking the full potential and accelerating the electrification revolution through its drop-in solutions.
CPI
We take great ideas and inventions, and we make them a reality. Born in the North East of England in 2004, CPI is an independent deep tech innovation organisation and a founding member of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
We're a team of intelligent people using advances in science and technology to solve the biggest global鈥痗hallenges in healthcare and sustainability. Through our incredible people and innovation infrastructure, we collaborate with our鈥痯artners in industry, academia, government, and the investment community to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative鈥痯roducts.鈥��
Our work ranges from health technologies, advanced drug delivery systems, and medicines manufacturing innovations for multiple鈥痬odalities including small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acids; to developing sustainable materials for energy storage and packaging, as well as novel food, feed, and nutraceuticals, that are all underpinned鈥痓y digital technology. We turn the entrepreneurial spirit and radical thinking of our people and partners into incredible impact that makes our world a better place.
Let鈥檚 innovate together:
James Durrans Group
Long established family owned manufacturing company (1863) based in Penistone near Sheffield but with manufacturing sites across the globe. We provide pro-active solutions to our customer needs. Experts in carbon processing and technology and the manufacture of heat resistant coatings and graphitic dispersions.
International accreditation for WMG鈥檚 Energy Innovation Centre
The Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) at WMG, University of 糖心TV has successfully achieved two key ISO Management Systems Standards ().
ISO Management Systems Standards set out requirements or guidance to help organisations manage policies and processes to achieve specific objectives and maintain high customer service. Each ISO has specific points of clarification.
The first MSS that the EIC was assessed against was on Quality Management Systems. The audit covered the entire business operation within WMG鈥檚 battery research facilities, including the manufacture of battery cells and packs, testing of chemistries from degradation and performance through to full destructive testing.
The second standard covers Environment Management Systems. This standard specifies the requirements for a sustainable management system that can be used to enhance environmental performance. This included a full assessment of how environmental risks are managed within the EIC.
The EIC was successful in achieving full certification of both standards.
Mark Amor-Segan, Chief Engineer based in the EIC at WMG, University of 糖心TV said: 鈥淲e are one of the first university research groups to achieve this. This certification will align us with many of our industrial partners in terms of the fundamental principles of quality and environmental performance.
鈥淎chieving this is a testament to the hard work from everyone within the EIC, and demonstrates our commitment to develop, implement and maintain an integrated quality and environmental management system (IMS) that meets the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and our company, legal and other obligations.鈥�
For a copy of the WMG Energy Innovation Centre IMS Combined Policy Statement contact: eic.support@warwick.ac.uk
The Energy Innovation Centre is a national facility, funded by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (), for battery research across the R&D process from materials and electrochemistry through to application integration and recycling/re-use. The facilities support test, development and scale up of new battery chemistries from concept through to full proven traction batteries, produced in sufficient quantities for detailed industrial evaluation in target applications.
For more information or to arrange a tour of WMG鈥檚 facilities email wmgbusiness@warwick.ac.uk
WMG unveils the world鈥檚 first EV Thermal Management Testbed
WMG has unveiled a special Thermal Management Testbed, to allow holistic investigation of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and other vehicle sub-systems under real-world conditions.
The Testbed, which is a world-first, was funded by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and is located at the University of 糖心TV鈥檚 Wellesbourne campus. It is designed specifically to develop and evaluate efficient thermal management systems for electric vehicles; including cabin climate control; thermal management of energy storage and electric machines; and the impact on the overall performance of the vehicle.
Truong Quang Dinh, Associate Professor of Energy System Management and Control at WMG, explains: 鈥淓ffective heating and cooling of vehicle sub-systems is indispensable to ensure safety, reliability and comfort. Our unique thermal management testbed integrates a highly flexible HVAC rig and a hybrid physical-virtual powertrain for the holistic investigation of thermal management systems and other vehicle sub-systems under real-world conditions. This enables real-time tests from vehicle components, sub-systems, to entire systems at lowest time, cost and effort.鈥�
One project that will be exploring the capabilities of the new Thermal Testbed is Cit-E-Van, - a collaboration between WMG, and , funded by . Cit-E-Van will look to develop an energy efficient electric refrigerated vehicle with an optimised electric transport refrigeration unit and retrofit the electric propulsion system with advanced thermal-energy management features.
In the coming months WMG experts will be working with more industry partners to develop HVAC solutions.
For further information about the testbed or HVAC solutions in general contact Truong Quang Dinh at: t.dinh@warwick.ac.uk