Feb 25 2014
Industrial-scale solar energy and hydrogen technologies are important elements of a sustainable energy supply. Demand for efficient battery cells and battery systems as energy storage devices is growing. ThyssenKrupp System Engineering, a subsidiary of engineering specialist ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, has now been commissioned by the energy research center Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Ulm, Germany, to design and build a fully automated pilot line for the formation of lithium-ion-based battery cells.
The line will initially have 240 formation stations and go into operation at the end of 2014. The system is designed so that a further 240 stations can be added at a later date.
“Eco-friendly energy storage systems and low-emission electric drive systems will be essential elements of energy supply and mobility in the future,” says Bernd Becker, Chairman of the Management Board of ThyssenKrupp System Engineering. “We specialize in the design and construction of manufacturing equipment for lithium-ion batteries. Formation is a key process for the quality of the cells. This is when the cell is first charged with different voltages and currents under very precisely controlled conditions.”
ZSW is using ThyssenKrupp know-how for the first time. The center researches and develops technologies for the sustainable and climate-friendly provision of electricity, heat and renewable fuels. Founded in 1988 as a non-profit foundation by the state of Baden-Württemberg together with universities, research bodies and businesses, today ZSW is one of Europe’s leading energy research institutes with around 230 employees and 120 student and research assistants.