E-Mobility Engineering 016 l Aurora Powertrains eSled dossier l In Conversation: Thomas de Lange l Automated manufacturing focus l Torque sensing insight l Battery Show Europe 2022 report l Sodium batteries insight l User interfaces focus

Readingmaterials H eld in Stuttgart as June became July, this year’s Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo had many highlights, including an advanced battery concept that boosts energy density using a physical architecture, new fire protection materials, dielectric coatings, a polymer crash structure unaffected by the heat of a coating process, plus silicone and polyurethane materials for use inside batteries. Further advances that grabbed our attention were a custom interconnect scheme stamped from thin aluminium sheet, and advanced battery management approaches based on computer models, intelligent algorithms and power electronics. DuPont presented its three-in-one battery architecture concept at the show. Discussions of improvements to battery energy and power density often focus on advanced chemistries, but rethinking the physical architecture is potentially a very rewarding complementary approach. The three-in-one moniker refers to the integration of structural, thermal and electrical connectivity functions in module components, explained Fabrice Giaume. “A typical battery pack today has four elements – cells, supporting structure, a separate cooling system and an independent electrical connection system,” he said. “We looked for ways to integrate functions better so that we could pack more cells into a given volume.” Benchmarking packs already on the market showed that older ones typically have cell-to-pack ratios by volume of 25 to 30%, indicating poor packaging efficiency, while newer ones such as Advances in coatings and materials were some of the key takeaways from one of Europe’s largest battery trade fairs, reports Peter Donaldson Mock-up of DuPont’s three-in-one concept, which is based on building blocks that combine electrical, thermal and structural functions 48 Winter 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering The Battery Show Europe was well-attended, with new solutions for thermal management to the fore, among many other advanced technologies