To achieve SAFELiMOVE’s targets, specifications required for the cell format design were defined at the beginning of the project based on the estimations of key cell parameters such as volumetric and gravimetric energy densities. Starting from the requirements for the final cell used in the battery-based electric vehicles (BEVs), the design of different cells formats, namely 10Ah and 1Ah pouch cells, were defined.
Additionally, the development of a set of advanced battery materials was one of the core activities within the SAFELiMOVE project. The individual material properties already define the potential of the cell in terms of energy density and cycling performance. However, what is even more important is the interaction of the materials with each other in the complex environment of a battery cell. Within SAFELiMOVE project the material development has been done in three steps (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3), and the testing of each material generation has allowed to finely tune the design of the upcoming one. In this way, after the development and delivery of Level 1 materials, a depth study of the different inter- and intra-interfaces was done and the subsequent material levels were designed accordingly to overcome the identified shortage.
From the cell perspective, two generations of SAFELiMOVE 1 Ah pouch cells have been manufactured using Level 2 and Level 3 materials reaching an energy density of 350 Wh/kg and 680 Wh/L. In addition, SAFELiMOVE technology has been scaled-up to 3 Ah cell format allowing as well the design of a 24 V module.
SAFELiMOVE has contributed to produce advances at material level by developing thick and high loading solid electrodes with high energy, a novel bilayer electrolyte approach enabling better compatibility at both positive and negative electrode interfaces, and a free-standing ultrathin lithium metal. Moreover, the project has paved the way for the scale up production of solid-state batteries, identifying the main challenges of the technology, and showing the urgent need of joining the efforts between academy and industry to understand and tackle the needs for a mass production from the early stage of material design.
Finally, as part of the dissemination activities, SAFELiMOVE has released 7 newsletters, participated in more than 20 conferences, published 5 publications in high impact journals and organized a workshop - “Innovation & Networking Days on All-Solid-State Battery Technologies”- jointly with other projects granted under the same call. Regarding the identified key exploitable results (KERs), they can be grouped into 4 main blocks: 1) Hardware products, comprising materials developed within the project which could be further exploited by industrial partners; 2) Cell design and cell components manufacturing including products and know-how generated in SAFELiMOVE; 3) Know-how around cell assembly and interface management; and 4) Know-how and software products related to modelling of cells and component behavior.
