
Preventing Thermal Runaway in Energy Storage Systems (ESS)
From air transportation to electric vehicles and most recently “Hover Boards”, our industry is painfully aware of the over-discharge malfunctions associated with high-energy lithium-ion batteries, yet according to recent studies, nearly 70% of all Energy Storage Systems currently deployed are lithium-ion. Avoiding the pitfalls of utilizing greater energy density in larger installations is what will be discussed. Michelle will walk through the recent innovations from materials and process tracking in battery manufacturing to comprehensive control of cells in a fully deployed system. Incorporating lessons learned from recent failure investigations by the NTSB and FAA as well as new DoE mandates, Michelle will discuss how to achieve and in some areas surpass the new emerging safety certifications for a multi-megawatt energy storage system.
This webinar will focus on the following key topics:
• Making batteries safe or making safe batteries? (control & mitigation)
• Cell manufacture tracking, certification and response
– NTSB & DoE analysis and current situation
• Incorporating advanced battery management systems (BMS)
– Active cell dynamic balancing
– Cell replacement (hot-swapping)
– System reconfiguration
– Energy density scalability
Presenter
Michelle Klassen – VP of Business Development at Pathion, Inc.
Michelle Klassen is VP of Business Development for PATHION Inc. which manufactures high-performance, safe, and reliable Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for commercial markets ranging from 86 kilowatt-hours in stand-alone systems to over 1 megawatt-hour in containerized units. Prior to PATHION, as Vice President at ZeroBase Energy, she led the design and implementation of power systems and micro-grids for customers, including the US Department of Defense, Kenya Ministry of Energy and the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
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Solid Electrolytes and Bulk Scale Solid-State Batteries
Recently, the push to move beyond Li – ion battery technology has grown. Several advanced battery technologies & chemistries have been identified as promising candidates including i) solid-state batteries with Li metal anode, ii) Li – S chemistries, iii) Li – air(oxygen), and iv) flow batteries. Although an engineered solution using liquids may be possible for some of these options, a solid electrolyte is an enabling technology for each of these beyond Li – ion alternatives. This webinar will introduce the operating principles of each of these cell technologies and solid electrolytes will be discussed in this context. The requirements of a solid electrolyte will be outlined & several state of the art solid electrolytes will be compared. Recent technical progress towards the fabrication of solid-state batteries will be reviewed. Finally, an overview of market applications for solid-state will be presented.
This webinar will focus on the following key topics:
• Overview of beyond Li – ion battery technologies enabled by solid electrolytes
• Comparison of state of the art solid electrolytes
• Recent technical progress towards solid-state batteries
• Review of market applications for solid-state batteries
Presenter
Travis Thompson – Post Doctorate Research Fellow at University of Michigan
Travis received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2010 from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and his PhD in Materials Science at Michigan State University in 2014. His graduate work has focused on synthesis & processing of materials for direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion & storage. This includes ambient drying of silica aerogels, processing of oxide based thermoelectric materials, & electrochemical characterization of ceramic solid electrolytes for advanced batteries. He is now a Research Fellow at The University of Michigan and is exploring commercialization of Solid-State Batteries from his graduate work.
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Preventing Li Ion Battery Failures From a Manufacturing and Design Perspective
How can you be proactive and make sure your cell supplier is the right one and you don’t end up with thermal events and field failures? Is it enough to qualify a cell manufacturer according to industry standards? The answer is that the majority of compliance based testing is related to abuse tolerance. However, the vast majority of field failures do not occur under abuse scenarios, but happen under normal operating conditions due to manufacturing flaws or design and system tolerance issues that cause internal shorts. In this webinar, you will learn about common lithium ion battery failure modes and how to be proactive in preventing these.
This webinar will focus on the following key topics:
• Gain an understanding of lithium ion battery failure mechanisms and the pathway to thermal events
• Learn how cell design impacts battery safety and reliability
• Learn the basic steps in a lithium ion cell manufacturing process, and how the process controls affect safety and reliability
• Come away with a checklist to qualify your cell manufacturer
Presenter
Vidyu Challa – Technical Director at DfR Solutions
Vidyu Challa is Technical Director at DfR Solutions where she works on battery reliability and safety issues. Dr. Challa helps customers with their battery challenges including design reviews, manufacturing audits and supplier qualification. She obtained a PhD from CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Center at the
University of Maryland. She has broad based expertise that includes engineering technology start-up experience, product development, R&D, and business development. Dr. Challa has published her work in journals, presented at conferences and written blog articles.
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Determination of Battery Safety and Performance Parameters Using Adiabatic and Isothermal Calorimetry
FREE Webinar – Thermal Hazard Technology is a proud sponsor of this event.
This presentation describes two main types of calorimetry which can be used to carry out safety and performance testing on batteries. Isothermal calorimeters allow for direct heat measurement on cells during use, while adiabatic calorimeters can measure heat released from batteries during thermal runaway.
Calorimetry can serve as a quantitative scientific method for evaluation of battery safety but it requires appropriate instrumentation. The principles of operation of both types of calorimeters are described along with specific applications within the field of battery testing.
A combination of both technics allows for detailed thermal characterization of lithium-ion and other rechargeable cells, and differences due to chemistry, cell design, cell age, state of charge and cell size can be evaluated.
This webinar will focus on the following key topics:
• The principles of adiabatic and isothermal calorimetry
• How calorimetry can be used in battery testing
• Parameters established by adiabatic safety testing
• Parameters established by isothermal performance testing
• Pressure measurement and gas collection
Presenter
Danny Montgomery – Technical Performance Manager at Thermal Hazard Technology
Danny Montgomery has worked at Thermal Hazard Technology for 9 years. His current role is Technical Performance Manager; overseeing the lab and technical aspects of instrumentation manufactured by THT. He joined the company in 2009 after graduating from Southampton University with a master’s degree in physics.
Danny’s focus is primarily on lithium battery calorimetry; both adiabatic and isothermal. He oversees the use of calorimeters for customer sample testing as well as installing calorimeter systems and provided training for battery and automotive companies worldwide, such as Panasonic, BMW and Samsung. Danny works in Thermal Hazard Technology’s UK office in Milton Keynes.
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