Battery Modelling and Management (BMM)

Scientific advisor

• Peter Notten (TU/e and Philips Research Laboratories)

Portable energy plays a crucial role in our modern society. The use of mobile electronic equipment, such as, cellular phones, laptop computers and electrical shavers has been rapidly growing during the last two decades and this growth will be even more pronounced in the near future. In addition, there is a strong tendency that `portability' will, on the one hand, broaden towards very small applications like wireless Autonomous Devices and, on the other hand, to very large applications like (Hybrid) Electrical Vehicles (HEV). Some people therefore declared the 21st century already as `The Portable Age'.

In order to provide all these applications with electrical energy, rechargeable batteries play an indispensable role. Furthermore, it is to be expected that fuel cells will be commercially introduced in the coming years. Modern rechargeable battery systems are almost all based on the safe storage of the smallest energy carrying ions: Hydrogen and Lithium. Very shortly said, the movement of ions from one electrode to the other constitutes the current and the move takes place in one direction or the other depending on the way the battery is used (charge or discharge). Based on these concepts the most popular battery systems, Nickel MetalHydride (NiMH) and Li-ion, have been developed.

Globally seen, the project of Battery Modelling and Management aims at a better understanding of the battery processes (modelling) in view of improving the way batteries are used (management). EURANDOM places the emphasis on the mathematical modelling but, clearly, that must be done in close collaboration with other specialists. This multidisciplinary project involves three main partners: the electrochemical expertise is brought by the Chemistry Department of the Technical University (TU/e), the industrial know-how is given by Philips Research Laboratories (NatLab) and EURANDOM investigates the mathematical facets. All three partners are located at Eindhoven and this allows for constant communication between the team members. Contacts are developed and maintained with the Scientific Community in Europe and worldwide. The Project Head is Prof. P.H.L. Notten both with TU/e and Philips who is known for his fundamental and experimental work on Electrochemical Energy Storage.

As already mentioned, EURANDOM deals with the mathematical aspects of the investigation. We start with a raw sketch: The chemist represents a chemical reaction by an equation. The electro-chemist focuses her/his attention on the kinetics and attempts to describe the process in terms of mathematical formulae (this is a complicate task where the mathematician is directly involved). The model that results is a way to express what is experimentally observed, but is it really a good expression of the mechanisms? The mathematician further analyses the formulation and, sometimes, comes back with questions and recommendations. Then, and the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the model is implemented and derived simulation results must match the observations; ordinarily they don't match. It is a long, complicate way to improve the computer code and the electrochemical modelling until the simulation properly fits with the
experimentation.

The ultimate goal is to reduce the obtained model formulation to a sheer low-cost nutshell; this is a challenge for the future. The role of the EURANDOM partner is to master all mathematical aspects such as optimization, integration of PDE, running simulations, etc. The mathematician must be able to freely communicate with all other scientists; this communication skill is essential to permit a proper team research.

List of present Postdocs and PhD students

Contributions to conferences

P.H.L. Notten, E. Verbitskiy, W. Rey and A. Ledovskikh, `Modelling Strategies for Ni- and Li-based Rechargeable Batteries', AIST Seminar, November 7, 2003, Osaka, Japan.

D. Danilov and P.H.L. Notten, `Variable-rate capacity degradation model for Li-ion batteries', 12th International Meeting on Lithium Batteries, Nara, Japan, June 2004.

A. Ledovskikh, E. Verbitskiy, W. Rey and P.H.L. Notten, `Modelling of hydride-forming materials characteristics', 6th International Battery Association Meeting, Graz, Austria (2004).

D. Danilov and P.H.L. Notten, 'Theory and simulations of Li-ion batteries: from single cycle performance to long-term ageing effects', 13th European Conference on Mathematics in Industry, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, June 2004.

Former Postdocs and Ph.D. students

Last update: July 25, 2006
JJK