Electrolytes are key components in electrochemical storage systems, which provide an ion-transport mechanism between the cathode and anode of a cell. As battery technologies are in continuous development, there has been growing demand for more efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly materials. Solid-state lithium ion batteries (SSLIBs) are considered as next-generation energy storage systems and solid electrolytes (SEs) are the key components for these systems. Compared to liquid electrolytes, SEs are thermally stable (safer), less toxic and provide a more compact (lighter) battery design. However, the main issue is the ionic conductivity, especially at low temperatures. So far, there are two popular types of SEs: (1) inorganic solid electrolytes (InSEs) and (2) polymer electrolytes (PEs). Among InSEs, sulfide-based SEs are providing very high ionic conductivities (up to 10⁻² S/cm) and they can easily compete with liquid electrolytes (LEs). On the other hand, they are much more expensive than LEs. PEs can be produced at less cost than InSEs but their conductivities are still not sufficient for higher performances. This paper reviews the most efficient SEs and compares them in terms of their performances and costs. The challenges associated with the current state-of-the-art electrolytes and their cost-reduction potentials are described.

Various studies show that electrification, integrated into a circular economy, is crucial to reach sustainable mobility solutions. In this context, the circular use of electric vehicle batteries (EVBs) is particularly relevant because of the resource intensity during manufacturing. After reaching the end-of-life phase, EVBs can be subjected to various circular economy strategies, all of which require the previous disassembly. Today, disassembly is carried out manually and represents a bottleneck process. At the same time, extremely high return volumes have been forecast for the next few years, and manual disassembly is associated with safety risks. That is why automated disassembly is identified as being a key enabler of highly efficient circularity. However, several challenges need to be addressed to ensure secure, economic, and ecological disassembly processes. One of these is ensuring that optimal disassembly strategies are determined, considering the uncertainties during disassembly. This paper introduces our design for an adaptive disassembly planner with an integrated disassembly strategy optimizer. Furthermore, we present our optimization method for obtaining optimal disassembly strategies as a combination of three decisions: (1) the optimal disassembly sequence, (2) the optimal disassembly depth, and (3) the optimal circular economy strategy at the component level. Finally, we apply the proposed method to derive optimal disassembly strategies for one selected battery system for two condition scenarios. The results show that the optimization of disassembly strategies must also be used as a tool in the design phase of battery systems to boost the disassembly automation and thus contribute to achieving profitable circular economy solutions for EVBs.

The concept of Digital Twin (DT) is widely explored in literature for different application fields because it promises to reduce design time, enable design and operation optimization, improve after-sales services and reduce overall expenses. While the perceived benefits strongly encourage the use of DT, in the battery industry a consistent implementation approach and quantitative assessment of adapting a battery DT is missing. This paper is a part of an ongoing study that investigates the DT functionalities and quantifies the DT-attributes across the life cycles phases of a battery system. The critical question is whether battery DT is a practical and realistic solution to meeting the growing challenges of the battery industry, such as degradation evaluation, usage optimization, manufacturing inconsistencies or second-life application possibility. Within the scope of this paper, a consistent approach of DT implementation for battery cells is presented, and the main functions of the approach are tested on a Doyle-Fuller-Newman model. In essence, a battery DT can offer improved representation, performance estimation, and behavioral predictions based on real-world data along with the integration of battery life cycle attributes. Hence, this paper identifies the efforts for implementing a battery DT and provides the quantification attribute for future academic or industrial research.

Learning factories serve as platforms to ensure research findings are disseminated into industrial practice. A critical success factor for an effective technology transfer via a platform is the definition of a representative process chain. Due to the increasing demand for lightweight components in automotive industry, established materials like steel are partially substituted by composites materials. Hence the Green Factory Bavaria was established as learning factory to demonstrate energy efficient manufacturing processes for composites. This paper contains the process and workpiece definition necessary to ensure a wide transferability of research results into various industries. Using the developed methodologies of flexible measurement concepts and machine upgrading, suitable efficiency measures are integrated in a learning concept The obtained energy savings are discussed for selected process steps like cutting, cleaning and assembly technologies

The increasing share of renewable energies in modern energy systems requires effective solutions to help harmonizing energy supply and demand. Fluctuating energy prices have been incentivizing customers, including manufacturing companies, to identify and build up technical solutions and abilities to profit financially from fluctuating energy prices. Therefore, energy flexibility has gained major attention in research and among industry practitioners. This paper overviews the topic of energy flexibility and discusses associated opportunities, risks and trends. Besides, an assessment methodology to identify potentials for energy flexibility in the factory environment is proposed. Furthermore, practical and conceptual examples to augment energy flexibility in the factory environment are given. In addition, a new concept for (energy) flexible factory environments is presented

With rising electricity costs, increasing environmental awareness and aggravating legal requirements, production plants demand innovations in the field of energy efficiency and utilization of renewable energies. Here we perform a techno-economical assessment of photovoltaic-battery storage systems for industrial peak-shaving and self-consumption applications. In order to consider individual load profiles, different battery types, aging mechanisms, varying costs for electricity and storage capacity, a simulation tool was developed. Net present value method was applied to evaluate the costs over the systems' service life. The case study shows positive net present values for system configurations with large photovoltaic systems compared to storage capacity