Enerdel Industry
Industry
EnerDel:
Energy Solutions
The First Cell-to-System Domestic Manufacturer
Manufacturing Process
Basics:
Overview
Energy Storage
Electrification
Lithium-ion
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Electric Vehicle
Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Prismatic Design
National Policy:
Domestic Production: A National Priority
Applications
Energy Solutions
As the only US-based manufacturer today of commercial-scale, automotive-grade, lithium-ion systems, we at EnerDel have set a goal to power cars that are less dependent on and in many cases will require no gasoline, and can be charged in as little as 15-20 minutes per day (subject to the availability of fast-charging stations). We are creating energy solutions that are setting new standards of performance for lithium-ion battery technology.
Our ability to jump-start the electric drive industry is only the beginning. From the cell to system level, our advanced cell chemistries and pack designs enable us to customize applications for energy grid infrastructure, military, aerospace, and beyond.
The First Cell-to-System Domestic Manufacturer
We believe we have a two-year head start over our domestic competitors when it comes to cell manufacturing. Most lithium-ion battery manufacturing in the US is limited to the assembly of bulky battery packs. These manufacturers import their batteries from Asia, bundle hundreds of them together into big, suitcase-like boxes, and then provide the software and electronics to integrate their packs into the vehicle. EnerDel offers a better solution, with cell-to-system manufacturing capability right here in the US.
Manufacturing Process
We recently fired up our first high-volume coating machine at our 92,000-square-foot Indianapolis plant. Here, the cell manufacturing process begins in the mixing room, with the combining of various active materials, such as manganese or mixed oxides for cathodes, with solvents and binders, as well as some proprietary chemicals into separate slurries for anode and cathode.
The resulting black paste is coated onto thin aluminum and copper foils, which will become the positive and negative electrodes. The films then go through a long, tunnel-like drying machine, where they bake at elevated temperatures to fasten the materials to the foils.
Automated machines precision-cut the electrodes into sheets about the size of letterhead stationery, but half as thick. From there, the electrodes go to the drying room, an ultra-clean environment where dehumidifiers keep the humidity at a very low level.
Automated stacking machines handle the next step, in which they pick up an anode, cathode and separator and stack them in a series until there are a specified number of sets of anodes and cathodes. A separate machine inserts them into a metallic, silvery pouch that will be hermetically sealed on all edges. Yet another machine fills the cell with an electrolyte, which provides conductivity between the positive and negative sides of the battery, and then hermetically seals the final side of the cell.
The assembled cells, about one-fourth of an inch thick, then leave the dry room and are charged for the first time in what is known as the formation process. The cells are then stored for a specific period of time in the aging room, after which they are all given a final 100% quality check to ensure that each individual cell meets the specification.
Once the cells are complete, our factory ships them 10 minutes away to our 35,000-square-foot pack assembly facility, where the cells are built into the packs in a highly automated process. Automated machines stack the cells into modules, and the modules are then assembled into subpacks.
These subpacks go into a final casing, which, depending on the energy requirement for the battery pack, could have anywhere from 200 to 400 cells in it and weigh up to 600 pounds. As part of the process, engineers install the critical electronic hardware and software that will allow the battery to communicate with the vehicle and monitor the performance of each individual cell and the overall pack.
Overview
The need for clean, sustainable energy is a critical part of the nation’s political, environmental, and economic framework. The way we produce, transport, store and ultimately consume energy is being redefined. EnerDel is seeking to be one of the leaders in this energy revolution. In conjunction with industry peers, government, and the public, we acknowledge the necessity to meet this responsibility head-on and deliver new technologies and products that will help shape the transition to renewable energy.
Energy Storage
Energy storage will be a critical part of the evolving landscape of renewable energy. We believe lithium-ion battery technology is the most advanced energy storage solution for the next generation of advanced automobiles including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), and full Electric Vehicles (EV). As the renewable energy industry scales, lithium-ion battery technology will also create new opportunities for stationary power applications for commercial and residential use as well as specialty storage products for aerospace, aviation and the military.
Electrification
As industrialized nations begin to devote serious attention to lessening dependence on oil, the electrification of the automobile provides a tangible and common-sense solution. Up to 70% of oil consumption in the US is absorbed by the transportation sector, the bulk of which is from outdated, inefficient combustion engines. This situation necessitates significant change. Escalating energy costs are just one of the catalysts behind a market driven acceptance of electrification, as cost-conscious consumers align economic interests with environmental needs.
Lithium-ion
Why is the automotive industry excited about the lithium-ion battery? Lithium is the third lightest element and the lightest metal with properties unique in terms of energy and power density. The potential of the lithium-ion battery is best illustrated by the evolution and development of the mobile phone industry. Over the years, the cell phone has been dramatically downsized in terms of size and cost, leading to its widespread adoption. As batteries have become more efficient and capable of storing more energy, mobile devices have become dramatically smaller and capable of longer usage periods. Apply this principle to vehicles powered by similar lithium-ion battery technology, and the potential becomes apparent.
With the support and commitment of our shareholders and with the collaboration of our strategic partners, we have spent years developing our technology to produce batteries that not only come in smaller, lighter formats, but can also provide twice the available power and energy density of the incumbent NiMH technology. The efficiency that stems from the power and energy density solutions of our lithium-ion chemistry will potentially enable a new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles that are more powerful and more energy-efficient than ever before.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle
The HEV has taken off in recent years, with more and more people adopting the HEV as their form of everyday transport. HEVs combine an internal combustion engine with a battery and electric motor in a power assist function. This means that an HEV can achieve fuel economy levels superior to those of a conventional vehicle with functionality that is the same or better than a pure combustion engine.
It’s easy to see why consumers are readily switching to HEVs: they allow for reduced fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and lower fueling costs, yet they still allow the driver to rely on the existing fuel station infrastructure. With HEVs, consumers are able to experience the best of both worlds – a vehicle that operates in the same way as a conventional internal combustion-powered car, but with the added benefits that come with regenerative braking (which recovers the energy taken to brake a car) and reduced emissions. HEVs are not only cost-competitive, but in the vast majority of cases they lead to significant long-term savings resulting from increased fuel efficiency.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Like the HEV, the PHEV balances the use of a traditional combustion engine with the use of a fuel-efficient and environmentally sound electric motor. As the name suggests, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles source electrical power by being plugged into a standard power grid.
More fuel-efficient than a standard HEV, the PHEV also offers greater flexibility as it blends the use of an electric motor with a combustion engine for longer drives. The vehicle runs exclusively on electric power until the battery gets to a low state-of-charge and only then requires the assistance of the combustion engine. A PHEV can therefore operate solely on the batteries for everyday commutes, but have the ability to switch to an HEV mode for longer drives. With blended running, the battery and conventional engine operate in harmony, much like a conventional HEV, or the combustion engine provides electric energy directly to the battery that continues to power the vehicle. It is even possible for a PHEV to generate zero emissions, with the use of a hydrogen fuel cell system in place of a combustion engine.
Electric Vehicle
The EV, also known as the Full or EV, is the most exciting and environmentally friendly of the three battery-powered vehicles. Running purely on battery power, these vehicles produce no emissions during operation and completely eliminate the need for gasoline. The environmental, economic and political benefits of EVs are significant. Up to now, the EV has been traditionally limited to low-speed, limited mileage travel due to a lack of stored energy. However, the EnerDel lithium-ion battery can overcome that limitation.
The EnerDel EV battery uses a hard carbon and mixed-oxide chemistry, packaged in a battery pack designed and assembled by EnerDel. The lithium-ion battery will allow for EVs to have significantly longer driving range with increased power over current EV offerings. The stage is set for a revolutionary, economically viable technology that will allow for widespread commercial adoption of full electric vehicles.
Prismatic Design
In addition to advances in their chemistry, our lithium-ion cells adopt a unique prismatic design (as opposed to the conventional cylindrical model), which allows for potentially higher energy density levels on a pack level. The prismatic design also holds other advantages over existing technologies. For example, the larger surface area dissipates heat and increases the number of cooling options in the automobile, and its shape makes it easier to assemble into modules, which in turn cuts production time and increases production capacity. In short, with so many advantages and the first-ever commercial application set for release in 2009, lithium-ion is set to transform the automobile industry, echoing the trends realized in the cellular phone and consumer electronics industries over the past 20 years.
Domestic Production: A National Priority
Creating advanced battery manufacturing capability in the US is necessary to strengthen the competitiveness of the American automobile industry. Other than our facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, virtually no advanced lithium-ion car battery production capacity exists in the US.
With the recent adoption of a higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard, the time has come to create a national plan bringing together public and private initiatives aimed at increasing advanced battery production in the US. The United States Advanced Battery Consortium, which is effectively spearheading a public/private consortium, has identified lithium-ion as the most promising battery technology available.
Moreover, President Barack Obama recently set a goal of placing 1 million EVs on US roads by 2015. Mr. Obama pledged that he would invest billions of dollars of federal government research funds for developing new technological alternatives to America's foreign oil dependence. Other government support for alternative energy comes from Vice President Joe Biden, who supports increased research funds for lithium-ion batteries, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, and Senators Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh, both of whom are from the home state of our domestic manufacturing facility, and are active proponents of building American battery production capacity. Add to this the proposed higher levels of federal support funding, tax breaks, and interest-free federal loans, and the development of domestic manufacturing capacity is looking promising.
The three US-based automakers continue to pursue relationships with battery companies in an effort to establish production capability. Detroit's green transformation, as indicated by its support of the new CAFE standard, will continue to focus on creating industry standards for integrating lithium-ion battery technology into electric-drive vehicles, inevitably spurring additional investments and collaboration.
Applications
The commercialization of lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry has moved from concept to reality. We pride ourselves as being one of the pioneers in the space, and have developed unique chemistries designed to specifically suit different forms of hybrid and pure electric vehicles. The key considerations with respect to the creation of this lithium-ion battery technology are safety, long life, energy, power, efficiency and cost.