Research projects

The energy consumption of industry and private households often does not coincide with the generation of energy by wind, sun or water. In countries with large topographical differences in altitude, technically established pumped storage power plants help to temporarily store part of the energy as needed. The ALPHEUS project, which also involves the Technical University of Braunschweig with the Leichtweiß Institute for Hydraulic Engineering - Department of Hydromechanics, Coastal Engineering and Lake Engineering and the elenia Institute for High Voltage Technology and Electrical Power Systems, is now working on solutions so that areas in the lowlands can also benefit from this actually well-known technology.

Due to slow grid expansion, current power grids are not yet capable of absorbing the fluctuations of renewable energy sources such as wind energy without resorting to fossil-fuel power plants emitting climate-damaging CO2 or temporarily throttling their feed-in again and again. In mountainous regions such as Germany's low mountain ranges and the Alps, pumped storage power plants (PSP) relieve the strain on the grids. But what do regions do that do not have the natural topography with large differences in elevation in the landscape required for PSP?

The ALPHEUS project is developing conceptual designs for new and retrofitted low head PSP reservoirs. A comprehensive assessment of the mechanical, electrical, and structural components will allow the costs of these systems to be determined and the risks to be evaluated. Information and decision support tools are being developed to disseminate knowledge to the community.

In addition to developing the appropriate turbine technology that can operate efficiently in both pumping and turbine modes at low heads and exploring the siting potential for new and retrofit pumping systems and basins, elenia is primarily investigating the impact on power system stability.

Project concept of 'ALPHEUS'

For this purpose, scientists from elenia at the TU Braunschweig are modeling special converter units for feeding the generated power into the interconnected grid. Then measuring its impact on the grid and evaluate the extent to which such power converters can contribute to stabilizing the interconnected grid in a variety of ways besides simply feeding power into it. This will allow an evaluation, how larger power grids will respond to decentralized energy storage.

Partner:	Universität Stuttgart, DE
	ADVANCED DESIGN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, UK
	TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT, NL
	UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA, IT
	UNIVERSITE DE PAU ET DES PAYS DE L'ADOUR, FR
	CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB, SE
	NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU, NO
	UPPSALA UNIVERSITET, SE
	BLUE TURBINES BV, NL
	UNIVERSITEIT GENT, BE
	STICHTING IHE DELFT INSTITUTE FOR WATER EDUCATION, NL
Duration:	01.04.2020 – 31.03.2024
Person in charge at elenia:	Frederik Tiedt
Head of Project:	Dr. Jeremy Bricker

Motivation:
Fast charging of lithium-ion batteries is one of the key challenges facing electromobility in order to increase customer acceptance. The requirements for fast charging come from the respective application, but are often limited by the material system and cell design. In addition, the cell characteristics deteriorate as the battery ages. Fast charging processes in particular can lead to accelerated aging. Therefore, the operation limits are often designed very pessimistically in order to avoid safety-critical processes and accelerated aging. A promising alternative is the determination of age-dependent operating limits to adjust the fast charging strategy accordingly. However, this approach is associated with challenges, because an age-related adjustment of the operating limits depends on conditions of the material and cell system that cannot be measured directly.

Project description:
The model-based assessment of the fast charge ability for different materials of lithium-ion-batteries is investigated in "FastChargeLongLife". For this purpose, different novel electro-thermal and physicochemical models are developed and linked together. This enables the determination of the maximum operating limits and optimized fast charging strategies. These fast charging routines will be adaptively adjusted regarding the state of aging in order to prevent critical effects as lithium-plating. After certain cycle counts, some cells will be opened and investigated if critical aging effects occurred due to fast charging. So the models can be verified. The model-based approach enables the fast charging assessment along the complete cycle life of different materials within lithium-ion-batteries. This supports to increase the durability and to decrease the charging time.

Partner:	InES – Institut für Energie- und Systemverfahrenstechnik
	iPAT – Institut für Partikeltechnik
Duration:	10/01/2020 – 09/30/2023
Person in charge at elenia:	Oliver Landrath
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

Lithium-sulfur batteries have higher specific energy, more environmentally friendly components, and lower material costs compared to lithium-ion batteries. In addition, the liquid and flammable electrolyte poses a safety risk that plays an important role in transportation applications. Therefore, solid electrolytes represent a promising class of materials, which can increase the safety and improve the energy density. Polymer-based solid electrolytes in particular are an attractive materials science approach that both enhances safety and suppresses the shuttle effect. By introducing functionalized fillers into the polymer matrix, the material parameters can be adjusted very flexibly, in particular the ionic conductivity can be increased and so-called hybrid polymer-based solid electrolytes can be obtained. This class of materials has the potential to be scalably synthesised and easy to process, making it promising for industrial use.

For the improvement of the material parameters of the solid electrolyte, a traceable and reliable quantitative analysis is needed for a complete understanding of transport and conversion processes. For this, multidimensional in-operando methods, ex-situ investigations on a broad scale and spectroscopic investigations at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces are very promising approaches to provide important insights into the complex reaction and transport mechanisms. Therefore, the overall goal of this project is to fabricate high-performance Li/S pouch cells (multilayers) with novel hybrid polymer solid electrolyte and a kinetically optimized cathode.

Partner:	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie – Institut für Elektrochemische Energiespeicherung (HZB – EC)
	E-Lyte Innovations GmbH
	Universität Potsdam – Institut für Chemie (IfC)
	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie – Institut für angewandte Materialien (HZB-IG)
	TU Braunschweig – Institut für Partikeltechnik (iPAT)
	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)
Person in charge at elenia:	Marvin Nebelsiek
Head of project:	Dr. Sebastian Risse (HZB)

FormEL is a research project within the battery production competence cluster ProZell. The main target of the cluster is to generate a research platform for a sustainable and competitive battery cell production in Germany. This target shall be reached by detailed investigations and studies of the process chain in order to evaluate the impact of the performance, quality and costs of battery cells. FormEL focuses on the final process steps of the formation and quality check (end-of-line-test).

FormEL adresses the investigation of process-quality-interdependencies between the formation process and the end-of-line-test with the aim of a functional integration of these final production processes of lithium-ion batteries. This will be performed by individual and coupled process simulation models of the formation and end-of-line quality check. Moreover, experimental parameter-studies will be carried out in order to determine sensitive process parameters. Afterwards a systematic optimization of the formation and end-of-line-test will be designed on the basis of the experimental studies and model-based simulations. These methods enable the optimization regards time, quality and costs. This will also reveal synergies in order to merge the two final production processes in order to save further process time and costs.

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Partner:	Uni Bayreuth - Methoden des Batteriemanagements (MBM)
	WWU Münster - MEET Batterieforschungszentrum (MEET)
	RWTH Aachen - Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM)
	TU München - Lehrstuhl für Elektrische Energiespeicher (EES)
Person in charge at elenia:	Robin Drees
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

The project Graduiertenkolleg CircularLIB is a cross-location interdisciplinary graduate program at the interface of natural sciences, engineering and economics for the establishment of an economically efficient and ecologically sustainable circular economy.

In addition to sustainable system design (lifecycle considerations, economic/ecological assessment and the development of a data-driven approach), the research topics for the holistic and coordinated mapping of the battery material cycle will be systematically explored. Process and/or intermediate products intertwine at the interfaces.

The project is divided into four research fields: sustainable system design, material/cell aging, recycling processes and material recovery (hydrometallurgy, resynthesis/reconditioning of active material). In addition to interdisciplinary research in a key technology area, the Research Training Group offers professional and interdisciplinary support within the framework of a qualification program. In this way, the PhD students will be prepared for tasks in industry and research institutions and the battery cluster of the Braunschweig region will be strengthened in the long term.

Objective Project 2-2 at elenia: State determination and characterization of contaminated and aged battery cells

1. Assessing the formation and aging of battery cells with contaminated and/or recycled materials
2. Establish methods to characterize battery cells after manufacture and during aging
3. Calendar and cyclic aging studies
4. Investigation of the final End of Life of battery cells for corresponding recycling routes

Partner:	Ifs – Institute of Joining and Welding (TU BS)
	ITC - Institute for Technical Chemistry (TU BS)
	IWF - Institute for Machine Tools and Production Technology (TU BS)
	iPAT - Institute for Particle Technology (TU BS)
	InES - Institute for Energy and Process Systems Engineering (TUBS)
	IÖNC - Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry (TU BS)
	KI - Institute for Construction Technology (TU BS)
	AIP - Institute for Automotive Management and Industrial Production (TU BS)
	IAP - Institute of Applied Physics (TU BS)
	IFAD – Institute of Mineral and Waste Processing, Recycling and Circular Economy Systems (TU Clausthal)
	IOC - Institute for Organic Chemistry (TU Clausthal)
	ICVT- Institute of Chemical and Electrochemical Process Engineering (TU Clausthal)
	ISSE - Institute for Software and Systems Engineering (TU Clausthal)
	FKP - Institute of Solid State Physics (Leibnitz University Hannover)
	Fraunhofer IST
Duration:	03/01/2021 – 02/28/2025
Person in charge at elenia:	Anna Rollin
Head of project:	Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kurrat

Sponsored by SPRUNG of the Volkswagen Foundation.

The greatest challenge of the energy transition remains the transport and storage of renewable energies as well as their use in the heat and mobility sectors. One solution is emerging in conjunction with hydrogen technology. Surplus regenerative yields can be converted into hydrogen (H2) by power to gas and thus made storable. Energy is made available again through the use of fuel cells.

The joint project H2-Terminal, led by the Steinbeis-Innovationszentrum energieplus, aims to establish a hydrogen competence center at the TU Braunschweig campus. This will enable integrated modeling, simulation and testing of technologies in a real laboratory along the hydrogen conversion chain. This will enable application-oriented basic research in the newly created center or research laboratory. The overall project is divided into two subprojects:

	I.	Planning, construction and monitoring of the hydrogen competence center
	II.	Scientific monitoring of the establishment of the hydrogen competence center

Within the framework of the H2-Terminal, elenia coordinates sub-project II of the scientific monitoring of the establishment of the hydrogen competence center by the seven university institutes and the business division 3 of the TU Braunschweig. Furthermore, elenia is responsible for the work area of grid and system integration of the hydrogen competence center. The focus of investigation is the battery storage to be installed in the hydrogen competence center and the design of possible operating modes with the primary goal of ensuring a steady production of green hydrogen.

Partner:	Steinbeis Innovationszentrum energieplus
	Institut für Städtebau und Entwurfsmethodik
	Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik
	Institut für Energie- und Systemverfahrenstechnik
	Institut für Verbrennungskraftmaschinen
	Institut für Technische Chemie
	Institut für Bauklimatik und Energie der Architektur
	Geschäftsbereich 3 der TU Braunschweig
Duration Project part I:	01.11.2020 bis 30.04.2025
Duration Project part II:	01.06.2021 bis 30.05.2025
Person in charge at elenia:	Timo Sauer
Head of Project:	Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Norbert Fisch
	(Steinbeis Innovationszentrum energieplus)

The project "HVBatCycle" has the overall objective of developing innovative, sustainable and energy-efficient processes along the value chain of high-voltage batteries from electric vehicles in order to enable the closed-loop recycling of battery materials in the near future. In particular, the processes for unmixed disassembly, ecologically efficient recycling of end-of-life batteries and the production of new battery materials from the recovered secondary raw materials will be developed. In addition, the project will demonstrate their scalability and economic viability. Through an interdisciplinary and highly qualified consortium, processes of an interlinked end-to-end value chain will be developed and led from the laboratory to a prototypical implementation. In addition, it will be tested whether the secondary materials produced are also suitable for reuse in the battery cell. In addition, incoming batteries will be presorted via a battery analysis with regard to a possible further use in 2nd life. The elenia is working on a detailed determination of cause-effect of the influence of secondary materials on the electrochemical cell performance. For this purpose, special small-format test cells as well as large-format pouch cells with specifically contaminated materials and secondary materials are electrochemically characterized and evaluated. Based on the results, a diagnostic tool will be developed to evaluate the cell performance from secondary materials.

Partner:	IWF – Institute for Machine Tools and Production Technology (TU BS)
	iPAT – Institute for Particle Technology (TU BS)
	ICTV – Institute for Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering (TU BS)
	InES – Institute for Energy and Process Systems Engineering (TU BS)
PowerCo	Taniobis GmbH
	J. Schmalz GmbH
	IME – Department of Process Metallurgy and Metal Recycling (RWTH Aachen)
	Viscom AG
	Fraunhofer IST
Associated Partner:	Open Hybrid LabFactory e.V. (OHLF)
	Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc.
	Otto Junker GmbH
Duration:	01/01/2022 – 12/31/2024
Person in charge at elenia:	N.N.
Head of project:	Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kurrat

The boundary layers formed during formation (SEI and CEI) are decisive for the performance, safety and longevity of a battery. However, formation is an enormously time-, energy- and consequently cost-intensive production step in both research and industry. Since formation is tied to cell chemistry and individual cell parameters, individual optimization of the formation is also necessary. This individual optimization can be realized by means of an AI. This intelligent accelerated formation can reduce the start-up time, reduce the number of cell rejects, result in shorter occupancy times and lead overall to higher energy efficiency, also for the end user.

For more information click here.

Partner:	Helmholtz-Institut Ulm - Elektrochemische Energiespeicherung (HIU)
	RWTH Aachen - Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM)
	Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) - Produktionsforschung (ECP)
Person in charge at elenia:	Torben Jennert
Head of project:	Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kurrat

The research project KEMAL „Kundenorientiertes Energiemanagement mit autonomer Lastregelung“ considers the extension and exhaustive testing of German standards regarding the Smart Metering system. Extended functionalities enable new and innovative residential energy management approaches while focusing on customer needs. We consider methods for prioritization of single consumption devices and new tariff options in the smart meter gateway (SMGW) that are sensitive to external or internal events. These tools may be helpful to equally incorporate the interests of the grid, the market, and the customer.

At elenia, our focus is the development of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) for the standard-compliant connection of fully flexible prosumers. Furthermore, we test the HEMS in our lab and an isolated realistic environment. We ensure a high grade of innovation by using feature-integrating SMGW devices developed by EMH metering and through a trial of new use cases for prioritized charging of electric vehicles, which will be well-designed at the University of Applied Science Biberach.

Partner:	EMH metering GmbH & Co. KG
	Hochschule Biberach
Person in charge at elenia:	Eike Niehs
	Julien Essers
Head of project:	Dr. Rainer Frank (EMH)

The research project LISA4CL (Charging - inductive, fast, autonomous for city logistics) deals with the developments of an inductive charging system with charging powers of at least 22 kW. The realization of this system is based on existing standards for inductive charging with lower powers. Thus, this charging infrastructure shall be downward compatible.

The second key issue of this project is the grid and system integration of this charging infrastructure. Without active control and/or regulation of the charging infrastructure, safe grid operation can no longer be guaranteed 100 percent. Appropriate approaches are being developed for this purpose and tested in simulations and in the laboratory.

The inductive charging system and the approaches to grid and system integration will be tested in a field test at the city logistics company "Fairsenden" in Berlin.

Further Information can be found here:

Project page

Partner:	Institut für Elektrische Maschinen, Antriebe und Bahnen – IMAB (TU Braunschweig)
	INTIS – Integrated Infrastructure Solutions GmbH
Associated Partner	eMO Berliner Agentur für Elektromobilität
	Fairsenden GmbH
	Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge
Person in charge at elenia:	Gian-Luca Di Modica
	Lukas Ebbert
Head of project:	Prof. Engel

Project support by National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology:

The MELANI research project, "Sustainable Integration of Multiple-Used Energy Storage in Multifamily Housing," aims to open up multi-story housing for storage use in combination with the use of renewable energies and new consumers from the heating and mobility sectors. The households in an apartment building share the generation plant and the storage system. The development of hardware and software is necessary for legally compliant metering as well as legally compliant billing, since the different energy purchases from the storage facility, the RE plant and the grid have to be recorded. In addition, the software solution offers a portal connection via which apartment users can manage their shares of the generation plant and storage facility themselves. This should enable tenants in particular, but also apartment owners, to access sustainable, locally generated energy. In addition, balancing effects can relieve the load on the grid.

Within the project, elenia is responsible for the development and testing of an innovative storage utilization concept by implementing novel operation and optimization strategies for building energy management systems in apartment buildings. In addition to simulation studies, the work includes a demonstrator setup in the elenia laboratories. The focus is on the development of a central data and control platform, which will also be used to implement the user interface. Furthermore, the developed solutions are to be examined in a field test in order to be able to prove the advantages of MELANI.

Partner:	Naturstrom AG
	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
	SMA Solar Technology AG
Associated Partner:	DZG Deutsche Zählergesellschaft Oranienburg mbH
	IVU Softwareentwicklung GmbH
	GdW Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen e.V.
	VDIV Verband der Immobilienverwalter Deutschland e.V.
	Gewobag Wohnungsbau-Aktiengesellschaft
Person in charge at elenia:	Frank Soyck
	Marcel Lüdecke
	Michel Meinert
Projekt Coordinator:	Hauke Witte (NATAG)
Promoted by:	Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie FKZ: 03EI3012B

The new requirements (higher voltage levels, switching frequency) require a further development of the vacuum interrupter technology. To this end, new insights must be gained through simulations and experiments in order to better understand the propagation of the metal vapor plasmas and the movement of the local spots. The focus is on determining the current distributions in the contact gap. Together with the arc voltage and the sheath, current densities and plasma conductivities can be determined from the current distributions. These, together with the radiation and its spectral distribution, provide information about the temperature and pressure both in the plasma column and in the local spots. In this way, the knowledge of the behavior of metal vapor plasmas can be further developed and completed.

The main goal is to determine the current distribution in the contact gap as well as the current density distributions in the plasma column from the magnetic flux density profiles and the optical radiation intensity profiles. This involves the coupling and further development of magnetic and optical measurement methods. The simultaneous measurement of magnetic field and optical radiation allows to answer the question of where exactly the current flows, in the core or on the shell of the plasma column. From the radiation measurements, conclusions can be drawn about charge carrier densities and electron mobilities in the outer shell, since the radiation propagates diffusely in the plasma column, like in a fog. This requires the creation of a common experimental setup, the respective further development of the measurement methods, and the adaptation of the evaluation methods to allow the combination of both methods.

Partner:	Fachgebiet Hochspannungstechnik der TU Darmstadt (HST)
Person in charge at elenia:	Benjamin Weber
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

In the Netflexum project, new possibilities for the provision of grid services are being researched, in particular the provision of instantaneous reserve through new types of grid-serving prosumer systems. For this purpose, the use cases from the grid and user perspective are determined and the requirements for prosumer systems, consisting of photovoltaics, 2nd-life storage and electric vehicles, are derived. Furthermore, novel operational applications of individual power electronic circuits are tested in the project with regard to their reliability and lifetime for new topologies. In the case of power electronics, the focus is on insulating, non-galvanically isolated systems. In the case of instantaneous reserve call-up, it must be possible to overload the power electronics for a short time period. For the power semiconductors used, it must therefore be demonstrated that short-term power peaks do not negatively affect the lifetime. For the already aged 2nd-life vehicle batteries, these power peaks also represent a potential factor which can limit the lifetime. For this purpose, a residual life assessment for batteries is to be carried out, a DC protection concept is to be developed and this is to be tested in a DC demonstration grid with direct and indirect connection of the battery system. Only by considering the entire system it is possible to optimize it economically without any loss of reliability and safety.

Partner:	SMA Solar Technology AG
	Temes Engineering GmbH
	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Associated Partner:	Volkswagen AG
	Braunschweiger Netz GmbH
Person in charge at elenia:	Lukas Ebbert
	Johanna Grobler
	Fabian Witt
Head of project:	Prof. Dr.-Ing. Regine Mallwitz (IMAB)

NEWBIE addresses the 3 overarching goals (1), reduction of charging time (2) material and cost savings in battery design and (3) energy and cost savings in production. All objectives lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions in the battery life cycle and thus have a positive impact on the sustainability of battery cells.

The fast charging of battery cells, both in the manufacturing process and in operation, represents a key function in electromobility and has a significant impact on all three project goals. The overarching goal is therefore to determine the specific fast-charging capability of the cell material systems in order to set maximum operating limits. This will make it possible to significantly reduce the charging time without sacrificing service life.

An overarching goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and process costs by developing innovative and scalable electrode manufacturing methods. By using increased solid fractions in suspension production, the solvent fraction and thus also the drying energy is significantly reduced. At the same time, the continuous mixing system based on the twin-screw extruder leads to a saving of 60% of the process-specific mixing energy and a significant increase in throughput per machine unit compared to batch mixing (state of the art). Furthermore, due to the high solids content (highly viscous pastes), a further increase in throughput can be made possible by maximising the plant-specific throughput mixing/coating.

The process atmosphere used in the production processes has a significant influence on the quality of the intermediate and end products, as numerous materials undergo chemical reactions with the elements of the atmosphere (especially water), the reaction products of which lead to significantly reduced electrochemical performance. The conditioning of the process atmosphere used for this reason, e.g. dry room or inert gas as well as clean room environments, is both energy-intensive and cost-intensive, which is why a conditioning of the process atmosphere that is appropriate to the materials and processes developed and at the same time energy-efficient is being determined as part of the sub-project.

Partner:	Mercedes-Benz AG
	MAHLE International GmbH
	TRUMPF GmbH & Co. KG
	TU Braunschweig, iPat Institut für Partikeltechnik
	TU Braunschweig, IFS Institut für Füge- und Schweißtechnik
	TU Braunschweig, IWF Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik
Duration:	01.06.2021 – 30.06.2024
Person in charge at elenia:	N.N.
Head of project:	Dr. Ümit Tastan, Mercedes Benz AG

Research project on metal-polymer current collectors to increase the safety of lithium-ion batteries

The goal of PolySafe is to increase the specific energy and safety of lithium-ion batteries through the use of innovative current collectors. The focus of the research is on metal-polymer composite current collectors, which make thermal runaway of battery cells more difficult and thus reduce the risk of fire.

The combination of metal layer and polymer substrate allows both weight/thickness advantages and economical use of material resources. In addition, the metal-polymer composite current collector can provide an intrinsic safety function by softening or melting the polymer in the event of an internal short circuit, thereby destroying the electronic conduction path, ultimately localizing the event and preventing thermal runaway of the entire cell.

The feasibility of manufacturing metal-polymer current collectors has already been demonstrated by VON ARDENNE GmbH and Fraunhofer FEP as part of the PolyCollect research project in Saxony, Germany. Using physical vapor deposition, aluminum layers up to 1 micrometer thick were deposited on polymer substrates up to 8 micrometer thick. The application-oriented evaluation of this technology is now taking place within the framework of PolySafe. The aim of this research project is to qualify a process chain adapted to the novel metal-polymer current collectors for the production of battery cells in different formats (round cell, pouch cell) and to investigate the safety advantage in different cell designs in an application-oriented manner.

In addition to the integration of the manufactured metal-polymer current collectors into battery cells, the project partners are adapting aluminum or copper-polymer current collectors to the requirements of the respective cell design. One challenge is to design the polymer substrates and the coating process in such a way that a thickness comparable to current metal foils as well as optimal electrical conductivity of the metal layer are ensured. In addition, the production costs of the current collectors must be reduced to a competitive level.

Joint project within the framework of the BMBF funding guideline "Battery 2020 Transfer"

Partner:	VON ARDENNE GmbH
	Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
	Fraunhofer-Institut für Organische Elektronik, Elektronenstrahl- und Plasmatechnik FEP
	Fraunhofer-Institut für Schicht- und Oberflächentechnik IST
	TU Braunschweig, Battery LabFactory Braunschweig
	TU Braunschweig, iPAT Institut für Partikeltechnologie
	TU Braunschweig, IWF Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik
	TU Braunschweig, IFs Institut für Schweißtechnik
	Varta Microbattery GmbH
Duration:	01.06.2021 – 30.05.2024
Person in charge at elenia:	Merit Holdorf
Head of the project:	Dr. Markus Piwko (VON ARDENNE GmbH)

Project Website

The research project "SiNED - Ancillary Services for Reliable Power Grids in Times of Progressive German Energiewende and Digital Transformation" aims to investigate the necessary adaptations of ancillary services to the changed requirements due to digitalization and advanced energy transition. Solutions for the secure operation of future power grids - taking into account the special situation in Lower Saxony - are being developed and reviewed. Especially for the wind-strong regions of Lower Saxony, it is of particular importance to find improved solutions for ancillary services to cope with volatile feed-in and for congestion management by electrical storage systems and switchable loads.

Up to now, the ancillary services (SDL) for secure operation of the power grids - e.g., control power, reactive power provision, and other grid-supporting services (inertia, short-circuit power) - have been provided primarily by the synchronous generators of large power plants for decades. In the future, these ancillary services will have to be provided by a large number of decentralized sources and loads in the distribution grids as part of a cross-sector energy transition. The increasing demands on the extent and resilience of the digitization of the energy system as a result of this also lead to new requirements for the economic and legal framework conditions of the future energy supply system.

All necessary adjustments are being investigated due to closely networked interdisciplinary areas of expertise. In this way, both the system, grid, and information technology aspects of ancillary service provision as well as the associated issues in terms of economy and energy law can be illuminated.

Partner:	Institut für Vernetzte Energiesysteme, DLR
	Institut für Elektrische Energiesysteme, LUH
	Institut für Systems Engineering, LUH
	Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik, LUH
	OFFIS e.V.
	Institut für deutsches und internationales Berg- und Energierecht, TU Clausthal
Person in charge at elenia:	Melanie Hoffmann
	Cornelius Biedermann
	Marc-René Lotz
	Carsten Wegkamp
Head of project:	Prof. Engel

In the course of the energy transition, DC networks are becoming increasingly important for the integration of renewable energies and the power supply of modern industrial applications. At the same time, due to the change from a centralized to a decentralized supply structure, the requirements for protection systems for DC networks are increasing, resulting in new challenges such as bidirectional load flows, rapid fault current increases and the influence of the occurring fault current characteristics, which have hardly been investigated so far.

The research project SMS II - Smart Modular Switchgear II aims at the development and integration of an intelligent switching and protection concept adapted to these new challenges. In the event of a fault, it should independently perform fault detection, characterization, localization and coordination of the switching action (selective switching).

To investigate the overall system, an industry-oriented, cross-voltage demonstration network up to the medium-voltage level (3 kV DC) is being set up at elenia. This will be used to characterize the DC network in which the protection system will be tested in various operating scenarios. Other important sub-objectives of the project are the design, development and optimization of efficient MVDC hybrid switchgear as actuators for the protection system as well as the development of suitable sensor technology for the detection of fast transient as well as stationary events. Since power electronic components are often used in modern DC networks and these can cause high-frequency and broadband EMC disturbances, a characterization and evaluation of the RF properties of the MVDC network is also carried out.

Partner:	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)
	E-T-A Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH
	IMAB – Institut für Elektrische Maschinen und Antriebe (TU BS)
	IEMV – Institut für Elektromagnetische Verträglichkeit (TU BS)
Associated Partner:	Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
	Siemens AG
Person in charge at elenia:	Frederik Anspach
	Lars Claaßen
	Patrick Vieth
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

Low-wear and compact hybrid circuit breaker with high power density for use in DC and AC distribution networks for system integration of renewable energies.

The restructuring of the German energy supply requires the integration of renewable energies. For efficient operation, the growing number of large-scale plants must be able to be switched on and off with appropriate energy management strategies. To achieve high efficiencies, generator and storage modules such as PV systems, fuel cells, batteries and redox flow storage are coupled with centralized high-voltage DC and AC network structures. Compact, powerful and low-maintenance circuit breakers are required to ensure safe operation.

Objective:
An optimized circuit breaker is being developed in UPS in a joint project between industry and science. The hybrid switch represents a new concept of mechanical switching device and power semiconductor in a low arc switch. It has advantages in terms of life expectancy (wear), switching capacity (power density) and size compared to conventional switching devices.

Partner:	Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH (E-T-A), Altdorf
	Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig
Associated Partner:	Rockwell Automation GmbH Switzerland, Aarau
Person in charge at elenia:	Tobias Kopp
	Dirk Bösche
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

Digitization is a global megatrend that enables new functions and processes across industries and networks. In the safety-critical energy system, digitization is creating new interactions and sensitive interdependencies that on the one hand promise more efficient and sustainable operation, but on the other hand, are largely unexplored in terms of their technical challenges and stability on a systemic and large scale. The Center for Digital Innovations Lower Saxony (ZDIN) therefore established the “Future Laboratory Energy" (ZLE) for further research on this topic.

The target of the ZLE is to investigate interactions in highly integrated quarter ICT and energy systems and to develop a platform for networking researchers and users to support the transfer of these and, prospectively, other research results. This results in the following two project pillars for the processing area of digitalized energy systems:

• I: The research and development of digitized energy systems
• II: The digitization of energy system research and development

The elenia deals with the identification and modeling of PV, PV storage, and electric mobility scenarios in the quarter scenario. A special focus is on the simultaneous multi-use of storage and the integration of smart home simulations in co-simulations to complement the purely software-based simulations with hardware components available in the elenia-energy-labs. In this context, requirement specifications for smart metering systems are also being developed, which are of particular relevance with regard to the integration of quarter ICT and energy systems in the future energy supply of Lower Saxony.

• Link to ZDIN

Partner:	OFFIS e.V.
	Institut für Vernetzte Energiesysteme, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
	Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik, Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH)
	Abteilung Elektrotechnik und Informatik, Hochschule Emden/Leer (HS EL)
	Abteilung Digitalisierte Energiesysteme, Universität Oldenburg (UOL)
	Institut für energieoptimierte Systeme, Ostfalia Hochschule (HS OF)
Associated Partner:	EWE Netz
	Enercity Hannover
	Avacon
	Buderus
	Solvis
	Schulz Systemtechnik
	BTC
	KEHAG
	VEA – Bundesverband der Energieabnehmer
	Nibelungen Wohnbau
Duration:	01.10.2019 – 30.09.2024
Person in charge at elenia:	Henrik Wagner
Head of project:	Prof. Engel

Supported in Lower Saxony in advance by:
    

Supervised by:

The BASIS (Building Automation with a Scalable and Intelligent System) research project is developing a system for cross-trade building automation. This project, funded by the BMWi (via AIF VP), forms a powerful consortium with 8 project partners for the development of a new building technology. Synergies between energy management, technical building equipment (TGA), ambient assisted living and smart home functionalities are considered. The technical implementation is based on a SmallCAN bus system developed at the TU Braunschweig, which differs from systems currently available on the market by its level of detail and the very low energy consumption of the control electronics. In the context of this research project, elenia is concerned with energy management. A fine-grained network of generators, storage units and consumers at the household level and the exchange of data with the other trades and external information sources form the data basis. A scalable system is being developed that can be used in single-family homes and can also be expanded to meet specific application requirements. In cooperation with Nibelungen Wohnbau, demonstrator apartments will be equipped in the course of the project in order to test the system in practice.

Partner:	Digitale Signalverarbeitungssysteme & Informationstechnik GmbH, Bremen
	DOMOLOGIC Home Automation GmbH, Braunschweig
	Peter L. Reichertz Instituts für Medizinische Informatik, MHH
	Dröge Baade Drescher GmbH & Co. KG, Salzgitter
	Hermes Systeme GmbH, Wildeshausen
Associated Partner:	Nibelungen Wohnbau, Braunschweig
Person in charge at elenia:	Stephan Diekmann
Head of project:	Prof. Engel

The aim of the project "Safety-related design of pouch cells with future high-performance materials - standardization of format and test procedures (BaSS - BatterySafetyStandardization)" is to develop a standardization of pouch cell formats by harmonizing the requirements from the German and Chinese markets and to correlate them with the associated safety tests. The consolidation and detailing of standards regarding cell geometry and the associated safety tests will lead to the following key findings: Future material developments (active and inactive material) as well as changes in production processes and parameters can be compared to a much greater extent. Ultimately, this can be used to reduce development efforts and thus increase efficiency in the product development of new material systems both nationally and internationally. In addition, standardized formats across countries can increase the safety of pouch cells while avoiding oversizing. In this way, distribution can be increased to achieve greater sales figures, and economies of scale can be exploited to make series development economically viable.

Partner:	IK – Institut für Konstruktionstechnik
	iPAT – Institut für Partikeltechnik
	IWF – Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik
	ifs - Institut für Füge- und Schweißtechnik
Associated Partner:	CEAEC - Clean Energy Automotive Engineering Center (Tongji University - China)
	NEPSI - National Supervision and Inspection Center for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation (China)
	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt – PTB
	Deutsche Kommission Elektrotechnik - DKE
	SGS Germany GmbH
	Stöbich technology GmbH
Duration:	04/01/18 – 03/31/2021
Person in charge at elenia:	N.N.
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

Since December 2015, the DaLion (DataMining in the Production of Lithium-Ion Battery Cells) project has been investigating the interdependencies and interactions within the production of lithium-ion battery cells. For this purpose, all relevant product and process characteristics as well as material and energy flows in the production system are systematically recorded and linked to an expert system using data mining methods. In this way, a database will be created that forms the basis for analysis, evaluation and decision support in the selection of input parameters and production processes as well as their modeling and simulation with regard to quality assurance and increased efficiency. The focus of elenia in this project is on the forming process step and the subsequent characterization of the cells with regard to their performance characteristics. Using a standardized forming process, the cells are formed and evaluated on the basis of a defined catalog of quality criteria. The goal is to use the holistic data acquisition, quality criteria and data mining methods to quickly draw conclusions about production influences.

Partner:	iPAT - Institut für Partikeltechnik (TU BS)
	IWF - Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik (TUBS)
	ifs - Institut für Füge- und Schweißtechnik (TUBS)
	InES - Institut für Energie- und Systemverfahrenstechnik (TUBS)
	IÖNC - Institut für Ökologische und Nachhaltige Chemie (TUBS)
	Lion Engineering GmbH
Person in charge at elenia:	Kerstin Ryll
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

The "DaLion - 4.0" project aims to map the production of battery cells in cyber-physical systems, which represent the essential core content of Industry 4.0, by means of an overarching approach. The project is based on key findings from the "DaLion" project, in which the research consortium of the BatteryLab Factory (BLB) at the Technical University of Braunschweig has already done significant work towards greater transparency of influencing factors in battery cell production. Thematically, the project is investigating various overarching fields of action. In the sense of cyber-physical systems, control-capable models will be developed and created that are suitable for planning and targeted control of battery cell production. In order to increase the industrial applicability of the results, suitable quality management strategies will be developed, including improved tracking & tracing and the definition of quality gates. On the process side, the focus will be on electrode production (mixing, coating and drying), electrolyte filling and formation, complementingthe preliminary work of "DaLion". In addition, new process approaches such as lamination/stacking and suspension production via extrusion will be included in the analysis. In these and other processes, the integration of novel measurement techniques (e.g. inline X-ray and other imaging techniques, suspension characterization, control of storage conditions and input material quality) will be explored, further developed or qualified and integrated into the data warehouse. Finally, based on the improved data acquisition and the models to be created, concrete process improvements will be derived and prototyped or their effectiveness will be demonstrated. In addition, improved process management strategies will be developed based on the models.

Partner:	Coperion GmbH
	ISRA Vision AG
	FMP TECHNOLOGY GmbH
	MANZ AG
	GPS GmbH
	IWF - Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik (TUBS)
	iPAT - Institut für Partikeltechnik (TU BS)
	ifs - Institut für Füge- und Schweißtechnik (TUBS)
	InES - Institut für Energie- und Systemverfahrenstechnik (TUBS)
	IÖNC - Institut für Ökologische und Nachhaltige Chemie (TUBS)
Associated Partner:	Ametek
	BaSyTec
	C3
	Custom Cells
	Freudenberg
	Fraunhofer ZESS
	Keysight
	Lödige
	Siemens
	WKM
Person in charge at elenia:	Louisa Hoffmann
Head of project:	Prof. Kurrat

The e-home energy project explores the energy supply of the future under real-life conditions. To this end, 32 households have been equipped with photovoltaic systems, modern air-conditioning technology, electric cars, smart meters and battery storages. An innovative grid technology, the controllable local power transformer, is also being used. The interaction of all these components in the low-voltage grid will be studied in this project. Elenia is primarily investigating battery storage technology. In addition to economic considerations, laboratory losses and grid effects are also being studied.

Partner:	Avacon AG
	EFZN (Energieforschungszentrum Niedersachsen)
Associated Partner:	Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen
Person in charge at elenia:	Hauke Loges
Head of project:	Prof. Engel