Currently developed and manufactured lithium-ion battery systems are optimized specifically with regard to performance, energy density and costs. Aspects of a recycling-friendly design of cells, modules and systems have so far only been considered to a lesser extent. In the past, this has led to battery systems usually being fed into the recycling process as a whole system at the end of their first life cycle, since the removal of individual components from the battery system involves a considerable amount of technical and organizational effort. The design of battery systems in terms of construction and materials also causes efforts within the recycling process, which can be reduced by a cycle-oriented construction according to the principles of design-for-recycling.
The questions associated with a recyclable battery design lead to complex, multidimensional requirements for the product design of battery systems, in which numerous conflicting goals prevail. The systematic resolution of the conflicting goals requires an ecological and economic evaluation of relevant product and material flows. Taking the structural and procedural characteristics of battery systems, modules and components and the possible paths of the product and material flows into account, approaches for the design of battery systems must be developed and refined into concepts in order to minimize losses in the product and material cycle ("open loops"). In particular, requirements od involved applications and the availability of suitable manufacturing processes as a sink for product and material cycles must be taken into account with regard to possible conflicts of objectives. The objectives of the ReDesign project are derived from this motivation and the associated questions. The overall objective of the project is to increase the recyclability of battery systems in order to avoid "open loops" in the material cycle and to reduce the negative environmental impacts of batteries.