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PowerTech leads the development of a smart and highly scalable BMS for the EEC promoted MARBEL project : “the EV battery of the future”

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PowerTech develops smart and highly scalable BMS

MARBEL Project

PowerTech has been selected and enrolled in a new innovation project led by the European Union. We are proud to participate in the MARBEL project, whose objective is to develop a vehicle battery that meets the acceptance criteria for the future. Namely ecodesign, modularity, use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials, additive manufacturing, ultra-fast charging, and last but not least low manufacturing costs.

Our contribution in this project is major since we will be in charge of developing a distributed and ultra-communicating BMS system for the management, control and piloting of this new generation battery.

The ultimate goal of this project is to produce this battery of the future for a car model of the FCA (FIAT-CHRISLER) group from the end of 2024.

This project will start in January 2021 and is financed by the European innovation programme H2020 to the tune of about 11 million euros.

PowerTech develops smart and highly scalable BMS

More details of the MARBEL project :

With the goal of accelerating the mass market take-up of ultra-high-performance batteries for battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV), MARBEL project (Manufacturing and Assembly of modular and Reusable Battery for Environment-friendly and Lightweight mobility) will base its approaches, solutions and innovations around the versatility concept as an axis within the entire project. It will focus on the need for fast charging and long-lasting batteries to boost end user demands, while applying high modularity and easy assembly and developing novel testing methodologies for safety, profitability and circularity.

MARBEL will design, develop and demonstrate new modular, compact, lightweight and high-performance battery packs together with flexible and robust battery management systems for these BEV and PHEV, while maintaining safety levels, allowing fast, high quality and cost-effective large-scale production and following the “made by Ecodesign” principles. A set of modules easy to pack together and to disassemble would ease the manufacture and dismantling of different battery configurations sharing the same production process and common elements.

MARBEL will develop and qualify future and innovative performance- and safety-related test procedures of developed functionalities such as the use of miniaturised housings, a flexible test-bench simulating integration-in-EV conditions (electric Vehicle In-the-Loop, eVIL) and artificial intelligence as a tool to reduce the time of laboratory experiments.

MARBEL approach is based on the following pillars:

  • Advanced battery packaging using a Design for Assembly (DfA) and Disassembly (DfD) methodology.
  • Lightweight and sustainable battery packaging.
  • Solutions and processes for the sustainable dismantling and 2nd life.
  • Flexible advanced battery management systems.
  • Ultra-fast charging strategies and enhanced thermal management.
  • Future performance & safety-related test procedures.
  • MARBEL consortium is made of 16 partners from 8 different European countries, representative of the aimed multi-stakeholder collaboration and business drivers required for developing the battery pack of the future.

    • PowerTech develops smart and highly scalable BMS

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    PowerTech and Shark Robotics partnership to fight COVID-19

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    PowerTech and Shark Robotics partnership to fight COVID
    We are pleased to announce our partnership with the French Start Up Shark Robotics, which specialises in the manufacture of multi-role robots and whose vocation is to keep man away from risk.

    Within this framework, PowerTech develops and supplies the batteries (PowerModule and PowerBrick) embedded in these autonomous robots, which are very robust and designed to replace man in delicate situations.

    For example, the Colossus robot, a cute 500 kg baby, helped save Notre-Dame de Paris from flames in 2019
    by manoeuvring the fire hose as close to the fire as possible, where the firefighters could not get to without risk to their lives.

    With the COVID-19 pandemic, Shark Robotics has designed a new robot called “RHYNO PROTECT” whose mission is to spray disinfectant solutions over 20 000 m² in less than 3 hours, i.e. 2m² per second, without exposing humans to the risk of contamination.

    Modular, this robot can also purify the air in confined environments, such as hospitals. An air purification option allows up to 99.99% of suspended pathogenic micro-organisms to be eliminated, thanks to a UV-C lamp.

    These innovations are being exported, so much so that the prestigious American company Boston Robotics” is going to equip its “SPOT” robots with this decontamination add-on developed by Shark Robotics.

    PowerTech Systems would like to honour all the medical personnel for their admirable mobilisation in this crisis, and is happy to participate indirectly in the war effort to combat the scourge that is COVID-19.
    PowerTech and Shark Robotics partnership for lithium batteries
    PowerTech and Shark Robotics partnership to fight COVID

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    Arkema 4: PowerTech Embeds Kynar® Technology in its battery cells

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    PowerTech and Kynar Technology
    PowerTech and Kynar Technology

    Designed for ocean racing, the trimaran Arkema 4 was launched in September to begin its first trials.

    For this new competition trimaran, PowerTech developed very specific servitude batteries, using fluoropolymer separator films in Kynar® technology from the company Arkema.

    This new material has very high resistance characteristics, with an extremely low film thickness. The result is the development of even safer battery cells with a 4% reduction in weight.

    This battery powers the vital equipment of the racing boat. It is recharged via solar panels.

    Click here for more information

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    New version of PowerModule (v2) launched !

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    PowerTech is pleased to announce the launch of the new version of the PowerModule modular battery system. This product completes the PowerRack range for medium to high power applications.

    PowerModule by PowerTech Systems

    The design of the product has been engineered to reduce space requirements and facilitate integration.
    The vertical and horizontal assembly of the modules allows a large number of combinations and meets a maximum of needs (Vehicles, marine, industrial machinery, rail, robotics, etc.)

    Watch a one minute video presentation of new PowerModule :

    This new version brings its share of new features:

    • “Plug-and-Play” and flexible system : Easy and fast commissioning
    • Scalable system : Serial and/or Parallel assembly up to 128 modules to fullfill the most complex appplications
    • Embedded Cell heating system for sub 0°C operations
    • Stainless steel housing with waterproof connection (IP67)
    • BMSMatrix® Technology inside
    • Serial assembly range from 51.2V to 819.2V nominal
    • Energy range from 5.4kWh to 688kWh
    • Safe and high performance Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) technology
    • Minimum 3000 cycles at 100% DOD (at 1C)
    • External communication via CAN bus 2B
    • Full Monitoring over the cloud

    Get more details and information about PowerModule here

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    New high-performance lithium LiFePO4 cells

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    Lithium Iron Phosphate - LFP - LiFePO4-cell

    After more than a year of intensive testing, we are now using a new high-performance lithium LiFePO4 cells to replace the cells used in our products.

    This new generation of cell retains all the safety and robustness of those used in our products to date and adds two major improvements:

    • Specific Energy improved by 25% : It is possible to accommodate 1/4 more energy in the same volume.
    • Improved operation life by 50% : Cycling tests performed show a performance of 3000 cycles of full charge-discharge cycles (100% depth of discharge) at 1C. This represents a 50% increase in the number of cycles compared to the previous generation.
      At a DoD of 80% at 1C, the number of cycles performed rises to 4500.

    Below chart shows the estimated number of cycles for our new generation of Lithium LiFePO4 cells, according to the discharge power and DOD figures. The test conditions are those of a laboratory (constant temperature of 25°C, constant charge and discharge power).

    Lithium Iron Phosphate Life Cycle
    Life Cycle chart of new LiFePO4 cell generation

    We can read from the chart the below figures :

    • 3 000 cycles at 100% DoD @ 1C
    • 4 500 cycles at 80% DoD @ 1C
    • 10 000 cycles at 60% DoD @ 1C
    • etc.

    It should be noted that following the number of completed cycles, the cell still have a nominal capacity > 80% of the original capacity.

    Our main product ranges: PowerBrick, PowerRack and PowerModule, will benefit in the coming months from this new generation of cells with an increase in capacity, a reduction in weight but also a significantly improved lifespan.

    Stay tuned for more information