Det Norske Veritas (DNV) is pleased to announce that its project for exploring the outer limits of battery operations has been selected by the US Department of Energy to receive funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E).
“DNV is proud to have our project selected by the US Department of Energy. We are excited to participate in the development of breakthrough energy storage technologies and to join the innovation journey towards new ways of storing and using energy”, says Davion Hill, Senior Engineer and Project Manager for the battery initiative in the DNV Research and Innovation Materials Program.
In cooperation with partners NexTech Materials and Beckett Energy Systems, the DNV led project will use battery life prediction modeling and sensor monitoring to identify where the limits of battery operation can be pushed. By implementing the modeling and sensor approach, together with an innovative new sensing technique, the project aims to extract greater performance from batteries.
The project is innovative because it uses a novel and new off gas sensing technique, which improves safety, while also deploying life prediction models for commercial application. This detection method can optimize performance and help repurpose batteries for other applications. A second outcome of the project will involve the demonstration of second life batteries in an energy storage application.
To date, there has been much discussion about a second life of batteries. Little data is available, however, about successful use of second hand batteries in commercial applications. The innovative solution of the DNV led project will enable this demonstration to take place.
Testing activities will occur at the DNV KEMA Powertest facility in Chalfont, PA, the largest independent high-power electrical testing laboratory in the United States. The acquisition of a majority stake in KEMA by DNV in early 2012 played a crucial role in this project. “DNV KEMA-Powertest is optimized to develop and customize tests”, Paul Leufkens, General Manager of DNV KEMA Powertest states. “The merger with DNV has enabled two expertise organizations to join forces, and we are now even better positioned to fulfill the needs of the industry”.
