Organisation Introduction

Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF) was founded in 1976 as the Fiat Group’s major source of expertise in innovation, research and development. It was established as a consortium, whose shareholders are Group companies. CRF’s objective is to use innovation as a strategic lever and to enhance the results of its work through the promotion, development and transfer of innovative content able to make products distinctive and competitive. It is therefore able to play an active role in the technological growth of the Fiat Group, its partners and the community in areas such as powertrain, in collaboration with FPT Powertain Technologies, vehicles and components, safe and environmentally friendly mobility, telematics, new materials and relative technologies, mechatronics and optics, energy.

Organisation Introduction

Batteries for electric vehicle are playing a crucial role in the automotive electrification market development. Characteristics such as autonomy and performance are closely linked to the batteries, just as for fuel-powered vehicles these characteristics depend on the engine. The study and design of the materials, processes and technical solutions that can be adopted is an extremely important aspect for carmakers for the evolution of the market and the manufacturer’s know-how itself. But the path is still long and it is not certain that these ambitious goals will be easily achievable.
The automotive test and requirement referred to different harsh environmental condition are the most important target to ensure if the technical solution developed. These procedures permit to OEM to ensure and check the robustness of the part, of the design and safety, of the materials used and the industrial processes involved to the fabrications. Failure fatigue, corrosion issue, electrochemical reaction efficiency, thermal and pressure increment, mechanical cracks are only few topics involved during the product development of automotive battery pack. Predict them without testing phase now is not possible and timing needs is too high.

What: our objectives in AccCellBaT

The main contribution of CRF is to define the main requirements, guideline for automotive battery cells (high power density Li-ion as NMC811) and wiring and busbar (coated BBs) as targets of aging and validation modelling and physical assessment in lab environment.

Statement

Design changes during the product development can be reasonable if done in the early stages of the product development process. Intercept failure on the proto or final parts means an important cost increment which increase the economical sustainability product risks itself.
Considering the long aging time need of every singular test of automotive module & battery pack, try to predict them using a robust modelling procedure, can be so important for OEM, which can reduce the cost of the project and in meantime don’t lose quality and safety performance.