Flow batteries and metal-air batteries: Cell design, electrodes and stack development

Whether grid stabilization, load management or integration of renewable energies: Anyone who wants to reliably store large amounts of energy relies on stationary electrochemical energy storage: both flow and non-flow batteries ensure safety and flexibility between energy supply and demand. The challenges facing manufacturers of materials, batteries and process engineering systems are the same as those facing suppliers of modules and components: How can unique selling points and a quick return on investment (ROI) be achieved? And how can critical raw materials be avoided, the recyclability of battery components guaranteed and a robust business model ensured at the same time?

The way to achieve this is through large-format and therefore cost-efficient battery cells as well as high-performance electrodes and storage media – designed according to your objectives. This is exactly what we at Fraunhofer UMSICHT can offer you thanks to our many years of expertise and state-of-the-art laboratory and technical center infrastructure. Specifically, our research and development services in the field of cell and stack design include

• New development of cost-efficient cell and stack designs
• Flow simulation-based optimization of electrolyte routing to increase the efficiency of the functional components with higher power output
• Adjustment of the cell, stack and system design to the actual operating conditions
• Flow field optimization and scale-up of battery cells
• Electrode development and modification (e.g. bidirectional air electrodes for metal-air batteries)
• Characterization of individual components, battery cells and stacks

Your benefits

• With UMSICHT to your own stationary battery system: innovative, cost-effective and IP-protected.
• From detailed components to customized battery stacks, we provide you with everything from a single source - thanks to many years of project experience, innovation and networking.
• Neutral and scientifically sound assessment of the feasibility and market potential of your idea or systems
• Unique technical shop with specific analytics

We work directly for you using our in-house laboratories and pilot plants with specialized analytics and comprehensive testing infrastructure. In a personal meeting, we will discuss how our expertise and infrastructure can successfully advance your company. Regardless of your area of performance and application, our value proposition remains constant. We provide professional research and development services to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as DAX-listed companies.

In addition, we offer you a broad patent portfolio, which can be incorporated into a project on request and according to your needs or licensed directly by your company. The granting of licenses to our property rights can take place in various ways and is carried out individually. We will discuss the appropriate steps for you in person and agree the framework conditions for your business model and product on a company-specific basis. In summary:

• Direct commissioning: non-binding preliminary discussion, derivation of a requirements profile, preparation of an offer, iterative design development, engineering and analytics in close cooperation with you
• Licensing: non-binding preliminary discussion, exchange on framework conditions (e.g. area of application, exclusivity, markets/regions etc.), involvement of the licensing department/lawyers for initial draft contract, negotiations, conclusion of contract

Marvin Kosin, Simon Dondrup, Jan Girschik, Jens Burfeind, Ulf-Peter Apfel und Anna Grevé: Investigation of Highly Active Carbon-, Cobalt-, and Noble Metal-Free MnO2/NiO/Ni-Based Bifunctional Air Electrodes for Metal–Air Batteries with an Alkaline Electrolyte

to the publication of 07.04.2023

A step toward the mass market

to the press release of 05.05.2021

Redox Flow Batteries – Large Energy Storage Systems of the Future?

to the interview of 06.11.2020