PhD in Modelling and Optimisation of Battery Electrode Slurry Preparation Process by Extrusion

Funding Source: DTP 24/25

Eligibly: Available to eligible Home fee students

Start Date: 30th September 2024

Course: MPhil/PhD

Funding and Eligibility: DTP Award 24/25, Home tuition fee, UKRI standard stipend and RTSG for 3.5 years Home (UK) Students

Project Description

Lithium-ion battery and its alternatives continue to advance to meet the ever-growing need for energy storage, and electric transportation systems. With increased demand for electric vehicles, e-aircrafts, e-bike, etc, and the environmental imperative to harness clean energy, battery production and development is more important than ever before, and battery manufacturers need optimised process technologies to ensure quality and efficiency in their operations.

Mixing is the first controllable process in battery manufacturing, where the characteristics of the slurry and the associated coated electrodes could be defined and optimised. Compared to the batch mixing, extrusion mixing technique has the ability to mix electrode active material with binders and additives while using significantly less solvent which reduces the environmental impact of the solvent-based electrodes and facilitates continues mixing practice and quality assurance.

The problem is that the relation between the extrusion process factors (e.g. feed rate, temperature, pressure) on the slurry, electrode and finished cell characteristics is complex and compare to extrusion in other industries is quite new for batteries with electrochemical components. Therefore, the research questions of this PhD is: “What is the impact of the extrusion mixing process key factors in combination with the equipment structure (e.g. screw configuration, dimensions) on the electrochemical, mechanical and structural characteristics of the slurry, electrodes, and final battery cells?”

For these questions to be answered, a model-based process identification and control methodology is expected. By developing a customised (to the battery manufacturing) model, the mechanics of the continuum media could be simulated. This would facilitate the evaluation of free surface flows during the extrusion process and reveal the interaction/correlation of the key process variables with the slurry and electrode characteristics. For this purpose, CFD, DEM/FEM techniques are expected to be used.

The work will benefit from access to the WMG’s Twin-Screw Extruder Equipment for validation purposes, along with a wide range of inclusive opportunities from the department. The PhD candidate will join the Battery Systems Research Team at Energy Innovation Centre, comprising excellent and leading academics, researchers, project engineers and fellow PhD candidates. The group adopts an interdisciplinary approach for battery manufacturing process modelling and optimisation.

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