NEXTRODE PROJECT
In addition to this, the team at WMG also
understands that the subsequent processes
of coating and a xing the microstructure of
the electrode is highly empirical, with research
proving that arranging the materials in a more
structured way can dramatically improve
battery performance.
However, the University of Warwick will
not be alone in its quest, because Patrick Grant
and his team at Oxford University will be lead
partners in the research and will specifi cally
look at novel processes that Greenwood feels
could replace the more haphazard ones we
use today. This research will include 3D
structuring of the electrodes for improved
performance and energy density.
She eld University also forms a part of
the consortium and will research the mixing
process itself, using computational fl uid
dynamics and various statistical processes
to understand how the particles in the mix
end up where they do. Birmingham University
will, according to Greenwood, research the
electrode material and how manufacturers
might one day be able to get the particles to
“self structure” in a specifi c way. The University
of Southampton and University College
London will also have vital roles to play.
“There are two primary directions for the
project: one is to really deeply understand
today’s processes, while the other is about
innovating for the future,” says Greenwood.
“Clearly there needs to be a lead on a project
of this scale, but all of the partners will need
to interact in diff erent ways. Oxford will be
leading the disruptive front and we will be
pushing forward with data measurement, data
analysis and the modelling. To achieve this,
there will be a deep level of communication
between all of the parties involved.”
Driven by data
WMG is well placed to carry out this sort
of data-driven analysis, because its cuttingedge
“battery scale-up” facility mimics the
production equipment found in some of
the world’s largest battery factories.
By applying instrumentation to test
equipment, the team can measure, in minute
detail, what is happening in every step of the
production process. That therefore allows the
team to gain a theoretical, as opposed to an
empirical, understanding of what is going
on in those processes.
“The current process is
a bit like throwing ingredients
in a food blender”
Professor David Greenwood, WMG, University of Warwick
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com // January 2020 // 117
/www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com