- Mercedes is experimenting with multiple-chemistry battery packs which have multiple kind of cell.
- A brand new kind of micro-converter and hooking up the battery cells in parallel not in collection makes this doable.
- This innovation will enhance battery pack efficiency, modularity and area effectivity.
Whereas the small print surrounding the impressively environment friendly new electrical CLA have been an important information we obtained whereas in Stuttgart final week, Mercedes-Benz additionally gave us a glimpse at what it’s cooking up for the longer term. Among the many many inventions we have been proven on the occasion referred to as Mercedes Future Expertise was a brand new kind of energy converter that permits for far more management over a battery pack than ever earlier than.
Its programmable micro-converter may be wirelessly managed and embedded into the battery pack and managed wirelessly. This permits for management on a person cell pair, permitting for a lot finer adjustment of the cost that goes into each. For this technique to work, the cells must be related in parallel, not in collection, which unlocks new prospects.
As an illustration, a automobile with this technique might steadiness the cost in its cells much better than as we speak’s EVs. It might detect and isolate broken cells with out affecting the whole battery pack, and it could additionally permit for a way more correct battery well being test, which might simply be capable to pinpoint downside cells and test their particular person parameters.
This new kind of micro-converter can even hold the overall battery pack voltage fixed whatever the state of cost. It usually varies with the state of cost.
Mercedes explains that “analysis outcomes present it’s doable to offer a continuing HV output of 800 volts, whatever the state of cost and the state of well being of the person cells. The output voltage of this automobile battery is not depending on the variety of cells related in collection. The quantity is decided purely by the specified efficiency and capability class.”
If this makes it into manufacturing, it could additionally permit for far more modular battery packs than what we have now in as we speak’s EVs, leading to extra environment friendly use of area. It might assist automakers lower prices by making use of elevated standardization and modularization when utilized on a big scale.
Throughout a spherical desk discuss with Mercedes’ Chief Expertise Officer Markus Schäfer, we requested about the potential of utilizing a number of chemistries inside the identical battery pack, particularly each LFP and NMC cells. Schäfer advised us “Sure, that is precisely the concept, to combine and match,” and he confirmed that the potential of an LFP and NMC pack is within the playing cards. He didn’t say once we might see such a pack in a manufacturing automotive on condition that this innovation continues to be within the very early phases of testing.
LFP (quick for lithium iron phosphate) batteries can higher take common quick charging all the best way to 100%, exhibiting much less degradation than NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) batteries. In addition they have higher thermal stability and are extra reasonably priced. Nevertheless, NMC batteries can retailer extra present and are most popular for large-capacity battery packs that energy long-range EVs. Having each in the identical battery pack would have a number of benefits, benefiting from each their strengths.
