- 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 potential.
- This innovation will enhance battery pack efficiency, modularity and area effectivity.
Whereas the main points surrounding the impressively environment friendly new electrical CLA had 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 long run. Among the many many inventions we had been proven on the occasion referred to as Mercedes Future Expertise was a brand new kind of energy converter that enables for rather 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 every one. For this technique to work, the cells must be related in parallel, not in collection, which unlocks new prospects.
As an illustration, a car with this technique may steadiness the cost in its cells much better than as we speak’s EVs. It may detect and isolate broken cells with out affecting all the battery pack, and it will additionally permit for a way more correct battery well being verify, which might simply be capable to pinpoint downside cells and verify their particular person parameters.
This new kind of micro-converter may also preserve the whole 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 potential to supply a relentless 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 car battery is not depending on the variety of cells related in collection. The quantity is set purely by the specified efficiency and capability class.”
If this makes it into manufacturing, it will additionally permit for rather more modular battery packs than what we now have in as we speak’s EVs, leading to extra environment friendly use of area. It may assist automakers minimize prices by making use of elevated standardization and modularization when utilized on a big scale.
Throughout a spherical desk speak with Mercedes’ Chief Know-how Officer Markus Schäfer, we requested about the potential of utilizing a number of chemistries throughout the identical battery pack, particularly each LFP and NMC cells. Schäfer instructed 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 after we may see such a pack in a manufacturing automobile on condition that this innovation continues to be within the very early levels of testing.
LFP (quick for lithium iron phosphate) batteries can higher take common quick charging all the way in which to 100%, exhibiting much less degradation than NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) batteries. Additionally they have higher thermal stability and are extra reasonably priced. Nonetheless, NMC batteries can retailer extra present and are most well-liked for large-capacity battery packs that energy long-range EVs. Having each in the identical battery pack would have a number of benefits, making the most of each their strengths.
