Altech begins production of Cerenergy battery pack prototypes
Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC) is fabricating two prototypes of its 60 kilowatts per hour (ABS60) battery pack at the Hermsdorf production facility of world-leading German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS.
Once completed, the packs will undergo cycle testing under extreme conditions and be available for testing at customer premises.
The design for the Cerenergy sodium chloride solid state (SCSS) battery pack was launched by Altech and its joint venture partner Fraunhofer in November.
It boasts a rated operating voltage of 600 volts at 100 amps and is destined for the renewable energy and grid storage markets.
Cycling simulations
Following the launch, the joint venture carried out extensive cycling simulations to evaluate the temperature profile of the battery’s internal components.
Typically, the charging process involves a net endothermic (heat energy absorption) reaction, whereas the discharge process leads to an exothermic (heat energy release) reaction.
The simulations indicated that the battery could undergo charge and discharge cycling while maintaining stable internal temperatures.
This could be done even under extreme conditions such as a desert environment, where ambient temperatures were recorded at 60 degrees Celsius.
No instances of overheating were reported during these simulations.
Based on the results, the specifications for the battery packs were finalised and orders for materials required for the production of two prototype batteries were placed.
The process involved the manufacture of 480 ceramic solid-state cells, along with the production and procurement of auxilliary equipment including cabling, module structures, composite isolation cabinets and a battery management system.
Cerenergy joint venture
In September, Altech announced a joint venture agreement with Fraunhofer IKTS to commercialise Cerenergy technology, reported to be a game-changing alternative to lithium-ion batteries in the grid storage market.
The joint venture is majority-owned (75%) by Altech and its associated entity Altech Advanced Materials AG.
The company will focus on commercialising a 100MWh project to be constructed on Altech’s site in Germany’s Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park.
Gridpack battery system
In March, Altech launched the design for a 1.0MWh GridPack (ABS1000) battery system.
The pre-installed solution is equipped with up to 18 ABS60 60KWh battery packs connected to a pack power management system.
GridPacks incorporate a “plug and play” feature to facilitate easy installation in remote locations.
They have been engineered to ensure complete protection from dust and extreme external environments, meaning there is no requirement for additional shelters and they can be safely installed outdoors.
Altech said the GridPacks would be constructed using a sea container design for easy transportation by sea or road to a customer’s site and simple installation.