New design guidelines are intended to make batteries safer and more sustainable

Image: Mercedes-Benz (illustrative)

In the E-Track research project, the Institute for Vehicle Safety at TU Graz, together with the Institute for Environmental Systems Science at Uni Graz and industry partners, developed comprehensive design guidelines aimed at making battery systems safer, more sustainable, and more cost-effective.

"Without unified design standards, emergency responders often face significant challenges in critical situations because the structure and behavior of battery systems are difficult to assess. At the same time, we lose valuable resources when batteries cannot be repaired or fully recycled," explains project leader Markus Fasching from the Institute for Vehicle Safety at TU Graz. "Our work shows that safety, cost-effectiveness, and recyclability can all be improved together through thoughtful design."

A key limitation of current battery systems is their limited ability to be repaired or recycled. Many manufacturers rely on sealed casings with thermal paste for temperature control, which offers advantages in production but often requires the entire battery pack to be replaced when damaged. The team used this design as a baseline for their investigations.

In addition, the researchers examined two alternative designs, including one with replaceable casing covers using thermal pads to dissipate heat, as well as a liquid-cooled design. In this approach, an electrically insulating oil handles heat dissipation while the casing is secured with a seal. This makes disassembly easier and allows for targeted replacement of individual cells.

Simpler repairs are worth it

The analyses show that battery cells are both the largest cost factor and the key determinant for safety and sustainability. They account for around 75 percent of the total mass, which is why their reuse after an accident is crucial for both ecological and economic outcomes. According to the researchers, life cycle analyses demonstrate that repair-friendly designs are worthwhile as soon as 8 percent of the cells can be reused. Simple disassembly also facilitates the recycling of materials.

The research team further developed new diagnostic methods based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. These diagnostic methods, combined with virtual multiphysical models, enable researchers to reliably detect internal damages such as micro-short circuits, which otherwise could lead to critical events like battery fires over time.

"Although the guidelines were primarily developed for electric two-wheelers, the methods and simulation approaches can be directly applied to larger vehicle classes such as cars or trucks," explain the researchers. The results thus provide a solid foundation for future industry standards and could also serve as a starting point for regulatory frameworks.

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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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