Drs. Jaber Abu-Qahouq, Bharat Balasubramanian, and Krishna Shah observe second-life battery packs.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama researchers recently received a nearly $1.7 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy for their work in second-life battery pack manufacturing.
The faculty members included in the project are Drs. Jaber Abu-Qahouq, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Krishna Shah, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Bharat Balasubramanian, professor in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, executive director of the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies, and chief mobility research and development officer of the Alabama Transportation Institute.
The project involves developing fast processes and algorithmic principles to determine the state of health and grading for incoming second-life battery modules to reduce processing time, cost and energy consumption during grading. Further, the research aims to develop electrochemical-thermal models to analyze safety risks and thermal characteristics of second-life battery modules, enabling fast simulation of modules while considering electrochemical processes in battery cells and heat transfer in the battery module.
This award is a subaward of a larger $40.66 million award titled “Commercialization of Safety Certified Facility for Scaling Second-Life EV batteries for the Renewable Transition of Workforce, Grid, Domestic Manufacturing and Recycling Capabilities” granted to Moment Energy by the Department of Energy. Moment Energy is the first North American facility to achieve UL 1974 certification for the repurposing of electric vehicle batteries.
Over three years, the UA team working on the project will support Moment Energy in setting up an efficient and safe manufacturing facility for second-life battery packs in Texas.