- Mercedes is experimenting with multiple-chemistry battery packs which have a couple of sort of cell.
- A brand new sort of micro-converter and hooking up the battery cells in parallel not in sequence makes this doable.
- This innovation will enhance battery pack efficiency, modularity and house effectivity.
Whereas the small print 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 longer term. Among the many many inventions we had been proven on the occasion referred to as Mercedes Future Expertise was a brand new sort of energy converter that enables for way more management over a battery pack than ever earlier than.
Its programmable micro-converter will be wirelessly managed and embedded into the battery pack and managed wirelessly. This enables for management on a person cell pair, permitting for a lot finer adjustment of the cost that goes into every one. For this method to work, the cells have to be related in parallel, not in sequence, which unlocks new potentialities.
For example, a automobile with this method may steadiness the cost in its cells much better than at present’s EVs. It may detect and isolate broken cells with out affecting your complete battery pack, and it will additionally permit for a way more correct battery well being examine, which might simply have the ability to pinpoint downside cells and examine their particular person parameters.
This new sort of micro-converter may also maintain the full battery pack voltage fixed whatever the state of cost. It sometimes 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 now not depending on the variety of cells related in sequence. The quantity is decided purely by the specified efficiency and capability class.”
If this makes it into manufacturing, it will additionally permit for way more modular battery packs than what we’ve in at present’s EVs, leading to extra environment friendly use of house. It may assist automakers reduce 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 opportunity of utilizing a number of chemistries inside the similar battery pack, particularly each LFP and NMC cells. Schäfer informed us “Sure, that is precisely the concept, to combine and match,” and he confirmed that the opportunity 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 automotive provided 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. Additionally 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.
