Battery Innovation Centre

MOBI's Battery Innovation Centre is the main Belgian expertise centre for research and development of energy storage systems for traction and stationary applications. It offers state-of-the-art facilities, tools, and solutions for the energy storage systems market.

Energy Storage Systems (ESS) present key challenges for clean and energy-efficient systems, such as electric and hybrid propulsion systems. The Battery Innovation Centre develops several models and management strategies dedicated to different kinds of batteries, hybrid capacitors, and supercapacitors.

This expertise is based on in-depth experimental analysis. As such, we make an active contribution to international standardization, facilitating ESS benchmarking. Our extensive database of experimental results also enables more advanced modelling and benchmarking from ESS material to system levels.

The Battery Innovation Centre is active in the research and development of various rechargeable energy storage systems. Where second life, recycling, sizing strategies and Vehicle-to-Grid are targeted research areas at BIC.

Or research activities cover different aspects of batteries at different scales starting from next-generation battery technologies such as solid-state battery technology. Battery cell fabrication know-how is key to performance development. Thanks to our newly build dry room, we are working towards a scalable and optimized fabrication process for all-solid-state batteries.

Through in-depth anti-mortem and post-mortem characterization, the degradation mechanisms can be identified. This characterization data is then fed to our models  and smart State-of-X estimation algorithm to accurately predict ageing behaviour. We develop efficient algorithms for battery management systems together with the prototyping of novel thermal management systems.

For the thorough characterization of newly developed batteries, the Battery Innovation Center recently deployed a state-of-the-art battery test lab (300 battery test channels, 12 climate chambers and 3 climate rooms, 42 impedance spectroscopy channels, thermal imaging equipment, a thermal management platform and a dSpace), containing several test stations allowing to test cells as well as battery modules. The Battery Innovation Centre is well equipped and organized for lifetime and ageing testing and thermal characterization. 

Concerning research related to the development of new battery- or other energy storage technologies, the VUB has an extensive track record in testing, characterizing and modelling these devices. Besides, a dry room has been recently built at VUB. The room’s dew point is -60°C, and it can handle a dew point of -55°C while two people are working in it. Additionally, the Battery Innovation Center is equipped as well with a glove box and an in situ XRD.

Our Battery Innovation Centre is regularly placed at the disposal of organizations and private companies for testing, simulation, prototyping and proof-of-concept.

Being located in the centre of Brussels, we foster important opportunities for synergies and partnerships. At the same time, we create a positive environment for collaboration with the industry. 

Contact us and enjoy a Lab Tour in our facilities.

maitane.berecibar@vub.be