NU1433-60 RecoVolt: Novel Battery Discharge System Commercialisation of university research through provision of management skills to assist in successful spin-out company creation

Description

The transition to net zero presents significant challenges as well as opportunities for new innovative technologies. Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) form a critical role in the decarbonisation of transport as well as balancing the national grid as it transitions to renewable energy sources. While LIBs are crucial for this transition, they present significant environmental and safety challenges when it comes to disposal or repurposing them at their end-of-life (EOL) phase. These EOL LIBs, often retaining residual energy, pose substantial fire risks and environmental concerns. Researchers and Newcastle University have developed a novel and comprehensive system for the efficient discharging of EOL LIBs, readying them for recycling while extracting battery diagnostics data, a critical component for assessing the health and potential second-life applications of these batteries. This platform is designed to analyse battery performance and degradation, providing valuable insights for repurposing EOL LIBs in applications such as energy storage systems. The academic team are looking to recruitment of an experienced and appropriate business executive to progress this opportunity. The ideal candidate will have experience and understanding of the electric vehicle or battery manufacture/recycling industry and will be able to work with the team to develop a robust and credible business plan. It will also be necessary for the business executive to codevelop and present the attractiveness and readiness of the proposition to potential investors and to support securing investment funding. A successful candidate would ideally work closely with Dr Kamal, who has aspirations to become CEO, to help guide and mentor them in readiness to step into the role sometime in the future. Opportunity The technology offers a cheap, rapid, safe, and agnostic method of discharging batteries, modules or cells, while recovering the discharged energy (either to the grid or to an energy storage device). The technology has the added advantage of assessing the health of the battery, which can be used to inform the second-life use of the battery. There are several markets/customers which the technology could be applied to: 1. Recycling: This technology plays a crucial role in the pre-treatment stage of LIB recycling. By discharging the batteries to deactivate them before mechanical processing, this mitigates the fire safety risk. Additionally, the energy harvested from these end-of-life batteries can be used within the factory, offsetting operational expenses. 2. Manufacturing: In battery manufacturing plants, 5-12% of cells fail quality control, amounting to over 1,000 cells per day in large facilities. This technology addresses this issue by safely discharging these cells before they are shipped for recycling, ensuring compliance with safety regulations. 3. Transport: For end-of-life batteries requiring transport, discharging them significantly reduces the risk of incidents, thereby