Lightweight battery pack made by additive manufacturing

The LAMBADA project will utilize metal additive manufacturing (AM), specifically Powder Bed Fusion Laser Beam (PBF-LB), to create an ultra-lightweight and scalable battery pack with innovative temperature regulating and health monitoring systems.

The battery pack will allow for both land-based and airborne applications, and its end-of-life will be considered from the design stage, allowing for easy disassembly and recycling. The design will simplify replacement of defective cells, which means that the entire battery pack rarely needs to be replaced. LAMBADA, with its scalable and customizable approach, targets the space, aerospace, and marine markets. The ambition is to facilitate electrification and reduce material waste.

Generative design algorithms allow for the creation of optimal geometries that offer an efficient combination of high functionality lightweight, and improved cooling capacity, at a low cost. The target is 30% weight reduction compared to conventional battery packs. 

The integrated Braggs fibre array (FBG) sensors, resembling a nerve system throughout the component, will measure temperatures and strains continuously. They will help prevent thermal runaway and optimize battery management throughout the life of the battery. 

LAMBADA is coordinated by RISE and carried out in collaboration with CSEM, Almatech, Höganäs, Proximion and Quintus. Almatech and CSEM in Switzerland have a strong history of working together in developing complex precision mechanisms for space applications. CSEM, with a focus on additive manufacturing and the integration of electrical functions, contributes valuable expertise. The Application Center for Additive Manufacturing at RISE, with its 18 industrial members, including Höganäs and Quintus, supports the entire AM chain within the LAMBADA project. Additionally, RISE has a longstanding collaboration with Proximion regarding sensor integration.