Department of Energy supports University of Alabama battery second life project with $4M
The University of Alabama won federal support this week for a new notion of how to repurpose older electric vehicle batteries: recycling them into stationary chargers.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided UA, Alabama Power, and Mercedes-Benz $4 million to develop and demonstrate ways to make this work, backed by another $4 million cost-share. This $8 million project was one of 10 selected for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications project, and seeks most of all to make recycling and reuse of domestic batteries economically viable.
In this, the project partners believe electric vehicles are uniquely positioned.
“These batteries serve electric vehicles when they are new, and, with this project, they can continue to serve them but in stationary charging application after retiring from their mobile application,” Dr. Jaber Abu Qahouq, professor of electrical and computer engineering and project lead, said.
EVs utilize lithium-ion battery packs, which are replaced when they can no longer store a charge of more than 70-80 percent of their original capacity. However, critical battery minerals such as lithium and graphite can be tricky to secure and limited in supply, creating potential bottlenecks in the chain, and their disposal can add to the mess the electric push is trying to solve – hence the push for recycling and reuse.
Unfortunately, EV batteries can degrade unevenly, as different cells within lose their capabilities. This could create differing performance and operational risk when reusing elsewhere. Hence, UA’s project would connect the battery cells individually to power converters with control algorithms to monitor each battery’s health and optimize their use. Charging stations would then adapt charging and discharging based on the batteries’ health and capabilities, avoiding overstressing and extending their lifespan.
“The innovative work supported through the U.S. Department of Energy is exemplary of how industrial partnerships enhance the research and educational mission of the University,” Dr. Allen Parrish, interim vice president for research and economic development, said. “This is a highly impactful R&D project led by our outstanding College of Engineering faculty that also incorporates the development of the next generation of highly-skilled workers in areas critical to the state’s economic development.”
By utilizing a cross-discipline team from its partners, the collaborative effort will seek to tap these old batteries during times of lower power demand and recharge EVs when demand is at power demand peaks, possibly lowering costs overall.
