Smart Battery Case develops new battery cases with advanced materials for the marine industry

• The project investigates the incorporation of electronic devices and sensors in the battery boxes of ships to control the temperature and management of the battery itself
• Collaboration between actors in the packaging and advanced materials sectors will stimulate the digital transition to electromobility

The Smart Battery Case project is a commitment to the research and development of more efficient and advanced battery cases with new materials for naval transport. Since 2022, the companies Compoxi, Cooling Photonics, Rotimpres and Solar Box, with the coordination and support of the entities accredited as AEI - Innovative Business Groupings - Cluster of Advanced Materials of Catalonia and the Packaging Cluster, have been working together to promote electromobility (or the use of electric vehicles) with the Smart Battery Case project.

The first step of the project, in which Solarbox has played an important role, has been the previous analysis of the current market, in order to know the current optimal characteristics of the batteries, and to evaluate the possibilities for improvement, thus defining the technical and technological needs of the project.

With this data, the process of structural design of the battery box for ships and naval transport began.

Cooling Photonics is now developing a system to cool the battery in order to extend the battery's lifespan, increase its performance and prevent any breakdowns. In doing so, Rotimpres will be responsible for the sensor integration into the case structure that will ensure real-time management of the system from other connected devices, as well as the integration of a heater to improve the efficiency of the battery during cold starts. The sensor systems will be integrated into the enclosure material through printed electronics, a type of additive manufacturing in which advanced materials such as conductive inks are printed to make thin, light, and lightweight electronic devices.

Compoxi will carry out the final validation and evaluation of the data, thus resolving whether the use of functionalised materials applied to battery cases has been achieved, with which to carry out communication tasks, active and passive temperature control, and integral management of the case.

The expected result of Smart Battery Case is the creation of knowledge that can be replicated in the naval sector and other industries, on the incorporation of technologies such as additive manufacturing or sensors and embedded systems for greater and better efficient battery management.

The project has received a grant of €228,418 from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism out of a budget of €287,000, funding that will help achieve a model based on electromobility - or how to use new technologies for greater energy efficiency - through cooperation between companies and connected sectors.

The Smart Battery Case project has been funded by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism through the support programme for Innovative Business Groups (AEI), within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with the aim of improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.