Tanya Weaver Thu 12 Sep 2024
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/09/12/bmw-collaborates-researchers-university-zagreb-optimise-battery-cell-production
BMW Group’s Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich, Germany, and the University of Zagreb’s Regional Centre of Excellence for Robotic Technology (CRTA) in Croatia are collaborating to advance the production of battery cells with the help of AI.
With the increased drive towards electric vehicles (EVs), automotive companies like BMW are focused on developing high-voltage batteries.
With the battery cell being a central component of these high-voltage batteries, achieving optimal battery production is a crucial aim. For this reason, BMW has chosen to collaborate with researchers with specific knowledge in this area.
The industry-academia collaboration between BMW and the University of Zagreb began at the end of 2023 with the launch of the INSIGHT project (Intelligent Data Models for Battery Cell Production).
A number of researchers, master’s students and PhD candidates within CRTA, which forms part of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, are involved in this project work.
The aim of this joint project is to develop a new generation of predictive models based on AI to help improve the quality and reduce costs in battery cell production.
Having collected and structured existing production data, the students then create AI models to identify certain patterns in the data. This allows them to make predictions on how battery cell production can be further optimised in terms of performance, quality and costs.
While this optimisation data is important to engineers at BMW’s BCCC, the collaboration is proving valuable for both partners.
Zdenko Tonković, dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb, said: “As a university, we offer the BMW Group access to the latest research results and innovative ideas, while our students benefit from the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice.”
Moritz Poremba, head of battery cell recycling technology development at the BMW Group, added: “Through this joint project, we inspire students for the BMW Group and the innovative work in our battery cell competence centres.
“Of course, we also hope to attract young talents to our company.”
Earlier this week, BMW announced that it is working with Toyota to develop hydrogen fuel cells and improve infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles .
The joint announcement stated that the two automotive giants will work together to “accelerate technological innovation in fuel cell systems” for passenger vehicles. These systems will be installed in both companies’ fuel cell EVs in the coming years.
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