At this year's RWTH transparent event, four innovations were honored with the "RWTH Innovation Award" 2022. The team Weihan Li, Philipp Dechent and Dominik Jöst from the Chair of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage System Technology won 3rd prize.

Digital battery twin for more efficient and safe use
Lithium-ion batteries are becoming the cutting-edge technology for energy storage, especially in the field of electromobility, due to their low cost and high energy density. However, their performance degrades over time. Condition monitoring and prediction of battery aging not only benefits safety, maintenance and system optimization, but is also the starting point for technical and economic analysis of potential second-life applications. The team from the Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, led by Professor Dirk Uwe Sauer, has developed a cloud battery management system that covers seven key functions to control the entire life cycle of batteries. The innovation enables online monitoring of aging, prediction of aging trajectory, and optimization of operating strategy to limit aging, which is critical for safe and reliable operation of battery systems.

The innovation contributes to the acceleration of the energy transition and the electrification of transport. It also opens up commercial opportunities for a wide range of industries, such as digital certificates for batteries, battery warranties and insurance, and predictive and timely warning of safety-critical conditions.