TRUMPF utilizes a laser driven X-ray source to improve electric vehicle batteries

In the future, electric vehicle battery manufacturers can further improve the durability and performance of electric vehicle batteries through compact X-ray sources. The XProLas development partnership has now begun to develop these laser driven X-ray sources under the leadership of TRUMPF. The first batch of demonstration systems will be completed in 2026. In the future, manufacturers will be able to use these systems to monitor the charging and discharging of batteries in real-time, or to accurately determine impurities in the batteries.

The research results will be incorporated into the development of new batteries. According to the analysis, manufacturers will be able to improve charging speed, etc. So far, the company can only conduct such research on large particle accelerators over 100 meters long. The research stations of these large research institutions are rare. The laser driven X-ray source is only the size of a moving house, so the manufacturing cost is lower. Therefore, they are very suitable for use in industry.

The high-tech company Tongkuai is contributing its expertise in industrial laser manufacturing to this partnership. BASF and Cellforce are providing battery materials and components for testing. Ushio Germany and Excessum are contributing their expertise in the field of beam sources. Brooke and Viscom are responsible for building the system. In terms of academia, the University of Hanover and the Fraunhofer Institute in Aachen and Jena are driving forces. The research budget is approximately 15 million euros, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing funding for the project.

The XProLas development project also aims to create a compact, high brightness X-ray source for analyzing the positive electrode materials of electric vehicle batteries. The materials used to manufacture the cathode of electric vehicle batteries are crucial for the performance and reliability of electric vehicle batteries. The exact composition of cathode materials can only be determined using X-rays. Compact laser drive models can also replace large research facilities in this application field. Therefore, positive electrode material manufacturers can accelerate their development work.

Laser acts as an upstream beam source when producing X-rays. The so-called targets in laser pulse shock are metals such as gallium, indium, or tin. Generating plasma; This type of plasma emits some energy in the form of extremely short wave light, such as X-rays.

Source: Laser Net