Session: DFMLC-03-01-Design for Supply Chain and End of Life Recovery

Paper Number: 89725

89725 - Design Recommendations for Reducing the Environmental Impact of Battery Packs 

Electrification of the transportation sector is expanding rapidly, and lithium-ion batteries are an essential technology making electromobility possible. Automobile manufacturers currently optimize their battery strategy for fast charge, long range, and safety for the duration of the vehicle’s life. Battery packs must eventually be replaced as they degrade and lose performance. While end of life batteries are not useful in electric vehicles, they can be repurposed to work in alternative energy storage products with lower performance. Once they can no longer store energy, they can be recycled to recover valuable metals and reintroduce them into newer products. The environmental impact of battery packs differ across the industry since there is a lack of battery pack design standards. The goal of this work is to study the design choices that facilitate reusability and recyclability of electric vehicle battery packs and compile them into a list of design recommendations. The work ends with a selection of design recommendations for inhancing the reusability and recylcability of battery packs.  These recommendations are derived from the literature and do not require in-depth life cycle analysis for implementation.  Reuse and/or recycling of battery packs is expected to become more important as millions of electric vehicles reach their end of life in the next few years.

Presenting Author: Carolyn Seepersad Univ Of Texas At Austin

Presenting Author Biography: Carolyn Conner Seepersad is the J. Mike Walker Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the director of the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Design Innovation at The University of Texas at Austin.

Authors:

Felipe Quijano-Ortiz The University of Texas at Austin
Carolyn Seepersad Univ Of Texas At Austin