PhD Position: Fast Modelling of Li-ion Batteries for Advanced Battery Management Systems, VITO, Belgium
Job description
Li-ion batteries nowadays are widely used in portable, mobile and power applications. They normally are assembled into battery packs, containing many cells connected in series and/or in parallel. Such packs need complex Battery Management Systems to operate safely and reliably. Core of these BMS has to be an accurate, physics-based, model of Li-ion batteries, sufficiently advanced and complete to capture all details of battery functioning. Finite element models (FEM) of Li-ion batteries represent the current state-of-art in battery modelling. FEM give insight into the smallest details of battery behaviour. This enables the highest degree of freedom in design. The thickness of the porous electrodes can be changed, the influence of specific electrolytes can be modelled and the heating behaviour can predicted very precisely. Also the effect of special experiments like external and internal short-circuits can be simulated. However, these models are usually quite computationally demanding. It is therefore important to have a fast implementation of full scale FEM, which will be suitable for application in sophisticated BMS. This enables for example electrode controlled charging.
This PhD is focused at fast electrochemical modelling of Li-ion batteries based on physics-based equations for transport and charge transfer reaction rates. This is a powerful approach of modelling complete batteries. The core of the PhD is optimization of already available FEM, obtaining good parameterisation of selected Li-ion batteries and implementing parametrized models into a suitable BMS platform. The main mathematical software will be chosen based on calculation speed but also on implementation ease. This may also lead to a combination of languages, like Matlab, Python, Julia and C(++). The parameters have to be obtained from measurements on Li-ion batteries. Such data can be obtained on test facilities at both VITO and Forschungszentrum Jülich, thanks to collaboration between these institutions.
The job vacancy details can be found at: https://jobs.vito.be/o/phd-position-fast-modelling-of-liion-batteries-for-advanced-battery-management-systems
For more information, please contact Dr. Sajjad Fekriasl: sajjad.fekriasl@vito.be or Dr. Grietus Mulder: grietus.mulder@vito.be
Deadline for applications:
You can apply for this PhD vacancy no later than August 23, 2021.
Job requirements
You hold a Master's degree in Engineering sciences.
You are fluent in English, both oral and written.
