ReDesign – Development of design guidelines for the recycling-oriented design of battery systems in context of the circular economy

Currently developed and manufactured lithium-ion battery systems are optimized specifically with focus on performance, energy density and costs. Aspects of a cycle- or recycling-oriented design of cells, modules and systems have so far only been given secondary consideration. In the past, this has led to battery systems usually being dispatched to the recycling process as a whole system at the end of their first life cycle, since removing individual components from the battery system involves a great deal of technical and organizational effort. Also within the recycling process, the constructive and material-technical design of battery systems requires effort, which can be reduced by a cycle-oriented design according to the principles of design-for-recycling. These issues lead to complex, multidimensional requirements for the product design of battery systems, in which a multitude of conflicting goals prevail. The systematic resolution of the conflicting goals requires an ecological and economic evaluation of the product and material flows. Taking into account the structural and procedural characteristics of battery systems, modules and components and the possible paths of the product and material flows, solution approaches for the design of battery systems must be developed and refined into concepts in order to minimize the losses in the product and material cycle (“open loops”). In particular, application requirements and the availability of suitable manufacturing proces