Continental Breakfast Roundtable Discussions

THURSDAY, JUNE 27
8:30 - 9:30 AM

Join your colleagues and fellow delegates over breakfast for a focused, informal discussion moderated by a member of our speaking faculty. A small group format allows participants to meet potential collaborators, share examples from their own work and discuss ideas with peers.


TABLE 1: Battery Fire Safety Risks Mitigation and Communication
Haresh Kamath, Senior Program Manager for DER and Energy Storage, EPRI

  • Are recent battery fires related to inherent safety risks in the batteries, or are they related to integration failures?
  • Are battery users taking unknown risks by reviewing bids chiefly on the basis of price?
  • Are battery manufacturers and integrated solution providing enough information on battery failures to their customers and potential customers?
  • How can battery users and solution providers work together to enhance better understanding of fire risks and mitigation strategies?
  • What standard industry practices should there be about communicating high-profile failures to customers, regulators, and the media?

TABLE 2: Cell Manufacturing
Raf Goossens, PhD, CEO, Global Corporate Management, PEC

  • What are the key challenges for manufacturing large format cells?
  • How can we achieve the large volumes that will be needed to fulfill the expected future market demands?
  • What simplifications can be introduced during manufacturing?
  • How can we progress with reducing the current cell manufacturing cost?
  • What are the safety risks during manufacturing and how can we handle these?

TABLE 3: Electrolyte Developments: New Components and Approaches
Sam Jaffe, Managing Director, Cairn Energy Research Advisors

  • Recent electrolyte advances and their impact on the battery
  • Gauging cost/benefits to adding new components to electrolyte mixtures
  • Super-concentrated salt electrolytes: recent research and implications
  • Innovative solvent and additive approaches
  • Emerging salt candidates for improved performance

NEW: TABLE 4: Innovations in Recycling Battery Materials & Second Life
Steven E. Sloop, President, OnTo Technology LLC

  • Best practices when a battery is deemed ready to recycle, is it Class-9 or worse?
  • Logistical practice and experience
  • What will the second-life to recycling interface look like in 5 years?

TABLE 5: Silicon Anodes and Cells
Benjamin Park, PhD, Founder & CTO, Enevate

  • What is the maturity level of Si today?
  • What different approaches are there with Si?
  • What are the challenges and how can the industry work together to solve them?
  • How does Si compare with other next-gen technologies such as solid-state/lithium-metal?
  • What markets are the best markets for Si-based anode technologies?

TABLE 6: Charging Infrastructure for Zero-Emission Heavy-Duty Trucks, Buses and Freight Equipment
Leslie Goodbody, Engineer, Innovative Heavy-Duty Strategies, Mobile Source Control Division, California Air Resources Board

  • How important is standardization for conductive charging? Inductive charging?
  • For large battery electric fleets, what are the arguments for or against AC vs. DC vs. wireless charging?
  • How do demanding duty cycles and routine fast charging affect different battery chemistries in terms of life span and performance?
  • What are worker safety concerns with connecting and disconnecting high-power charge ports?

TABLE 7: BMS Test Approaches and Philosophies
Peter Blume, President, Bloomy Controls, Inc.

  • Types of BMS testing: engineering verification, software validation, design verification, HALT/HASS, reliability, and manufacturing test.
  • Who’s responsible for BMS testing? The vehicle OEM, the cell/module/pack supplier, and/or the contract manufacturer?
  • When should you use cell simulation hardware and when should you use real cells for testing the BMS?
  • How many cells or modules should you simulate in order to validate a BMS? When and how should you simulate an entire pack?
  • What are the capabilities of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing?
  • What are the sources of commercially available BMS testing equipment?

TABLE 8: Charging and Infrastructure
Kevin Konecky, Battery Systems Consultant, Total Battery Consulting, Inc.

  • Review different charging protocols
  • What improvements are being made to the user experience
  • Discussion on DC-charging and wireless charging

TABLE 9: Trade-Offs of Various Battery Structure and Enclosure Materials (Steel, Aluminium, Structural Plastics/Composites)
Andrew Oury, Global Lead Engineer – Power Battery Packs, General Motors

  • What materials have battery manufacturers had success with in the past?
  • Are there production volume considerations for the best materials? Do lower-volume programs lend themselves to one type of construction while high-volume programs lend themselves to another?
  • Do lightweight materials “earn their way in” based on $/kg saved on a BEV?
  • What materials have shown promise for management of internal and external fires?
  • What influence does the enclosure material have on radiates emissions (EMC)?
  • Do certain materials have benefits for crash and underbody protection?

TABLE 10: High-Energy, Fast-Charge Lithium-Ion Cells
Sujeet Kumar, PhD, CEO, Zenlabs Energy

  • Is silicon the right anode choice?
  • Cycle life degradation during fast charge
  • Li-ion battery design architecture for fast charge

TABLE 11: Electrified Vehicle Battery System Research Needs
Ted Miller, Senior Manager of Energy Storage Strategy and Research, Ford Motor Company

  • Elements that are common to traditional automotive powertrain research
  • Elements that are unique as compared to traditional automotive powertrain research
  • Key needs in terms of scientist and engineer experience and training

TABLE 12: To What Extent Is Regulation Driving the Growth in the xEV Market?
Mike O'Kronley, Executive Director - Corporate Strategy, A123 Systems LLC

  • Would the market ever demand xEVs in the absence of regulations?
    • What would the timing be?
  • Will consumers be forced to drive xEVs or will the market demand them because they are viewed as being better?
    • Is there a tipping point?
    • When will it occur?
  • What effect does economics play in the broad acceptance of xEV?
    • Does an xEV need to be cheaper at the time of purchase to be viewed as more attractive?
    • Will consumers factor in TCO?


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