On May 24, 2024, the Vehicle Safety Institute (VSI) at TU Graz (TUG) participated in the Austrian-wide event “Lange Nacht der Forschung” (Long Night of Research), an initiative aimed at promoting research to the public. TU Graz set up an engaging stand and held a fascinating demonstration titled “What happens when an e-car battery reaches its limit?”

At the event, visitors had the unique opportunity to explore the pioneering work conducted at VSI’s Battery Safety Center (BSCG). Researchers there are dedicated to pushing the limits of electric car batteries, including abusive tests such as crashing batteries into a crashwall at 100 km/h to evaluate their resilience and safety. This hands-on approach not only ensures the safety of future electric vehicles but also contributes to the overall advancement of battery technology.

Patrick Höschele, Project Senior Scientist at the Graz University of Technology’s Vehicle Safety Institute, and his colleagues Christoph Drießen and Jun Yin, both PhD candidates, represented the NEMO project at the event.

Within the NEMO project, TU Graz is focused on developing a physics-based swelling model and a state of safety (SOS) algorithm, utilizing advanced techniques like electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Battery Safety Center at TU Graz facilitates precise validation tests for these SOS algorithms, using battery cells at 100% state of charge (SOC) in a controlled laboratory environment.

Attendees of the Long Night of Research were invited to visit the Vehicle Safety Institute station, gaining firsthand insights into the innovative methods and safety measures being developed to enhance the performance and safety of electric car batteries. This initiative highlights TU Graz’s commitment to cutting-edge research and its practical applications in the real world, contributing to safer and more reliable electric vehicles for the future.

Patrick Höschele, Christoph Drießen and Jun Yin at the Lange Nacht der Forschung in Graz (Austria)

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