By Katarzyna Grudnik, process and specialty engineer
With expertise across the battery value chain, Fluor has developed a unique solution for electrolyte feeding and distribution systems.
From runners to football players, athletes use electrolyte-filled sports drinks and powders as fuel during exercise.
Electrolytes play a similarly critical role in fueling lithium-ion batteries, albeit with different ingredients. Fluor
is helping battery manufacturers fill their batteries with electrolytes more flexibly and efficiently by designing and
constructing electrolyte feeding and distribution systems that accommodate multiple types of
electrolytes.
Fluor developed its unique system while working with a cutting-edge battery manufacturer on a
large-scale European “gigafactory.” Project team members saw a gap in the market, with a need for flexible, efficient
systems due to the skyrocketing demand for lithium-ion batteries. In fact, it is estimated that electric vehicles will
account for more than 60% of vehicles sold globally by 2030.
Fluor brings expertise in every link of the
lithium-ion battery value chain, which spans from raw material mining to chemical processing and manufacturing. Fluor is
designing and building battery cell manufacturing facilities that can produce more than 30 GWh annually – enough to
support 40,000 electric vehicles per year. In addition to design and construction, Fluor supports clients with the
management of the complex battery cell supply chain, which can involve more than 20 materials and
components.
Electrolytes, typically found in liquid or paste form, are just one component of that complex supply
chain. They are vital to the battery’s performance, serving as a catalyst for the battery’s conductivity and supporting
the lithium ions’ movement though the battery.
Electrolytes are injected, or fed, into the battery cells
during the manufacturing process. The electrolyte feeding and distribution systems safely store the electrolytes in
large tank farms before distributing them to the feeding equipment, where they are inserted into the battery cells.
Waste electrolytes are then transferred from the feeding equipment to waste tanks. Working in some of Europe’s major
gigafactories, Fluor has designed electrolyte storage facilities with eight 25-cubic-meter tanks in minimum plot
availability.
There are different electrolytes for different types of batteries, each with a distinctive recipe
and process requirements. A design that supports multiple electrolyte types improves efficiency and shortens time to
market. Clients can produce several types of battery cells, including cylindrical and prismatic, and flexibly shift
between electrolyte types during production. Systems Fluor has developed are accommodating up to three types of
electrolytes.
Safety is paramount in the design due to electrolytes’ properties. Extra measures to protect
against product spills include double-walled, stainless-steel tanks and leakage detection systems. Extra-dry conditions
are also critical, as any water inside the electrolytes can significantly reduce quality and pose safety
risks.
Just like a professional athlete, lithium-ion batteries are achieving new levels of performance, and
electrolytes are playing a key role in their success. Fluor is proud to offer expert engineering, procurement and
construction solutions that enable battery manufacturers to produce these products more flexibly and efficiently.