VALENCIA, 19 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Modalt project, in which the Valencian Zeleros, the Plastics Technology Institute (Aimplas), the CMT Thermal Engines Institute of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and ZIUR Composite Solutions participate, works on more sustainable, safe, light and durable to unlock electric mobility in high-performance vehicles.
Modalt will validate a high-performance energy storage module made of thermoplastic composites to integrate it into modular battery packs, as reported by the parties participating in the research, which will contribute to the electrification of trucks, buses, airplanes, ships and even new media railways or ‘hyperloop’.
As highlighted in a statement, advances in electric mobility are revolutionizing urban and short-distance mobility but “there is a clear need to satisfy the high performance required by electric mobility for long-distance transport, whether by road (such as sports , trucks or buses), electric aviation, maritime transport, or for new electric railway or hyperloop means.
One of the pending challenges to harness the full potential of electromobility is the development of high-performance energy storage technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, or other emerging technological alternatives.
The Modalt project, led by Zeleros, with the participation of the rest of the entities, “arises to face this challenge and accelerate the development and validation of high-power electric mobility technologies, enabling the industry to address new market opportunities.”
Thus, this industrial research, which is funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), consists of the design, prototyping, testing and validation of a high-performance storage module and its integration into modular battery packs for applications. of high power and energy electric mobility.
According to Daniel Fons, Program Technical Leader at Zeleros, “Modalt will allow us to generate differential knowledge to be able to develop and manufacture more sustainable, lighter, safer batteries, and with greater durability. The storage module that we are developing will contribute to unlocking electrified vehicle applications high performance, since its design has the power, energy, performance and operation requirements that these vehicles demand.
Furthermore, according to Guillermo Ulldemolins, researcher in sustainable and future mobility at Aimplas, “from the point of view of materials, the use of thermoplastic composites allows the materials that make up the structural part of the batteries, when they have reached the end of their life useful, have a higher recyclability percentage than conventional systems, contributing to the circularity of the sector and making it more sustainable and committed to the environment”.
Likewise, the treatment and processing with thermoplastic matrices allows the incorporation of conductive and fire-retardant particles, thus achieving such important properties as electromagnetic shielding and fire resistance. Reinforcement with long fibers allows for high rigidity materials, without compromising impact resistance.
As a final result of the project, a storage module validated in the laboratory will be designed with experimental electrical, mechanical and thermal tests, simulating different driving cycles.
The research is funded by the Generalitat Valenciana through the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), with co-financing from the European Union thanks to the FEDER Comunitat Valenciana 2021-2027 Program, within the 2022 call for Strategic Cooperation Projects.