Used and damaged cars are often disposed of through energy-intensive scrapping processes. Even when many of their parts are still fully functional. In the EKODA project, Fraunhofer researchers are developing a better alternative. First, they examine each component in a complex test procedure. Then they use an evaluation system to generate recommendations for reusing these parts. This strategy optimises the lifetime of the individual parts. This enables a sustainable circular economy in the mobility sector.
A camera moves slowly over a lithium-ion battery. This battery has just been removed from a car damaged in an accident. The camera records the battery type, model, serial number and power rating (in kilowatts). And then compares this information with an internal database. After that, a semi-automated system removes the battery cover. And then more analysis follows. A measurement system records the current battery charge level, the functionality of the control electronics and the condition of the individual battery cells.
Analysis and recommendations
The Fraunhofer Institute for Tool and Mould Technology IWU developed the evaluation software. The software uses this data to create a detailed profile of the battery's condition and uses the information to make recommendations for reuse. For example, an intact battery that is only three or four years old can be transferred to a used car of the same type. If the energy storage system is older, use may be possible in a smaller farm machine. Even if the battery has several defective cells, it may still be suitable for stationary use. For example, as electricity storage in a home photovoltaic system.
Second chance
There is no need to throw away the battery system. It gets a second chance, tailored to its specific capabilities. The same principle of research and reuse can also be applied to other car parts. "Decisive here is the careful disassembly of individual parts through a standardised and automated process. This is necessary because we need to find ways to reuse the parts from the outset," explains Dr Uwe Frieß, head of the body construction, assembly and disassembly department at Fraunhofer IWU.
Evaluation software
A team of researchers at the Fraunhofer IWU in Chemnitz is currently developing and optimising the aforementioned evaluation system. The software, equipped with AI algorithms, is one of the core technologies of the EKODA project. The aim of that project is to create a circular economy through efficient, economically viable dismantling and processing. Support for the project is provided by a grant initiative from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Besides Fraunhofer IWU, other members participating in the consortium include the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen and a range of partners from industry.
Ambitious goal
The project has an ambitious goal. Dr Frieß: "We want to move away from traditional recycling and instead consider every part of a car as a valuable resource - regardless of the function it currently performs in the vehicle. We are therefore working on a strategy to test whether these individual parts can be reused in different contexts." Fraunhofer IWU researchers are also working on processes to automatically disassemble the individual components. By applying this strategy systematically, the researchers hope to enable reuse of all components as part of a circular economy. Since fewer new products would then need to be made, both costs and CO2 emissions would be reduced. In addition, it would also reduce or eliminate the need to prematurely scrap cars that are still partially intact. Or to export defective used cars to countries in the South. Ecologically, that makes little sense.
Bodies, drive shafts, gears
The researchers from Chemnitz do not only analyse battery storage systems. They also analyse components such as the bodywork and the drive train. Some drivetrain parts could also be suitable for remanufacturing. For example, it would be worth trying to reduce steel axles via a deformation process. This would allow implementation in another mobility application. "A gear from a defective gearbox could be reused in a refurbished electric scooter, to name just one example," Dr Frieß said. Fraunhofer IWU is using its researchers' experience in resource-efficient manufacturing in both the evaluation system and in the development of processes for automatic disassembly and metalworking during remanufacturing.
Dynamic real-time updates
The researchers want to take the development and design of the evaluation system a step further. They are looking at supply chains, repair shops and car dismantlers. In the future, recording their demands or requests for spare parts in the evaluation system's database is possible. The system could then see that the specific part it is testing is needed by a local workshop repairing, say, a broken tractor. In this way, the automotive industry and its suppliers could form new business lines. These connections focus on organising sustainable ways to use all parts. Another research partner in the project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, is developing circular business models that can be effectively applied in different industries.
Image: Body parts are also considered a potential resource that can be disassembled, transformed and remanufactured for reuse in other products (photo: Fraunhofer IWU)
