High Voltage in the Clouds
Smart cell technology: How CustomCells is driving the electrification of the aviation industry
The age of combustion engines is drawing to a close. On the road, e-mobility is now becoming increasingly important. But for a comprehensive ecological change in transportation, completely new forms of mobility are also needed, especially in the large metropolitan regions. “We have already successfully put our technology on the road. Now it’s a matter for us of letting it fly in the truest sense of the word.
The electrification of the aviation sector is a gamechanger for the transport of the future,” says Dirk Abendroth, CEO of CustomCells Holding. As one of the leading developers and manufacturers of application-specific battery cells, CustomCells has developed a technology that sets new standards for the electrification of conventional take-off and landing aircraft (eCTOL), but also especially for the use of so-called eVTOL — electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Such air cabs could help relieve the existing traffic infrastructure in many metropolitan areas and thus prevent traffic jams. However, eVTOLs place completely different demands on the design and chemistry of a battery cell than classic e-mobility from road traffic. While high power density is required in the take-off and landing phases in order to allow the vehicle to take off quickly and land safely again vertically later, energy density is of decisive importance for the actual flight from A to B. The battery cell must also be able to be charged quickly, which is often not the case in road transport. The fast-charging capability, often a focus in the automotive sector, is provided by such aviation cells due to their low internal resistance. Characteristics like these require special, application-specific battery cells, like those developed and manufactured at CustomCells.
Cloud technology for smart battery solutions
Cells developed by CustomCells already fulfill these characteristics today. At the same time, the company, which has sites in Itzehoe and Tübingen, has also continued to drive forward digitization around its cell technology in recent months and has developed a complete solution for the aviation sector based on it.
This smart cell technology enables the matching of data from cell production via a cloud computing environment with information from cells in use in eVTOL flight devices. On the one hand, the knowledge gained in this process enables CustomCells to make innovative leaps in the development of the cells; on the other hand, the digital solution — or, more precisely, the use of a digital twin — is also accompanied by an additional promise of quality, since traceability is essential for safety and conditions certification for this area. “The issue of safety is of paramount importance in the aviation sector. In the future, our smart cell technology will enable us to understand even better how the capabilities of our cell change during operation — and what steps we need to take to further optimize them,” says Dirk Abendroth.
Co-pilots of the next century story
Abendroth believes that the potential arising from the interaction of digital technology and high-performance, application-specific battery cells is immense. “We are co-pilots for the next century’s story,” he says. According to observers, the market for electric flight could be worth $30 billion to $40 billion as early as 2030. According to estimates, the segment is growing at an average annual rate of more than 15 percent.
Master of Batteries is a publication by CustomCells, one of the leading companies in the development and series production of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery cells.
