Podcast Summary: "THIS Is What's Really Going On Inside Batteries!" | Fully Charged Show Podcast with About:Energy

Release Date: September 23, 2024
Host: Imogen Bogle, The Fully Charged Show
Guest: Dr. Gavin White, Co-founder and CEO of About Energy

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Fully Charged Podcast, host Imogen Bogle delves deep into the intricate world of battery technology with Dr. Gavin White, the co-founder and CEO of About Energy, a pioneering battery data and modeling company based in the UK. The conversation, recorded on July 10th and released shortly before the Goodwood Festival of Speed, unpacks the complexities of battery operations, the challenges in the industry, and the innovative solutions that About Energy brings to the table.

Meet Dr. Gavin White and About Energy

[01:20]
Imogen welcomes Dr. Gavin White, congratulating him on recently defending his PhD. Gavin introduces About Energy as a "world-leading battery data and modeling company" that accurately measures all battery properties. This foundational data assists companies in designing battery systems, charging algorithms, and predicting battery longevity and state of charge.

Notable Quote:
"We provide the really fundamental data to enable companies to do all their activities." — Dr. Gavin White [02:28]

Understanding the Complexity of Batteries

Gavin explains the common misconception that batteries in devices and vehicles are well-understood. He emphasizes that battery development has been largely empirical, relying on trial and error rather than deep scientific understanding. This gap hinders the accurate modeling and prediction of battery performance.

Key Insights:

• State of Charge Misconception:
  Batteries don't have absolute 100% or 0% states of charge. Instead, their capacity can vary slightly based on conditions, akin to a sponge holding water ([05:39]).

• Manufacturing Variations:
  Even within a single production line, factors like temperature and humidity can cause significant variations in battery performance ([06:12]).

Notable Quote:
"Batteries have been developed called what's called a very empirical process, so very trial and error." — Dr. Gavin White [03:31]

Founding About Energy: Bridging the Data Gap

Gavin recounts his journey from an engineering student aspiring to work in Formula One to starting About Energy. Inspired by Elon Musk's approach, he pursued a PhD sponsored by Rolls Royce Aerospace, focusing on improving the accuracy of battery pack simulations. The inaccuracies in existing models led him to develop a patented method, ultimately founding About Energy to commercialize this innovation.

Notable Quote:
"At the start of my PhD, which was sponsored by Rolls Royce Aerospace, we were looking at doing these large simulations of battery packs for thermal models. We would do these simulations and then do experiments and they would have these huge errors." — Dr. Gavin White [07:49]

Collaboration with Monolith: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning

About Energy collaborates with Monolith, an AI company spun out of Imperial College, to enhance battery degradation modeling. By combining About Energy's detailed battery data with Monolith's machine learning capabilities, they can predict battery lifespan with significantly reduced testing time.

Key Points:

• Data-Driven Models:
  Using accurate, physics-based models allows About Energy to simulate numerous scenarios without exhaustive physical testing ([20:50]).

• AI Integration:
  Monolith's AI models utilize this data to estimate battery degradation, cutting down testing time by up to 90% ([22:47]).

Notable Quote:
"We're able to reduce the number of experiments you need to do... reduced by about 90% of the testing." — Dr. Gavin White [22:47]

Applications in the Automotive Industry

Gavin outlines how automotive OEMs utilize About Energy's data throughout the vehicle development process, from concept design to lifetime estimation. Accurate battery data is crucial for designing thermal management systems, optimizing charging algorithms, and ensuring battery longevity.

Key Insights:

• Design Process:
  OEMs evaluate various battery chemistries and properties to meet specific vehicle requirements, a process that can span 3-5 years ([24:19]).

• Thermal Management:
  Effective cooling systems are vital to prevent issues like thermal runaway in large battery packs ([26:46]).

Notable Quote:
"When you put loads of batteries together... you've got to try and keep them all at the same temperature and most importantly, keep them at a safe temperature so they don't go into thermal runaway." — Dr. Gavin White [26:46]

Partnership with McMurtry: Powering the Spilling Pure

About Energy collaborates with McMurtry Automotive to optimize the battery systems of their high-performance electric motorsports car, the Spilling Pure. This partnership focuses on efficient energy delivery, thermal management, and rapid charging to enhance the car's performance.

Key Points:

• Battery Pack Optimization:
  Providing data to improve how individual high-performance cells are integrated into the battery pack ([28:11]).

• Goodwood Festival of Speed:
  The collaboration's成果 will be showcased at the festival, highlighting advancements in electric motorsports ([29:12]).

Notable Quote:
"We're helping them with how do they go from the cell to the pack in the most efficient high-performance way?" — Dr. Gavin White [28:11]

Future of Battery Chemistries

Gavin discusses emerging battery technologies that could revolutionize the industry:

1. Silicon Anodes:
   Silicon can potentially store ten times more energy than graphite but faces challenges like particle cracking. Innovations from companies like SILA Nanotech are addressing these issues ([32:05]).

2. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and LMFP:
   Once considered low-performance, LFP is now favored for its cost-effectiveness and reliability in automotive and grid storage applications. The addition of manganese (LMFP) enhances power output ([34:14]).

3. Sodium-Ion Batteries:
   Sodium-ion technology offers advantages in cost and geopolitical stability, as sodium is abundant and easily sourced ([34:04]).

Notable Quote:
"Silicon can hold about 10 times as much energy as graphite for the same volume. But it expands a lot, so it ends up like cracking the particles and damaging the electrodes." — Dr. Gavin White [32:30]

Educational Initiatives and Skills Development

Recognizing the gap in specialized battery education, About Energy launched Devol, a free web platform providing battery data and models to support university students and competitions like Formula Student and Shell Eco Marathon. Gavin emphasizes the need for more focused battery courses and apprenticeships to prepare the UK workforce for the industry's demands.

Key Points:

• Devol Platform:
  Offers free battery data and models to aid in student projects and competitions ([38:34]).

• Educational Gap:
  There's a pressing need for university courses tailored to battery technology to bridge the expertise gap ([36:48]).

Notable Quote:
"If the UK is to stay as a world leader for battery technology, we need thousands more highly educated battery technicians, scientists, engineers." — Dr. Gavin White [41:52]

Final Thoughts and Future Directions

As the conversation wraps up, Gavin reflects on About Energy's journey and the exciting developments ahead. He highlights the importance of continued investment in battery technology and education to maintain the UK's leadership in the field.

Notable Quote:
"It's incredible. But also there's still so much more to be achieved, which is so exciting." — Dr. Gavin White [29:35]

Conclusion

This episode of The Fully Charged Podcast offers a comprehensive look into the nuanced world of battery technology through the expertise of Dr. Gavin White. From demystifying battery operations to showcasing innovative collaborations and emphasizing the importance of education, the discussion underscores the pivotal role of data and modeling in advancing sustainable energy solutions. For listeners keen on understanding what's truly happening inside batteries and the future of energy storage, this episode is a must-listen.

References:

• Transcribed segments from the podcast episode.
• Quotes are attributed to timestamps as indicated in the transcript.