In this interview, AZoM speaks with Frenk Withoos from ABB’s Measurement & Analytics about his team’s unique challenge to help Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt create the world's greenest battery.
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
Can you tell us a little bit about ABB Measurement & Analytics?
ABB’s Measurement & Analytics division is among the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of smart instrumentation and analyzers. We work at the heart of industrial digital transformation and are a partner of choice for sensing devices across industries. We are trusted to make some of the world’s toughest and most important measurement challenges easy.
With the rapid growth in demand for batteries to power everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles and energy storage systems, battery manufacturers are discovering the vital role that smart measurement instruments can play in optimising production, increasing efficiency in operations, and meeting regulatory compliance.
We offer the right instrumentation, analyzer, force measurement, and digital solutions for all phases of the battery production process, from upstream and downstream to storage. Our extensive expertise in supplying technology to the chemical sector, in particular, positions us well to assist battery manufacturers and support the energy transition.
How is ABB supporting Northvolt in producing the world’s greenest battery?
By 2030, the total market value for lithium-ion batteries is projected to rise from $41.1 billion to $116.6 billion due to the increasing global shift towards renewable energy and carbon neutrality.
To satisfy the demand, a renowned Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has built Northvolt Ett, the world’s most sophisticated, and one of Europe’s largest, lithium-ion battery gigafactories.
ABB Measurement & Analytics assists the project by delivering, supervising, installing, and commissioning thousands of measurement devices.
ABB’s comprehensive, digitally enabled product portfolio ensures consistent quality, efficiency, safe operations, and the flexibility required by a world-class battery manufacturing plant.
Battery manufacturers face numerous challenges, including sustainability, flexibility, and safety.
Collaborating with ABB helped Northvolt solve these challenges. Early design involvement, in which ABB Measurement & Analytics developed an instrumentation playbook, allowed flexibility throughout the design stages. This degree of involvement fostered collaboration and consistency during the entire process.
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
What are some of the important products of ABB Measurement & Analytics?
Battery manufacturing is a chemical process where precision and safety are very important components. With decades of experience, ABB’s pressure, temperature, and level measurement portfolio provide an unrivaled array of transmitters and sensor solutions.
ABB’s transmitters employ a common HMI, optimizing ease of usage and reducing training requirements. These transmitters incorporate cutting-edge and modular electronics, making upgrades, replacements, and communication as accessible as plug-and-play.
ABB’s sensor systems are among the most robust on the market and are available in various sizes. Repeatable sensor solutions offer reliable inventory and process control with a complete spectrum of contact and non-contact level technologies.
The ambient temperature effects can be simulated by large cooling compressors pumping cooling liquid through the battery pack, with temperatures generally at -40 °C while testing. ABB’s CoriolisMaster FCB450 monitors the coolant concentration with a programmable concentration table.
ABB Ability™ Field Information Manager (FIM) is a device management tool that fully supports the Field Device Integration (FDI) Common host components.
FIM makes the configuration, commissioning, diagnostics, and maintenance of Fieldbus instruments simple and extremely fast. Typically, device connection takes 15-30 minutes, while FIM takes an average of three minutes.
ABB Ability™ Verification measuring equipment offers automated, in situ verification with relevant diagnostic data.
Users can execute a series of tests to generate test certificates proving the verification. Regular inspection and testing of measuring instruments assure optimal availability and performance, while eliminating costly manual verification by only calibrating when required.
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
Source: ABB Measurement & Analytics
Image Credit: ABB Measurement & Analytics
What does the future hold for ABB Measurement & Analytics & Northvolt?
ABB’s long-standing measurement solutions have been developed over many years to provide the right solution today and for the future.
ABB has a proven track record of ground-breaking innovations with over 100 years of experience across various industries. This expertise has enabled ABB to continuously increase customer productivity, quality, and safety.
ABB Ability™ Genix, which combines the power of industrial analytics and artificial intelligence, provides data management to boost productivity and operational excellence. This digital platform incorporates data management, domain knowledge, technology capabilities, and implementation expertise.
ABB’s partnership with Northvolt has resulted in the development of the first lithium-ion battery cell by a European battery company on 29 December 2021. This represents a landmark moment for European industry and it is only the beginning, with production capacity continuing to expand.
ABB’s early involvement in the project has also proven to be hugely beneficial for Northvolt, providing the expertise needed to support design in its earliest stages. ABB has successfully proven its broad portfolio of services and a commitment to providing its clients with better value, as well as a seamless and comprehensive support package.
Frenk Withoos
Frenk Withoos is the Global Analytical and Key Account Manager for the Business Line Analytical in the Measurement & Analytics division of ABB. He has worked for ABB for the last 32 years in several divisions and across different locations. He is currently based in The Netherlands.
ABB
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by ABB Measurement & Analytics.
For more information on this source, please visit ABB Measurement & Analytics.
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