Demand for lithium-ion battery cells (LIB) for electromobility has risen sharply in recent years. In order to continue to serve this growing market, large-scale production capacities require further expansion and the overall effectiveness of processes must be increased. Effectiveness can be significantly optimized through innovative manufacturing technology and by identifying scrap early in the production chain. To enable these two approaches, it is imperative to quantify safety- and function-critical product features in critical manufacturing steps through appropriate measurement techniques. The overview in this paper on quality control in LIB production illustrates the necessity for improved inspection techniques with X-rays to realize a fast, online measurement of inner features in large-scale cell assembly with short cycle times and to visualize inner product-process interactions for the optimization in electrolyte filling. Therefore, two new inspection techniques are presented tha... [more]

In this study, a lumped parameter model, developed and extensively validated by the authors, is used to simulate the impact of three different dehumidification technologies (mechanical refrigeration dehumidifier, liquid desiccant dehumidifier, and a heat recovery ventilation unit), at a commercial greenhouse growing potted roses in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Typical meteorological year (TMY) data from nearby Vineland, Ontario was used to provide the external weather data used in the model. Each greenhouse bay containing a dehumidification unit was simulated for spring, fall, and winter conditions. The potential reductions in energy use (kWh), greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2e), and operating cost were estimated for each test case. The potential energy savings from switching from high-pressure sodium (HPS) to light-emitting diode (LED) lights were also examined. The simulation results showed that switching to LED lamps could reduce the electrical energy usage by up to 60% but would i... [more]