Christiaan Richter

Second-life lithium-ion batteries offer strong potential for sustainable stationary energy storage, but their practical reuse is limited by cell-to-cell heterogeneity, non-uniform heat-generation, and the resulting thermal safety risks. Conventional battery thermal management systems (BTMSs), which rely on fixed and uniformly distributed coolant flow, are not well-suited to the asymmetric thermal behaviour of aged battery packs. In this study, an adaptive liquid-cooling framework with locally regulated branch-level flow allocation is proposed for second-life prismatic LiFePO₄ battery modules. A three-dimensional transient conjugate heat transfer model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The analysis was conducted on a 3 × 3 battery module under nine thermal heterogeneity scenarios, followed by a larger 5 × 4 module to evaluate scalability. The results show that thermal severity depends not only on heat-generation magnitude but also on the spatial arrangement of degraded cells. Under the most critical 3 × 3 configuration, the adaptive BTMS reduced the maximum temperature from 37.16 °C to 28.77 °C, corresponding to a reduction of about 8.38 °C, while limiting the cell-to-cell temperature difference to approximately 1.16 °C. A comparison with a conventional constant-flow cooling configuration in the larger 5 × 4 module further showed that adaptive branch-level coolant redistribution improves thermal uniformity under heterogeneous thermal loading by selectively directing cooling capacity toward thermally stressed regions. The results demonstrate the potential of demand-driven flow allocation as a distributed thermal-management strategy for heterogeneous second-life battery systems.

Recurrent influxes of pelagic Sargassum seaweed along Caribbean coastlines pose growing environmental and socio-economic challenges while offering an underutilised renewable biomass resource. This study examines the feasibility of converting Caribbean Sargassum into a solid biofuel through pelletisation, focusing on energy performance and process efficiency. Pellets were produced at laboratory scale using four feedstock compositions containing 0–100% Sargassum, providing the first systematic experimental assessment of full-range Sargassum co-pelletisation combined with an energy balance. Pellets were characterised for density, mechanical strength, moisture and ash contents, and higher heating value, and an energy balance was developed for the full processing chain, including collection, preprocessing, drying, and pelletisation. Results show that Sargassum can be densified into mechanically robust pellets with high particle and bulk densities. However, increasing Sargassum content sharply increased ash content and reduced heating value, with pure Sargassum pellets exhibiting ash contents near 47% and heating values below 8 MJ kg−1. Drying was the dominant energy consumer, rendering net energy returns marginal for 100% Sargassum pellets. Co-pelletisation with woody biomass at 50–75% Sargassum provided a more favourable balance between energy yield and biomass utilisation. Overall, Sargassum pelletisation is best suited to industrial-scale renewable and waste-to-energy systems integrated with efficient drying strategies.

Intermittent drying (ID) is often reported to be more energy-efficient than continuous drying (CD), although prior studies frequently lack consistent comparison conditions. A recent meta-analysis suggested a probable correlation between material thickness, initial water content, and the specific energy savings of ID. The present study was conducted to experimentally validate these findings under controlled and comparable conditions. Drying experiments were performed using a porous sponge model, with thicknesses ranging from 12 to 48 mm and initial water contents from 30% to 70% (wet basis), while maintaining identical operating conditions and total drying time for both ID and CD. Results show that the energy advantage of ID is condition-dependent rather than universal. For thin or low-moisture samples, the specific energy consumption ratio (ĒCD/ĒID) remained close to unity (~0.97–1.00), indicating negligible differences. In contrast, for thicker (≳36 mm) and wetter (≳60%) samples, the ratio reached ~ 1.05, corresponding to energy savings of up to 4–5%. These findings support a threshold-like behavior governed by internal moisture redistribution during tempering. The study provides experimentally validated criteria for selecting drying strategies and highlights the importance of fair comparison under equal drying duration

In this work, three samples of primary aluminium dross were investigated and compared to construction aluminium waste. The composition was determined, and an evaluation of hydrogen generation via hydrolysis in a low-concentration alkali solution was performed. The composition revealed low to moderate aluminium content and the presence of various crystalline phases; hydrolysis reactions showed hydrogen generation’s direct dependence on the amount of aluminium present, which translated into variation in the volume per sample mass. It was found that the composition played a substantial role in the evolution of hydrogen and its purity, simultaneously indicating a possible opportunity for dross use in hydrogen generation and power production. It was revealed that, in addition to the expected hydrogen, methane was released from some dross samples during the hydrolysis reaction. To compare the reaction kinetics, the reaction rate was obtained using the spherical solid particle shrinking core model and compared with that of construction aluminium waste. Hydrogen generation was compared to that in the known literature, and the dependence on the sample composition was determined.

This review presents a comprehensive analysis of battery thermal management systems (BTMSs) for prismatic lithium-ion cells, focusing on air and liquid cooling, heat pipes, phase change materials (PCMs), and hybrid solutions. Prismatic cells are increasingly favored in electric vehicles and energy storage applications due to their high energy content, efficient space utilization, and improved thermal management capabilities. We evaluate the effectiveness, advantages, and challenges of each thermal management technique, emphasizing their impact on performance, safety, and the lifespan of prismatic Li-ion batteries. The analysis reveals that while traditional air and liquid cooling methods remain widely used, 80% of the 21 real-world BTMS samples mentioned in this review employ liquid cooling. However, emerging technologies such as PCM and hybrid systems offer superior thermal regulation, particularly in high-power applications. However, both PCM and hybrid systems come with significant challenges; PCM systems are limited by their low thermal conductivity and material melting points. While hybrid systems face complexity, cost, and potential reliability concerns due to their multiple components nature. This review underscores the need for continued research into advanced BTMSs to optimize energy efficiency, safety, and longevity for prismatic cells in electric vehicle applications and beyond.

This study investigates the low-temperature hydrogen plasma treatment approach for the improvement of hydrogen generation through waste aluminum (Al) reactions with water and electricity generation via proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM FC). Waste Al scraps were subjected to ball milling and treated using two different low-temperature plasma regimes: Diode and magnetron-initiated plasma treatment. Hydrolysis experiments were conducted using powders with different treatments, varying molarities, and reaction temperatures to assess hydrogen generation, reaction kinetics, and activation energy. The results indicate that magnetron-initiated plasma treatment significantly enhances the hydrolysis reaction kinetics compared to untreated powders or those treated with diode-generated plasma. Analysis of chemical bonds revealed that magnetron-initiated hydrogen plasma treatment takes advantage by promoting a dual procedure: Surface cleaning and Al nanocluster deposition on top of Al powders. Moreover, it was modeled that such H₂ plasma could penetrate up to 150 Å depth. Meanwhile, electricity generation tests demonstrate that only 0.2 g of treated Al powder can generate approximately 1 V for over 300 s under a constant 2.5 Ω load and 1.5 V for 2700 s with a spinning fan.

In this work various sample of primary aluminum dross were investigated for composition and evaluation of hydrogen generation via hydrolysis in low concentration alkali solution. Composi-tion revealed low to moderate aluminium content and hydrolysis reactions showed low hydrogen generation volumes per sample mass as well as purity, where composition plays substantial role in the hydrogen evolution, yet showing that there is possible place for dross use in hydrogen generation. It was revealed that some dross samples in addition to hydrogen also release methane via hydrolysis. Rection rate was obtained by the shrinking core model, written for spherical solid particles. Sample composition on hydrogen generation volume is compared to known literature.