PNNL Launches First Prismatic Battery Cell Pilot Line at DOE Grid Storage Facility

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has commissioned a 16-piece prismatic battery cell production line inside the Department of Energy’s Grid Storage Launchpad in Richland, Washington. U.S. national laboratory.

Initial work will focus on sodium-ion and lithium-iron-phosphate cells, both viewed as options for safer and lower-cost grid storage. com reported. Prismatic cells are rectangular and larger than cylindrical cells, shaped like a nine-volt battery.

They contain more energy per cell and have a heavier metal casing that makes them less prone to overheating. Mark Weller, a PNNL materials scientist and principal investigator, said metal transfers heat more efficiently than most materials, allowing the cells to cool more easily.

“If you have better heat transport, if the cells are more mechanically uniform, if they're packed more efficiently, all those things can translate to not just higher safety, but lower cost,” Weller said.

The rectangular shape also allows the cells to be stacked neatly, reducing wasted space compared with cylindrical designs and increasing energy density at the pack level. Adam Jivelekas, GSL operations manager, said the facility will help speed the transition from battery research to production. “This helps our researchers bridge the gap between science and industry,” Jivelekas said.