In collaboration with industry partner SURAGUS, the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University is researching real-time slurry measurement in the mixing process as part of the joint project, “MixItUp.” Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the project is scheduled to run for three years. The project aims to develop an in situ measurement method to characterize slurries in battery production.
Previous methods of electrical slurry characterization require time-consuming laboratory measurements and do not allow for real-time process control. This project aims to develop an in-line measurement method that can be used during the mixing process.
At the heart of this development is an inductive sensor system with FPGA-based real-time signal processing. With the help of a eddy current sensor, the electrical conductivity, homogeneity, and particle distribution will be measured. The sensor system will measure the electrical properties of the suspension contactlessly during mixing. These values are then compared with the process parameters in a database. This enables continuous monitoring, early fault detection, and adaptive process control.
After being validated on a test bench, the method will be transferred to a pilot line. By the end of the project, an industry-ready measurement system is expected to be available and demonstrated. Intended applications include mixing electrode pastes for battery cells and functional pastes for fuel cell production.
