Deepak Pahwa, Managing Director, Bry-Air | Manufacturing Today | March 10, 2022
EV industry is in a very nascent stage where a lot needs to be done at the domestic manufacturing front. In a guest column for Manufacturing Today, Deepak Pahwa, Managing Director, Bry-Air, elaborates on Dry Rooms and how they are filling the gap in the EV and Energy Storage Systems industry.
With so much buzz around Electric Vehicles in recent years, it is clear that EVs are the future of the automobile industry. The FAME scheme adopted by the government in 2015 was revised and strengthened in 2019 as FAME II and under the scheme, up till now, the government has supported 1.65 lakh EVs by sanctioning 6,315 buses and 4453 charging stations.
But still, in India, the EV industry is in a very nascent stage where a lot needs to be done at the domestic manufacturing front. As a cleantech solution, the technology has a very promising growth trajectory that can incentivize economies. For which the government is undertaking progressive policies to expedite the process of transformation. This will put great pressure on the battery manufacturing industry which will power the entire performance and sustainability of the vehicle.
Therefore, to lay a strong foundation for the EV industry, focusing on Lithium-ion batteries becomes imperative as it is at the heart of the EV ecosystem. The quality of the battery highly determines the performance of the vehicle. It makes up the bulk of the cost of the entire EV. Li-ion batteries are backed up with a wide range of advantages – it is one of the most stable sources of power and energy storage which requires the least maintenance and minimum charging time as compared to other battery technologies available in the market. Its role is not just limited to the EV industry but finds wide application in the energy conservation or energy storage sector as well. Li-ion batteries are a great source of storage with the ability to store renewable energy like solar, wind, etc. in the form of electric energy.
Having such a wide range of applications, Li-ion batteries are critical for the growth of the EV and ESS industry. Hence, it is the need of the hour that the government while focusing on laying the foundation for Li-ion battery manufacturing units installs Dry Rooms with energy-efficient dehumidifiers. Certain chemical components in the battery are highly hygroscopic in nature and hence show a great affinity for moisture. Therefore, monitoring the environment of the manufacturing room becomes essential.
Lithium battery production mandates a critical and controlled stable environment that can be provided by the Dry Rooms. Dry Rooms consist of an Environment Control Dehumidification System which ensures maintenance of less than 1% humidity during the production. Failure in achieving the desired RH (<1%) during lithium cell manufacturing and (<10%) during battery assembling can result in a faulty end product. High levels of humidity can highly impair the quality of the battery and lead to severe consequences of bad performance and even give rise to the risk of explosion. Stable environment conditions are essential for reducing battery errors.
Without the Desiccant Dehumidification technology, manufacturing Li-ion batteries is not feasible. The technology helps Dry Rooms achieve extremely low dew points (up to -80°C), which monitors the processing of all hygroscopic and moisture-sensitive materials. The vulnerability of battery manufacturing mandates the requirement of Dry Rooms in India and desiccant dehumidifiers across the globe.
The Green Dry Purge (GDP) technology is playing an instrumental role in the segment. Owing to its moisture control facility it has become a preferred choice of manufacturers across the globe for the production of quality, safe and long-lasting batteries. GDP dehumidifiers have set a benchmark for its world-class moisture control ability to maintain an ultra-low dew point. It offers a cost-effective, highly energy-efficient, comprehensive value preposition for the manufacturers.
Desiccant dehumidification solutions and products are there to give the desired push to the EV and energy storage industry of the country. Now is the right time that the local battery manufacturers/ assemblers seize the opportunity and adopt environment control systems to ride the wave of the EV revolution.