Design Matters: How Cell Architecture Shapes the Performance, Cost, and Environmental Impact of Battery Technologies

Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 16

Abstract

ABSTRACT The mounting demand for battery cells in the context of the energy transition necessitates evaluation methodologies that extend beyond mere performance metrics. This work presents a multidimensional framework that simultaneously integrates electrical performance, economic costs, and life cycle assessment into a consistent analysis of real and virtual cells. In total 140 cells were modeled, covering commercial chemistries and systematically permuted configurations. The framework enables systematic comparisons of real commercial cells and virtual redesigns by varying cell parameters under consistent boundary conditions without unintended side effects. Ultra high energy cells were generated, achieving very high energy densities under idealized design assumptions. Lithium‐iron‐phosphate (LFP) battery cells exhibit global warming potential values of , while sodium‐ion batteries (SiB) show a slightly higher range of . Depending on housing and anode composition, production costs range from – for LFP and – for SiB. SiB cells achieve mineral resource scarcity values of about , three times lower than lithium‐ion batteries. Cathode chemistry proves decisive for ecological performance, with nickel sulfate‐based precursors showing the highest acidification values and LFP cells showing the lowest. Housing design plays an important role: pouch formats minimize costs and emissions. Systematic permutations show that increasing energy density is a key lever to lower environmental burdens.

Authors 8

1. Nicolas Peter Kaiser Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

2. Florian Hölting Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), E.ON ERC RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

3. Duc Minh Nguyen corresponding Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

4. Martin Börner Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

5. Mark D. Junker Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), E.ON ERC RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

6. Moritz Schütte Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

7. Florian Ringbeck Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany

8. Dirk Uwe Sauer Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS)

   Helmholtz-Institute Münster · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Helmholtz Institute Münster (HIMS) Jülich Germany

   Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), E.ON ERC RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance JARA‐Energy Aachen Germany