Daikin Chemical, the leading international specialist for high-performance chemicals, has built a new Innovation Centre in Dortmund. Among other things, it is researching ways to optimise lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The dry room required for this in the staffed laboratory was planned and implemented by weisstechnik.
Successful subsidiary of a large group
Daikin Industries is a Japanese group with almost 88,000 employees and an annual turnover of €23 billion worldwide. The Group is active in various industries and fields of application and has numerous subsidiaries. This includes Daikin Chemical Europe, a leading global specialist in fluorochemicals. In its newly built Innovation Centre in Dortmund, Daikin Chemical conducts basic research for customers as well as for the continued development and improvement of its own products. A central area of research is the further development of materials for lithium-ion and other batteries for the automotive industry. The aim of the research is to further improve existing batteries and to lay the foundations for the next generations of batteries.
Taking research to a new level
The newly built Innovation Centre will considerably improve the technical capabilities of the research department. With immediate effect, a generously dimensioned dry room for two people will replace the existing glove boxes. The dry room not only increases working comfort and efficiency but also opens up new possibilities in terms of processes and the size of materials and equipment that can be accommodated. The glove boxes used until now were able to accommodate only objects up to a size of 20 × 20 cm. These had to be laboriously moved in and out. In the new dry room, this can be done much more easily and in much larger dimensions. This means that equipment for pressing active materials can also be used in the dry room.
From basics to proof-of-concept
The research of Daikin Chemical includes work with active materials and mixtures. For example, for the preparation of electrodes and the production of novel solid-state electrolytes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. The aim is to develop optimal material combinations and test their applicability with regard to interactions with other materials. As a result, customers get all chemical components for their batteries from a single source. The focus of development is on the mega-trends of battery technology: increasing energy density, shortening charging time, extending service life, optimising safety, and increasing sustainability.
Research focus on battery chemistry
In order to investigate and improve the performance of the cell chemistry, different materials are combined in a targeted manner, and the result is tested in button cells. An important component here is also metallic lithium, which reacts quickly and aggressively with humidity. Work and tests with metallic lithium must therefore always take place in the dry room in order to prevent damage to people, the laboratory, and the environment.
Experienced project team at the start
The construction of the Innovation Centre was overseen by the Japanese construction specialist Takenaka as general contractor. The laboratory equipment for the dry room was professionally procured by the Hemling company, with whom weisstechnik has already worked successfully on other projects. Daikin Chemical found the right partner for the dry room through a tender. Because of the well-established positive business relations – as a supplier and as a customer – it was clear that an offer should also be obtained from weisstechnik.
Convincing arguments during tendering procedures
With commitment and expertise, weisstechnik stood out against the competition. The overall technical concept for the dry room, which had to be adapted several times during the course of the project in view of changing framework conditions, met all requirements. The dehumidification system with two-rotor concept used here for the first time in conjunction with a chiller from Daikin ensures optimum energy efficiency. The flexibility and short response times of the planning team were also particularly important. The client was impressed by the fast and binding approach of weisstechnik. This was a key criterion for the award of the contract. Another decisive aspect was that weisstechnik is a one-stop-shop provider that has both dry room and clean room technology in its portfolio and that all services – from planning to service – came from a single source.
Technical key data of the dry room
The dry room measures 52 m2 and has a dew point of −55°C. It is equipped as a laboratory with appropriate personal double door systems and allows two people to stay there permanently. The dry room construction was made of standard modules in a post-and-beam construction and ensures that a room temperature of 21 ± 3°C is maintained. The air conditioning technology was integrated into the existing building services. A special feature was the integration of the double chiller model EWAQ 130G-XR provided by Daikin. Because weisstechnik also uses this model for other systems, the integration was easy to implement. Although the double chiller is initially more expensive to purchase, it helps to greatly reduce energy costs thanks to its improved modulation capability. This means that the higher purchase price is amortised in just over one year. It also helps Daikin achieve its ambitious sustainability goals. The air-conditioning and ventilation technology was independently integrated into the new building by weisstechnik, and the fume cupboard was equipped with an additional solution fume cupboard.
Project successfully completed
After completion and start-up of the facility, Lemke draws an extremely positive conclusion: “The professionalism and reliability continued consistently from the planning to the operation of the dry room. This also included the necessary fine-tuning of the system, which was carried out quickly and proficiently by the weisstechnik service specialists. The system runs extremely stably and quietly and reliably maintains the dew point even up to 2.5 people”. The planning took into account a possible expansion stage of the dry room as a clean room. This can easily be implemented at a later date. The project was also a hit in terms of timing. Despite some Covid-related delays and changes on the construction side, weisstechnik was able to complete the dry room even ahead of schedule.
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