Course syllabus

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Battery Essentials: Fundamental Knowledge and Future Trends

TRA280 Course PM 2026 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Tracks

Contact details

Examiner

Julia Maibach (julia.maibach@chalmers.se)

Teachers

Julia Maibach (julia.maibach@chalmers.se)

Nataliia Mozhzhukhina (nataliia.mozhzhukhina@ri.se)

And guest teachers

Lab Teachers

Audunn Elvarsson

Marita Afiandika

Simon Dovrén

Quan Wu

Credits & study time

7.5 HEC, equal to 200 hours of study time 

Course Aim

The aim of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of all core battery components, the theory needed to understand battery operation, understand the strengths and weaknesses of both state-of-the-art battery technologies and next-generation battery technologies, and gain a practical in-sight into how to assemble batteries and subsequently test them. 

Schedule

TimeEdit

Course literature

Recommended Reading 

The following books are available as digital resources through Chalmers Library: 

Entire course 

Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Helena Berg 

History and Introduction 

Lithium Batteries – Bruno Scrosati, K.M. Abraham, Walter van Schalkwijk, Jusef Hassoun: Chapter 2, Pages 21-38  

Electrochemical Energy Storage – Jean-Marie Tarascon, Patrice Simon: Chapter 1, Pages 21-30 

 Electrochemistry 

Lithium Batteries – Bruno Scrosati, K.M. Abraham, Walter van Schalkwijk, Jusef Hassoun: Chapter 1, Pages 1-19 

Linden’s Handbook of Batteries (4th edition) – Kirby W. Beard: Chapter 1, Pages 3-22 and Chapter 4, Pages 95-123 

Cathode 

Batteries for Sustainability – Ralph J. Brodd: Chapter 2, Pages 4-32 

Anode 

Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Helena Berg: Chapter 3, Pages 86-99 

Batteries for Sustainability – Ralph J. Brodd: Chapter 3, Pages 71-72 

Electrolyte 

Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Helena Berg: Chapter 3, Pages 114-124 

Next Generation Batteries 

Batteries for Sustainability – Ralph J. Brodd: Chapter 2, Pages 33-36 

Lithium Batteries – Bruno Scrosati, K.M. Abraham, Walter van Schalkwijk, Jusef Hassoun: Chapter 1, Pages 1-19 

Further  Reading 

A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry – Arumugam Manthiram  Nat. Commun. 2020, 11, 1550 

 Before Li Ion Batteries – Martin Winter, Brian Barnett, Kang Xu Chem. Rev. 2018, 118, 11433−11456 

How Batteries Store and Release Energy: Explaining Basic Electrochemistry – Klaus Schmidt-Rohr J.Chem.Educ. 2018, 95, 1801−1810 

Battery 2030 + Manifesto

Course design

The course is based on a series of lectures (topical as well as guest lecturers from industry) during four full days. During these days there will also be time set aside for tutoring, discussions and advice on project work. There will be a lab-exercises covering cell assembly and testing. A project work in small groups will be conducted with the aim of going deeper into a particular aspect of current or next generation rechargeable batteries. The project will be presented at the end of the course in the form of a poster session and a poster pitch.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Valid for all Tracks courses:

  • critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced architectural or engineering problems
  • master problems with open solutions spaces which includes to be able to handle uncertainties and limited information.
  • lead and participate in the development of new products, processes and systems using a holistic approach by following a design process and/or a systematic development process.
  • work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions
  • show insights about cultural differences and to be able to work sensitively with them.
  • show insights about and deal with the impact of architecture and/or engineering solutions in a global, economic, environment and societal context.
  • identify ethical aspects and discuss and judge their consequences in relation to the specific problem
  • orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions
  • fulfill project specific learning outcomes
Course specific:
  • Describe the fundamental thermodynamic and electrochemical process that underpin the energy storage mechanism of batteries.
  • Describe materials used in key battery components including cathode, anode, and electrolyte and their respective functional mechanisms.
  • Demonstrate an in-depth theoretical understanding of materials and analyze the corresponding electrochemical processes.
  • Assemble and test battery materials, and analyze the data.
  • Address the perspective and challenge for next generation batteries.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Examination form

The course will have three forms of examination:

  1. Hand in problems. After each lecture day, you will receive a series of hand in problems. You must hand in the answer in one week after each lecture (deadline will be announced). If you are unable to hand in the answers in time, please contact the course examiner (Julia, julia.maibach@chalmers.se, in advance). For each set of hand in problems at least passed is required (one revision after feedback will be allowed).
  2. Coin cell lab report. Attendance of the laboratory project is mandatory, and the lab report will be graded. The lab report needs to be handed in at the announced deadline and one revision after feedback will be allowed.
  3. Project work. The project (group work) is evaluated by a presentation and written report (both in group).

 

Tracks

Contact info to the Tracks management:
Kristina Henricson Briggs, Director Tracks, kristina.henricson.briggs@chalmers.se
Ida Gremyr, Scientific lead Tracks, ida.gremyr@chalmers.se
Yashar Gholami, Education administrator, yasharg@chalmers.se

Course summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due