• TECHNOLOGY
Robotics and Future Production at the CSIR
and funding , as Africa is blessed with abundant mineral resources , like manganese , which would make us highly competitive in the market , and yet we now export our resources overseas to support other industries .”
This being said , CSIR researchers are continuously endeavouring to develop new material-based technologies which make up the components of battery cells to be supplied to firms to be used in cell assembly , battery modules , pack integration as well as end-user vehicle manufacturing . Hoping to improve the electrochemical properties that are used , with a specific focus on battery cathode materials , titanium-based anode materials and scaling up cathode material production , once developed , the materials will be validated on their performance in the market . 3
Luo added that there is currently a lack of policy or regulation governing the quality of imported batteries , and the creation or support of the local value chain . This has been a take-out from the local discussions had between the CSIR and the MEMSA OEMs . He said , “ I believe the government should call all the local experts in the field to convene in order to create policy or regulation in support of the local battery value chain in the industry , taking heed of the lessons learned by the United States of America , Europe and Asia ( China , South Korea , Korea and Japan ).
Local battery testing beds To enable the assurance of the usage of quality , efficient battery cells being delivered to South Africa , the battery centre is running a programme called ESTB ( Energy storage test bed ) in the assessing of batteries to standardise and quality test the batteries entering the market through import . The new facility is to be commissioned in June 2022 . This will be a world class facility which will also assist with local R & D .
Brodner adds , “ We ' re setting up these facilities in support of the local OEMs so that we verify and ensure the quality of product they are purchasing to develop the various systems they are manufacturing .”
Battery Packs and BMS Some of the OEMs , both local and international , have raised challenges around battery management systems ( BMS ) too . Stephen Marais , research group leader for Industrial AI in the Centre for Robotics and Future Production at the CSIR , highlights that over the years the centre has developed battery and instrumentation packs to work in robotic platforms specifically . He said , “ Although these solutions have not been used in large EVs , they do power mobile robotic systems that weigh up to 120kg , and
2 can be fully monitored , and should therefore have the potential to power EVs .
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Vehicle Management System ( VMS ). |
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Maccor Battery tester |
30 • African Mining • July 2022
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CSIR Battery Centre
“ We have developed our own battery management systems ( BMS ) too , over a period of several years , which are scalable . These vary from a very small battery pack – six volts , sequential – all the way to a 10 amp system and a 200 volt 480 amp system . These are modular and each of this series of cell banks are monitored . So , self-balancing is possible to monitor battery behaviour over time , which other BMSs don ' t offer at this stage . Our system has been deployed on monitoring systems for city buses . The system is also a lead acid battery replaceable system . If you had a lead acid battery , you could take our system and plug it in and it would function just the same . This is the culmination of many years of building battery management system episodes at the CSIR .”
He pointed out that the shortage of electronic components over the past two years needed for the battery management system development has been a major challenge for the industry . “ Establishing a stable supply chain is going to be vital for long-term sustainability of system development and product offering in the country . It would be first prize , if we were to build the electronics and the cells themselves in country . A stable supply chain is key for reliable , consistent support to maintain uptime at a mining operation . The alternative is for OEMs to carry stock , which of course involves capital outlay .”
Localisation , skills and regulation development Brodner adds that it is one of the CSIR ’ s strategic objectives – to enable localisation of certain parts of the supply chains of critical industries – and mining would fall squarely into that category . Job creation , business continuity , and the ability for local manufacturers to control costs would be the objective . A solution in this area would also remove exchange rate fluctuations from the equation for the mines , making costs stable and adding security for supply chains to support and maintain these various new technologies . From an Economic , Social and Governance perspective ( ESG ) manufacturing locally could reduce kilometres and miles of shipping costs and the carbon footprint of flights and of road freight too .
Linked to the skills and regulation development , Brodner highlights an additional challenge in that there seems to be a disconnect between the OEMs , mines and the regulators currently . “ Because of the urgent drive to decarbonise – for good reason – and the rapid shift towards new BEV technology , the mines are moving ahead of new potential regulations technologies . It is an ideal time , as a collective , to start engagements between the various mining stakeholders around potential regulations for BEV technologies in the mining environment . This will allow us to ask some key questions : How do you maintain BEV technologies ? Who maintains them ? How should BEVs be stored . How should they be operated ? Outside of BEV Technologies , we also have Hydrogen Technologies being considered for various mining applications . And here as well , it is an ideal time to start the conversation around ‘ hydrogen safety ’ and what that would mean for mine regulations in South Africa . Technology development , localisation , skills development and regulation development go hand in hand . The regulators will be moved by the market demand and interactions with the mines , and regulations are sure to follow very quickly .”
The resource challenge Looking to the future , Brodner raises yet another potential challenge . He explained , “ With the strong and very swift move to BEVs – in tandem with hydrogen technology in the near future – observing the automotive industry supply chain – the move has
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