Advanced Cell Engineering (ACE) has filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its very large format (VLF) cell. The company says the patent filing represents a milestone in the company’s “Project Magnus,” in which ACE will finalize cell design and chemistry for a 1-meter cell-to-pack prismatic cell.
The VLF cell, when coupled with ACE’s patented “Advanced LFP” chemistry, will enable EV manufacturers to build vehicles offering greater range, the company says. Advanced LFP offers significantly higher energy density in any cell format than the existing LFP offerings on the market today, the company adds. When used in the VLF cell, ACE’s Advanced LFP technology will achieve even greater energy density due to the cell’s design.
ACE’s VLF battery cell will reduce the size, weight and complexity of an EV’s battery system. Today’s EVs contain thousands of small cells assembled into a number of modules, which are in turn assembled into a battery pack. The ACE VLF cell will eliminate the need for the module structure by integrating 80-100 1-meter prismatic cells directly into the battery pack which is then installed into a vehicle’s chassis, the company says.
ACE expects the cell design to be available for licensing in early 2023.