OCAST awards funding to WT for EV battery inspection research

Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST) awards funding to Waygate Technologies for EV battery inspection research 

R&D project will help optimize the battery charging process

Waygate Technologies was selected by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) to receive funding for a new CT inspection research project that aims to extend the life of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

The project, for which Waygate Technologies is teaming up with the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center (EIC) and the University of Oklahoma, focuses on the fast-charging process for EV battery cells. By applying CT X-ray technology to inspect a number of new battery cells before and after cycling them through different charging protocols, the research team will identify the strain put on battery cells by the various protocols. The objective is to optimize the fast-charging protocol and thereby extend the life of EV batteries. A longer lifespan not only benefits manufacturers, OEMs, and car owners through improved cost efficiency, it also helps the planet.

The proposal from Waygate Technologies, aptly named Failure Avoidance in Battery Stacks using 3D Computed Tomography Inspection to Enable CHemistry Agnostic PRotocol for CharginG Electric Vehicles (FASTCHARGE), was thus ranked in the top #5 of all applications by the Oklahoma Science and Technology Research and Development (OSTRaD) Board. The project is planned to run over three years, from 2024-2026.