CSIR-CECRI > Research Areas > Electrochemical Power Sources

Electrochemical Power Sources Division:

1. Objective:

· To conduct world class research and development in the field of advanced energy storage technologies

· To cater the needs of battery industries through advanced battery performance testing and evaluation facilities.

· To work together with Industries of Relevance in energy storage research programmes.

· To align and work towards nation's energy storage goals.

2. Vision:

To be a lead research institute for innovative and advanced energy storage technologies; Cool India by e-mobility and energy storage.

3. About us:

Battery is an energy storage device consisting of two or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy and used as a source of power. Batteries are essential components and they exist in our cars, telecommunication systems, uninterruptible power supply, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, medical devices and other electronic devices/appliances. They can play a vital role in displacing our current dependence on oil and achieving the target of universal access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity services. The development of affordable battery storage technologies is looked at as an indispensable component of sustainability.

The Electrochemical Power Sources Division shortly known as ECPS distinguishes itself through excellence in basic and applied research on electrochemical energy storage devices (batteries) directed towards high industry relevance, contemporary and next generation energy storage systems for more than five decades.

ECPS@CECRI in currently working on six thematic areas as follows:

· Advanced Lead Acid Battery

· Lithium ion Battery

· Flow & Metal Air Batteries

· Sodium-ion Battery

· Lithium-Sulfur Battery

· Supercapacitors

The organized research team undertake advanced research to cover technological domains that are relevant to India’s sustainability goals, as well as offer opportunities of economic growth and positioning of India as a world leader in energy storage solutions. The ECPS division is determined to enable knowledge creation, technology development and transfer in to energy storage space in alliance with government agencies and leading industry players. ECPS division implements gamut of projects funded by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Science and Engineering Research (SERB), Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS) and other national funding organizations; cooperates with companies from the country and abroad and performs specifically assigned tasks in the applied field.

ECPS division comprises a large pool of scientists(13), technical officers (4), research scholars JRF & SRF and project assistants with wide skill sets and expertise in Science, Engineering and Technology; creating a vibrant, multidisciplinary and collaborative research environment to achieve national energy storage goals and to develop technologies of global relevance. In addition, B.Tech , M.Sc., M.Tech and M.Phil. students of various universities carry out their research/project work under the supervision of our scientists.

Impressive moments in the history of the ECPS@CECRI:

1988 – Received grant from DRDO towards development of Ni-Fe, VRLA, Mg organic batteries

1998 – Received grant from CSIR towards development of Lithium polymer batteries

2008 – Received grant from MNRE towards Design and Development of Batteries for Solar Photovoltaic Applications

2011 - TAPSUN

2014 – MULTIFUN

2014 – NABL Accreditation for battery performance testing and evaluation center (BPTEC) facility

2017 – Establishing Skill development center for lead acid battery manufacturing technology

2018 – BIS Recognition for battery performance testing and evaluation center (BPTEC) facility

2019 –MNRE approved facility for solar battery testing

2019 - CSIR-CECRI’s Testing Platform for Energy Storage Devices

2020 – Lithium battery manufacturing facility