BOSCH BATTERY SYSTEMS

HEAPY provided facility and process system design for a new 170,000 SF research and automated developmental manufacturing facility for nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery systems and nickel-plated electrodes for fuel cell energy systems. In 2012-2013, the facility was expanded and converted to Li-Ion production. The facility includes receiving, storage and handling of power substrate. These are mixed and pasted onto material to form electrodes.

HEAPY’s scope of work involved a wide range of facility and process design, planning and mechanical/ electrical systems design. Being a high power density battery developmental center, facility electrical infrastructure was a key element to the overall project. HEAPY designed a total of four, 4000A services at 480V, 3Phase, 60Hz for the facility and the associated distribution; this equates to a total power density for the facility of 43.3 W/SF.

Additionally, numerous laboratory grade process utility systems were required to support research and development of various battery types and associated manufacturing process, including:

• 500-ton capacity water cooled process chiller water system with 2500-gallon Thermal Inertia Tank to serve a robotic battery test cell system

• Deionized/Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water System with recirculation pumping and UV Sterilization System

• Multiple High Pressure Solids Collection Systems with Hoods for Mixing of Powder based electrode material within a Class I, Division 2 NEC Hazardous Classified Space with explosion relief

• Cleanroom Class 100,000 Process Enclosures for pasting equipment with HEPA filter ceiling modules

• Industrial Compressed Air System with three, 1250 SCFM rotary screw air compressors

During the Li-Ion conversion, a series of projects were executed related to handling Li and assembly of Li-Ion battery systems, including:

• Class I, Division 2 - Li storage rooms with intrinsically safe electrical and specialty fire protection systems/detection and needed HVAC systems

• H3 Classified Li-Ion assembled battery units, with speciality fire protection systems and ventilation/ humidity control systems

• Cell coating line and curing line: High temperature HVAC curing room, Class I, Division 2 spray coating system with intrinsically safe electrical, specialty fire protection systems and detection, contamination control space with precision T&RH control for coating space

This fast track, design-build project had a building systems budget of $6,000,000 and an additional process utility systems budget of $2,000,000. Final Certificate of Occupancy was granted in just four months and 1 week — two weeks ahead of schedule on this complex project.

SERVICES

Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Design

Technology Design

LEED® Program Management

SIZE

60,000 SF

COST

$20,000,000