Job offer

Organisation/Company Bordeaux INP Department UMR 5218 - IMS

Research Field: Engineering » Electrical engineering

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)

Positions: Postdoc Positions

Country: France

Application Deadline: 18 May 2025 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Offer Starting Date: 1 Sep 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The “Solid State Battery (SSB)” project brings together AIRBUS, ALSTOM, EXOES, RENAULT, SAFRAN and the Ampère, IMS and LEPMI laboratories. Led by the IRT Saint Exupéry in Toulouse, its aim is to explore the performance and reliability of so-called solid or semi-solid state batteries.

In this academic and industrial context, a thesis and two post-doc will be carried out on two commercial solid or semi-solid battery technologies, including one post-doc at the IMS laboratory. The PhD student will benefit from experience in a multi-partner project with a strong industrial focus. In addition to his/her thesis work, he/she will take part in presentation meetings with other project partners.

Description of thesis topic

The decarbonization of energy requires electrochemical energy storage, for which reliability and safety are essential, especially in transport applications such as aeronautics. Compared with the previous technology, the solid-state (SSB) or semi-solid-state battery is presented as intrinsically safer over a wider temperature range, thanks in particular to the thermal stability of its electrolyte. The question of its robustness then arises, and must be considered for commercially available cells.

The specifics of the electrochemical, thermal and mechanical behavior of this new technology need to be understood, and their impact on performance quantified. Multi-physics characterization and aging tests on commercial cells are then necessary to identify the parameters of a performance model and monitor them over time under different conditions of use. Modeling aging is a complex task that is essential for (1) diagnosis, by establishing the link between degradation mechanisms and health status, and (2) prognosis, by estimating end-of-life through extrapolation of performance based on the identified laws.

Thus, the proposed thesis aims to contribute to the study of the reliability of commercial solid or semi-solid batteries by addressing the following main scientific challenges:

• Propose specific multi-physics characterization protocols, including mechanical ones,
• Validate a performance model over a wide range of conditions,
• Understand and identify the main degradation mechanisms and their interactions,
• Define a design of experiments aimed at minimizing the volume of accelerated aging tests,
• Propose early indicators of state of health,
• Establish and validate an aging model, exploiting it by extending it to other conditions.

To carry out this work, the person recruited will need to master electrical and electrochemical characterization methods of the slow time (CC, CV) and pulse (HPPC, GITT), differential (DVA, ICA) and frequency (EIS) types. They may also be required to familiarize themselves with materials physics and the use of physico-chemical analyses.

Proposed organization of work

• State of the art on SSB technology
• Characterization and performance model at the fresh-state
• Accelerated aging tests
• Health indicators and aging modeling

Host laboratory and supervisory team

The IMS laboratory has recognized expertise in characterization, modeling, performance monitoring during aging and methods for determining the state-of-health of batteries in order to control their reliability. Its participation in major national research projects on energy storage systems, particularly batteries, has enabled it to build up a unique database on the latest generation of cells, thanks to the experimental resources of the CACYSSÉE platform.

Where to apply

E-mail: armande.capitaine@ims-bordeaux.fr

Requirements

Research Field: Engineering » Electrical engineering

Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications:

• Knowledge of energy storage systems, in particular lithium-ion batteries.
• Knowledge of the electrochemical, electrical, thermal and mechanical behavior of these devices.
• Mastering of battery characterization and modelling.
• Mastery of dedicated software (e.g. Matlab-Simulink)
• Practical experience of battery test benches (e.g. Biologic, Digatron, Basytec)