The ZIRKEL research project is a pioneering initiative, trailblazing production technology for the circular economy, specifically through the lens of highly integrated electromobility components. The principal objective here is to sustainably augment productivity and economic viability in the disassembly, segregation, and cutting process of traction battery systems and electric motors. This allows for the identification of the most ecologically and economically favourable recycling pathways for specific products, ultimately enabling the full closure of material cycles.
Challenges and Issue Identification:
- Cost-intensive recycling process chains
- Labor-intensive and often economically non-viable disassembly processes
- High diversity in the types of systems to be recycled
- Energy-demanding and complex recycling processes
- Name: ZIRKEL
- Duration: November 1, 2021 – November 30, 2024
- Project Coordinator: TU Braunschweig IWF
- Project partners:
- Volkswagen AG
- Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH Automationssysteme
- Deckel Maho Pfronten
- Ascon Systems GmbH
- Arxum GmbH
- Synergeticon GmbH
- Fraunhofer IST
- Fraunhofer IWU
- TU Braunschweig IPAT
- Funding agency: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
- Project website: –
- Amplify productivity and economic efficiency in the disassembly, segregation, and slicing process of traction battery systems and electric motors.
- Develop suitable remanufacturing strategies and reprocessing procedures.
- Identify the ecologically and economically optimal recycling pathway. The project seeks to enhance productivity and economic viability in the decommissioning and dismantling procedures for traction battery systems and electric motors sustainably. The objective is to pinpoint the most ecologically and economically advantageous recycling routes for specific products, consequently facilitating the complete closure of material cycles. To accomplish this, the process stages for disassembling, separating, and dividing powertrain components are implemented and assessed using demonstrative models.
The global metamorphosis of mobility, coupled with the adoption of sustainably produced energy storage systems and converters, necessitates abbreviated product development cycles, innovative production methodologies, and comprehensive recycling strategies to achieve material cycle closure. The current strategies encounter several challenges, primarily due to the diversity of products slated for recycling and the high expenditure associated with the recycling process chain.
In the contemporary and future electric mobility sector, the utilized energy storage systems and converters exhibit significant variations, for instance, in cell chemistry, structural design (such as cell arrangement, module-pack concepts, asynchronous motor versus reluctance machine, and more), and in the passive components employed (battery management system, thermal management, housing structure, and so on). The significant variant volume of energy storage systems and converters characterizes the recycling process chain, which is rife with intricate manual tasks, often rendering it economically unfeasible.
