Services – Kevin Rhodes Consulting, LLC

Services Offered

Energy Storage Material Development, Characterization and Processing

Today’s lithium batteries as well as next generation devices utilizing solid state architectures, sulfur, sodium, multivalent ions, and others require advanced materials engineering. Drawing on years of expertise in materials specific to energy storage we can provide development and problem-solving support to energize your development projects.

HV Distribution & Safety

Design of high voltage (HV) energy systems comes with its own set of challengers and considerations. Design of HV distribution boxes and harnesses is a critical aspect of electrified powertrain system design. Furthermore, work on HV systems including assembly, testing, and teardown demands a proper understanding of proper safety protocols. We can provide design support for HV systems as well as guidance and training on proper handling of HV systems.

Facilities & Process Audits, Planning and Design

A fresh pair of trained eyes can do wonders in improving laboratory and plant practices and safety. Experience with the relevant equipment and best practices for mixing, coating, assembly, safety, and other aspects of battery production can be an invaluable asset when trying to plan and build out facilities in an efficient, practical, and safe manner. Based on your needs, we are able to provide support and audits to ensure that your projects keep moving in the right direction at world class quality levels.

Electrified Powertrain System Development

Many different electrified powertrain architectures exist to suit the variety of applications from passenger cars to commercial vehicles to aviation. Sizing of the components in these systems is a critical step to ensure performance while minimizing detrimental factors like weight, cost, and complexity. We can provide expert support on electrified powertrain system design and development to help meet the needs of your application.

Cell Engineering, Manufacture, and Testing

Air sensitive materials like those used in modern secondary batteries require special handling consideration. In addition, the various processes involved in battery manufacture from the lab to production volumes require high consistency and control to produce repeatable and reliable cells. Differences between coin, cylindrical, pouch, and prismatic cells necessitate further specialization of approach. Finally, these cells must be tested to industry standards using a variety of performance, lifetime, and destructive protocols. Combined with regional standards and regulations there are many considerations involved in developing and scaling theproduction of battery cells. Let us apply our experience in this field to support your project.

Battery Module & Pack Design and Test Planning

Many challenges arise when combining cells into modules and packs to support your target application. Considerations including sealing, thermal management, conductor sizing, connector selection, venting, fusing, vibration, and many other all play critical roles in how successful a design is when put through the extensive tests necessary for different applications. We can support your design efforts and bring industry experience from major commercial pack designs to your team

Technology Evaluations & Expert Witness

With the explosive growth of the energy storage and electrified powertrain market in recent years and the wide range of claim made by different companies, it can be very challenging to determine what technologies and startups are most promising. We can provide expert support for technology and development timeline review to investors as part of their due diligence. Similarly, this expertise may be applied to expert witness needs where a deep understanding of energy storage and related topics are required.