Lithium-ion batteries keep getting better and cheaper, but researchers are tweaking the technology further to eke out greater performance and lower costs. Some of the motivation comes from the . Contact online >>
Lithium-ion batteries keep getting better and cheaper, but researchers are tweaking the technology further to eke out greater performance and lower costs. Some of the motivation comes from the
From more efficient production to entirely new chemistries, there''s a lot going on. The race is on to generate new technologies to ready the battery industry for the transition toward a future...
While still in the research phase, advancements in electrolyte and electrode materials are paving the way for future applications. Implications for the Future. These emerging battery technologies hold the promise of transforming energy storage, impacting industries from automotive to consumer electronics.
As the world transitions to renewable energy, 2024 has been pivotal in advancing sustainable battery technology. Several promising innovations and trends are helping reshape the industry, making it possible to eliminate widespread dependence on fossil fuels to power everyday life. 1. Lithium-Sulfur Batteries. The rise of electric vehicles (EVs
Chemistry scientists Cyrus Kirwa and Jaclyn Cole conduct research into redox relithiation, a form of battery recycling and one of numerous battery research initiatives at NREL.Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
In the 200 years after its invention, the extraordinary battery has undergone significant evolutions to meet modern applications. These self-contained energy sources are key to our increasingly connected society, powering our communication and transportation networks.
With the shift to renewable energy, a new era of electrification is on the horizon, supported in large part by the breakthrough battery designs that researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) believe are at our fingertips.
"NREL''s battery research team brings together a diverse range of experts—physicists, chemists, and engineers—to meet complex challenges in energy storage," said NREL Senior Energy Storage Engineer Matt Keyser. "Our research spans the scale of technology readiness and battery research, from atom-scale materials science to full-scale systems."
From left, Kandler Smith, Matt Keyser, and Andrew Colclasure lead the electrochemical energy storage research at NREL, providing a holistic approach to modeling and diagnostics, materials development, and battery safety.Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
Today''s predominant choice for advances in energy storage, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries gained popularity as a lighter and more powerful alternative to lead-acid or nickel-metal hydride designs. These batteries allow users to control energy flow for repeated, high-speed charging and discharging—powering everything from cell phones to laptops, electric vehicles (EVs), and large-scale stationary storage. Ongoing research at NREL continues to refine Li-ion batteries to meet the unique needs of different applications.
What does the future of battery storage hold? In the transition to a more electrified society, batteries will play an essential role in helping store energy from renewable sources to supply electricity for buildings, transportation, and grid applications. Emerging battery technologies must focus on reducing costs, while maintaining lifetime and density performance. Using ultramodern capabilities and world-class laboratory facilities, NREL''s energy storage researchers continue to push battery boundaries with materials development, thermal management, diagnostics, and modeling.
Silicon may be one of the next big battery material upgrades. As EVs continue to gain popularity, researchers have identified silicon as a promising opportunity to increase the energy density of vehicle batteries. Recent research from the NREL-led Silicon Consortium Project (SCP) has found that replacing the graphite typically used in Li-ion battery anodes with silicon may pave the way to reduce battery pack size by 25%–30% and increase driving range by 30%–40%.
However, silicon-based anodes present unique challenges to the stability and lifetime of Li-ion batteries. Lithiation—which occurs during battery charging—leads to swelling and compression of the silicon, causing cracks and fractures of battery particles. Additionally, a reaction between the silicon and the liquid electrolyte leads to the formation of a "silicon electrolyte interface" material that causes decomposition of the electrolyte within the battery.
"It comes down to making sure different components within the cell behave well together," said NREL Senior Materials Scientist Tony Burrell. "Our SCP research aims to equip silicon anodes with protective coatings to extend the calendar life of the silicon-based batteries, essentially how long they can function. Electrode coatings are commonly used to improve the durability of batteries, but it''s up to us to identify the right materials and thickness for use with silicon."
Sustainability is another concern at the forefront for NREL researchers. As such, research teams are prioritizing material and product designs that reduce the use of rare critical materials, such as cobalt, currently used in Li-ion batteries. Although Li-ion continues to be the standard for EVs, the unique priorities of stationary energy storage—where lifespan is typically more important than battery size—are opening new doors in materials research.
"There is a lot of value in optimizing designs for battery applications beyond transportation," said NREL Energy Storage Researcher Andrew Colclasure. "Our increased focus on stationary batteries is challenging researchers to get creative with materials development, including earth-abundant or readily available materials."
From chemistry compositions to overall battery structures, the opportunities for battery advancements are endless. To guide future innovations, NREL''s cutting-edge capabilities and facilities offer experimentation, modeling, and analysis tools to better understand the physical, chemical, mechanical, and structural properties of energy materials and storage systems.
For new materials, these evaluations can streamline advancements within the battery architecture—including the cathode, anode, or electrolyte. As these materials progress to be used in cells, modules, packs, and complete energy systems, characterization also continues to play an important role in battery research.
"Our diverse and talented electrochemical energy storage team is working hand-in-hand with the lab''s materials scientists to evaluate new chemistries and incorporate optimized materials in large-scale cells," Keyser said. "Our team performs extensive characterization to assess the fundamental cell and module characteristics critical to material development, model building, and validation efforts."
From left, researchers Donal Finegan, Chuanbo Yang, Kandler Smith, Andrew Colclasure, Peter Weddle, and Ankit Verma are part of the electrochemical energy storage using advanced X-ray diagnostic capabilities to take three-dimensional images of battery materials.Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
"Where other research institutions rely on package battery models, NREL is developing new models leveraging our diverse research experience in complex physics, chemistry, mechanics, safety aspects, and artificial intelligence to provide new perspectives on battery research," said NREL Energy Storage Researcher Kandler Smith. "Our combined forces bring a higher level of knowledge to every research and design project."
Researchers at NREL, including Kandler Smith (pictured), use cycling techniques to measure the performance of next-generation battery cells during successive charge and discharge phases.Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
"The thermal performance of a battery is fundamental to overall energy efficiency," Keyser said. "Hot spots in cells can indicate that energy is not being used efficiently throughout the cell. Our research optimizes operating temperatures of energy storage systems, ensure uniformity across the battery, and inform thermal management system designs."
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