![]() ![]() The theoretical specific energy of lithium-air is 13kWh/kg. The battery uses a catalytic air cathode that supplies oxygen, an electrolyte and a lithium anode. Scientists borrow the idea from zinc-air and the fuel cell in making the battery “breathe” air. Lithium-air provides an exciting new frontier because this battery promises to store far more energy than is possible with current lithium-ion technologies. Here are some of the most promising experimental batteries. Commercialization appears to dwell on a moving target that is always a decade ahead, but scientists are not giving up. Meeting the eight basic requirements of the octagon battery is a challenge. Adding graphite to the anode is said to achieve a theoretical capacity that is five times that of regular Li-ion with stable performance, however, the cycle life would be limited due to structural problems when inserting and extracting lithium-ion at high volume. A silicon anode could theoretically store 10 times the energy of a graphite anode, but expansions and shrinkage during charge and discharge make the system unstable. Researchers have also developed an anode structure for Li-ion batteries that is based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials. This design is described further in this section. Research continues and a possible solution with new materials as part of the solid-state lithium could be on hand. ![]() Very few companies make rechargeable lithium-metal batteries and most offer the primary versions only. ![]() NEC and Tadiran tried to improve the design with limited success. After a venting event injured a battery user, all lithium-metal packs were recalled in 1989. The local fire department knew exactly where to go on a fire alarm at the Moli plant it was the battery warehouse. Moli Energy was first to mass-produce a rechargeable Li-metal battery in the 1980s, but it posed a serious safety risk as the growth of lithium dendrites caused electric shorts leading to thermal runaway conditions. Most experimental batteries in the lithium family have one thing in common they use a metallic lithium anode to achieve a higher specific energy than what is possible with the oxidized cathode in lithium-ion, the battery that is in common use today. (See BU-104: Getting to Know the Battery) Raising capital is time consuming and many startups devote as much time and energy for this task as to doing research. Most venture capitalists don’t have the patience to wait and they pull back the money, leaving the developer in deep water. Most concepts disappear from the battery scene and die gracefully in the lab without anyone hearing of their passing.įew other products have similar stringent requirements as the battery, and the complexity puzzles venture capitalists who did well during the dot-com era and expect similar generous returns of their investment in only 3 years battery development typically takes 10 years. Some designs show unrealistic results with anticipated release dates that move with time. The resulting capacity loss is caused by reduced contact with current collectors.Įxperimental batteries live mostly in sheltered laboratories and communicate to the outside world with promising but one-sided reports, often to entice investors. Microscale Si islands form under the nanowire arrays with cycling that produces stress and cracking. In terms of specific energy, the silicon nanowire anode achieves high watt-hour per kg (Wh/kg) that can be twice that of commercial Li-ion cells, but Si nanowire-based structures have limited cycle life. (See also: BU-1003a: Battery Aging in an Electric Vehicle) However, as long as cell phones in the consumer market use common Li-ion types that are charged to the maximum allowable voltage, longevity will be short. Gaining longer life and holding higher capacity is driven by the electric vehicle industry that is striving for a 15-year battery life. In terms of longevity, advancements are being made in the lithium-ion battery by using single crystal cathode material. The saying goes, “Every 1% improvement in battery performance widens battery applications by 10%.” A simple guideline reveals: “The cost of energy doubles when stored in a battery for re-use.” Storing electrical energy in an economical way remains one of our yet unresolved challenges in modern society. The battery industry is littered with broken promises but progress is being made. But both systems have challenges and limitations that cry out for a better solution. Our most common battery systems today are Li-ion and lead acid. ![]()
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