Rising above the waters of the Mittelland Canal in Wolfsburg, Germany, four iconic smokestacks cut through an otherwise sparse skyline. These are the most recognizable – and among the last – vestiges of the original Volkswagen factory from 1938. Symbolically, however, the smokestacks represent much more than the symbols of a power plant that –… Read more »
Search Results Found For: ""lithium metal""
Volkswagen sees “great potential” in solid-state batteries
In a speech at Stanford University last week, Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen, said that he sees great potential in solid-state batteries, which could boost EV range to as much as 435 miles, representing a volumetric energy density of about 1,000 Wh/l. Replacing the traditional liquid electrolyte with a nonflammable inorganic… Read more »
Proterra to use Toshiba SCiB batteries in its next-generation electric bus
Proterra has selected Toshiba as the battery supplier for its next-generation electric bus. Toshiba’s SCiB batteries feature a lithium titanate oxide chemistry, making them resistant to thermal runaway and lithium metal plating. The 20 Ah prismatic cells have nominal voltage of 2.3 V, gravimetric energy density of 90 Wh/kg and volumetric density of 177 Wh/L…. Read more »
A closer look at how batteries fail
A lot of research has been done to improve lithium-ion battery safety, cycle life and power output over a range of high and low temperatures, yet understanding the fundamental processes and degradation mechanisms in Li-ion batteries remains a challenge. To understand the degradation processes of lithium-ion batteries, it is important to understand how they operate…. Read more »
Stanford team develops stable lithium anode
Are the knights of nanotechnology closing in on the Grail at last? A team of researchers at Stanford University claim that they are, and have chronicled their deeds in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The valiant engineers report that they have designed a pure lithium anode. “Of all the materials that one might use in an… Read more »
US/Chinese/Korean research team details the challenges of Li-air battery research
Lithium-air batteries are widely expected to be the next big thing – more than 300 research papers have been published on the topic in the past 3 years. Li-air has the potential to deliver far more energy density than current lithium-ion technology. A new review in the ACS journal Chemical Reviews sums up the current… Read more »
New microscopy technique gives researchers a better look inside batteries
Electricity may seem invisible, but storing it in batteries has some very physical effects. As a battery is charged and discharged, electrons and ions rush around from place to place, sometimes causing electrodes to change their shapes over time. As researchers experiment with improved electrode materials, it’s critical to get a microscopic view of what… Read more »
Berkeley Lab researchers get to the root of the lithium anode problem
In the quest for higher energy density, the use of lithium metal anodes would seem to be a promising approach, if it weren’t for those doggone dendrites. Dendrites are microscopic fibers of lithium, which sprout, tree-like, from the surface of the lithium electrode and spread through the electrolyte until they reach the other electrode, possibly… Read more »
A123 and SolidEnergy work together on safer, 800 Wh/kg battery chemistry
A123 Venture Technologies, the R&D subsidiary of the mercurial manufacturer of EV batteries, has announced a strategic partnership with MIT startup SolidEnergy. SolidEnergy’s solid electrolyte technology enables the use of lithium metal anodes for high energy density batteries. The new partnership combines SolidEnergy’s Solid Polymer Ionic Liquid (SPIL) electrolyte with the cell design and prototyping… Read more »
University of Colorado researchers to commercialize new solid-state battery
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU) has signed an agreement with Solid Power LLC, a spin-off company, to develop and commercialize a solid-state battery technology that has the potential to greatly improve EV range. Solid Power, founded by Se-Hee Lee and Conrad Stoldt, both associate professors of mechanical engineering, was recently awarded a $3.4 million… Read more »