Thread for new battery breakthrough PR releases

Wow dude, battery technology seems to be going exponential vs the last 10 years.

I can't believe we're beyond 300whrs/kg for today's lithium.
??…… we had 260 Wh/kg back in 2010 ?
+15% in 14 years….hardly exponential ?……practically “flatlined “
…or did i miss the sarc’ emoji ?
 
??…… we had 260 Wh/kg back in 2010 ?
+15% in 14 years….hardly exponential ?……practically “flatlined “
…or did i miss the sarc’ emoji ?
*2012 and 250Wh/kg, but yes.

The problem with these early 250Wh/kg+ cells is that their cycle life, calendar life and internal resistance were very poor compared to modern cells.

For comparison, the 2016 NCR185650GA gets demolished by modern cells like the EVE 35V and modern equivalent 21700 cells specifically because it was so early in 250Wh/kg+ cells.
 
I remember playing with a "graphene" lipo, 25R and A123 26650 ~10 years ago. I was so excited about the future. Now I can buy slightly better lipos, molicel 30b and a slightly safer LFP with the same specific power. Looking at the examples, I see the biggest improvement with 25R vs. 30B - 25% more energy, half the internal resistance and better cycle life. Some may say that we have already reached the technological limit of Li-based batteries, but I bet the delay comes from the financial side. Investments in production facilities take time to pay off, and any new technology will have to wait until the market finds a place for it.
 
I'm not sure this qualifies as a breakthrough news about my baccalaureate Alma Mater, Binghamton University.
Perhaps one of yours too.


"Four Upstate NY universities partner to form ‘Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine"
BINGHAMTON (WBNG)
By Kevin Quinn
Published: Oct. 3, 2024 at 6:17 PM EDT

"----- With funding from the National Science, Binghamton University, Cornell University, Syracuse University and the Rochester Institute of Technology are partnering to create the “Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine.”

Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine CEO Meera Sampath said the partnership puts science and technology at the heart of regional economic growth and development.

The four academic institutions are joined by the New York Battery & Energy Storage Technology Consortium, Launch NY and CV4 to form a coalition. The goal is to make Upstate New York the capital of battery production.

Sampath said workforce development will be a focus throughout the initiative
“From training at the high school level, from skilled technicians working with our community colleges and of course advanced degree holders, next-gen engineers and researchers and scientists will advance that new technology,” said Sampath.

Each institution will focus on a specific section of the partnership: RIT will focus on the required safety testing for batteries to get to market. Syracuse University will lead workforce development. Binghamton University serves as the lead on the project and research and development activities. Cornell University will focus on accelerating technology from lab to market.

Director of the Runway Startups Program at Cornell Tech Fernando Gomez-Baquero said his history working with startup companies will be essential to this initiative......"
 
The thermal runaway suppression material developed by LG Chem is a composite material that changes its electrical resistance based on temperature, acting as a “fuse” that blocks the flow of electricity in the early stages of overheating.

The research team created this thermal runaway suppression material in the form of a thin layer, just 1 micrometer (1μm) thick—about 1/100th the thickness of a human hair—positioned between the cathode layer and the current collector (an aluminum foil that acts as the electron pathway) in the battery. When the battery’s temperature rises beyond the normal range, between 90°C and 130°C, the material reacts to the heat, altering its molecular structure and effectively suppressing the flow of current.
 
Woah!
 
Woah !..indeed .
I am struggling to understand how an electrical “fuse” can affect the chemical reaction that is Thermal Runaway ?
Their definnition of thermal runaway is a very specific situation involving internal mechanical deformation/damage.
( which LG have had huge issues with due to manufacturing defects)
Thermal runaway, a leading cause of electric vehicle battery fires, occurs when the cathode and anode inside the battery unintentionally come into direct contact, causing a short circuit and generating heat.
But how does an internal disconnect fuse alter the effects of a mechanical short when the cathode and anode are forced into contact ?
Whilst, most thermal “runaway” events are simply a transfer of heat cell to cell spiraling the exothermic chemical reaction of the materials in the cells , and the further transfer of that resulting heat to ajoining cells.
 
It sounds like a layer of PTC stuff that has a low resistance at normal temperatures but a high resistance at high temperatures. If a cell shorts, it gets hot, but if the internal resistance goes way up, there is less energy to keep heating the cell (wild guess).
 
Yeah that's what i thought but i'm sure we'll get more details later.
 
Disconnects before it gets hot enough for thermal runaway?
 
Woah !..indeed .
I am struggling to understand how an electrical “fuse” can affect the chemical reaction that is Thermal Runaway ?
Their definnition of thermal runaway is a very specific situation involving internal mechanical deformation/damage.
( which LG have had huge issues with due to manufacturing defects)

But how does an internal disconnect fuse alter the effects of a mechanical short when the cathode and anode are forced into contact ?
Whilst, most thermal “runaway” events are simply a transfer of heat cell to cell spiraling the exothermic chemical reaction of the materials in the cells , and the further transfer of that resulting heat to ajoining cells.
Most thermal runaway doesn't happen from external penetration, but from internal defects leading to short circuits (be it manufacturing defects or aging related defects).

Disable that pathway and you get rid of many thermal runaway scenarios.
There are performance losses with LG's approach since it is a resistor.
 
Most thermal runaway doesn't happen from external penetration, but from internal defects leading to short circuits (be it manufacturing defects or aging related defects).

Disable that pathway and you get rid of many thermal runaway scenarios.
There are performance losses with LG's approach since it is a resistor.
Sure, ….but if the manufacturing defect causes an internal connection between the anode and cathode,.. how can a secondary fuse ( that is effectively another protection external to the active components of the cell), prevent that internal short from discharging the cell rapidly ?
and how is this any different to other “thermal fuses” that have been incorperated in cylindrical cells ?….which have also failed to prevent TR .
I can understand that in a multi cell pack situation , that “fuse” could isolate the pack from the electrical effects of a shorted cell , but i cannot see how it prevents the physical internal short from discharging and generating heat in the individual cell.
 
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Sure, ….but if the manufacturing defect causes an internal connection between the anode and cathode,.. how can a secondary fuse ( that is effectively another protection external to the active components of the cell), prevent that internal short from discharging the cell rapidly ?
and how is this any different to other “thermal fuses” that have been incorperated in cylindrical cells ?….which have also failed to prevent TR .
I can understand that in a multi cell pack situation , that “fuse” could isolate the pack from the electrical effects of a shorted cell , but i cannot see how it prevents the physical internal short from discharging and generating heat in the individual cell.
Ah, this is the part that's a lot more interesting with this "secondary separator".

In the case a dendrite manages to puncture the separator, this acts as a failsafe by shutting down the electrical connection from the cathode to the rest of the battery.

Considering unruly cathodes are the 2nd potentially most dangerous part of a cell, having a second backup in case of separator failure is very nice.
 
Not sure this is the right place, but...Gouach is releasing a battery pack designed to diagnose and ease replacement of failed cells (no welds) with an aluminum casing for fire resistence, and open source software. In fact, they'll sell you a kit with either "second use" cells, or no cells at all.

 
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