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Leng, Yongjun

Publications and source records attributed to Leng, Yongjun.

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

High safety and cycling stability of ultrahigh energy lithium ion batteries

High-nickel layered oxide Li-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the electric vehicle market, but their potentially poor safety and thermal stability remain a public concern. Here, we show that an ultrahigh-energy LIB (292 Wh kg –1 ) becomes intrinsically safer when a small amount of triallyl phosphate (TAP) is added to standard electrolytes. TAP passivates the electrode-electrolyte interfaces and limits the maximum cell temperature during nail penetration to 55°C versus complete cell destruction (>950°C) without TAP. The downside of this reliable safety solution is higher interfacial impedance and hence lower battery power; however, thermal modulation for battery operation around 60°C can restore power completely. When cycled at 60°C, the cell stabilized with TAP achieved 2,413 cycles at 76% capacity retention. Such an unconventional combination of interface-passivating electrolyte additive with cell thermal modulation renders the most energy-dense LIBs even safer than LiFePO 4 chemistry, while enjoying high power and cycling stability concurrently.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ultrafast charging of energy-dense lithium-ion batteries for urban air mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) demands batteries with high energy density, long cycle life, and fast rechargeability. In this paper, we demonstrate an energy-dense lithium-ion battery (LiB) with ultralong cycle life under ultrafast charging. By using the asymmetric temperature modulation (ATM) method, i.e., charging at an elevated temperature and discharging around the ambient temperature, it is experimentally shown that the 209 Wh/kg LiB is charged to 88% state of charge (SOC) in ~5 min under UAM cycling while retaining 97.7% capacity after 1,000 cycles. Moreover, an experimentally validated electrochemical-thermal (ECT) model is developed to elucidate the fast charging process and the degradation mode of UAM batteries, quantitatively capturing lithium plating during fast charging. We find that the LiBs for UAM applications are most prone to lithium plating due to their higher initial SOC required as the reserve for safety; nevertheless, the ATM method is effective in minimizing or preventing lithium plating in the high SOC range of 30-90%. In addition to slowing down capacity fade, the ATM method also raises the usable capacity by 10%, which boosts the battery energy density and ensures the battery to perform full UAM cycles even at the end of life.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A new approach to both high safety and high performance of lithium-ion batteries

We present a novel concept to achieve high performance and high safety simultaneously by passivating a Li-ion cell and then self-heating before use. By adding a small amount of triallyl phosphate in conventional electrolytes, we show that resistances of the passivated cells can increase by ~5×, thereby ensuring high safety and thermal stability. High power before battery operation is delivered by self-heating to an elevated temperature such as 60°C within tens of seconds. The present approach of building a resistive cell with highly stable materials and then delivering high power on demand through rapid thermal stimulation leads to a revolutionary route to high safety when batteries are not in use and high battery performance upon operation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A look into the voltage plateau signal for detection and quantification of lithium plating in lithium-ion cells

Voltage plateau during relaxation or discharge after charging is a distinct signal associated with stripping of deposited Li metal and hence a feasible tool for online detection of Li plating in Li-ion batteries. In this report we present a physics-based model with incorporation of Li plating and stripping to gain a fundamental understanding of the voltage plateau behavior. Specifically, we focus on the internal cell characteristics when voltage plateau occurs and on key factors affecting the shape and duration of voltage plateau. Furthermore, the validity of using the duration of voltage plateau for estimating Li plating amount is assessed. It is found that the duration of voltage plateau depends on the rate of Li stripping, while the stripping rate is restricted by the capability of Li+ intercalation into graphite. Parameters like intercalation kinetics, solid-state diffusivity of graphite and cell temperature can substantially influence the voltage curves even with the same amount of Li plating. Further, we report an interesting phenomenon that during Li stripping one part of anode near the separator has net oxidation current (local stripping rate > intercalation rate), providing Li+ ions and electrons to the other part of anode near the foil which has net reduction current.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Alkaline membrane fuel cells with in-situ cross-linked ionomers

Improving cell performance and durability through both new materials and membrane electrode processing optimization is needed for the commercialization of alkaline membrane fuel cell (AMFC) technologies. In this work, we adopted an in-situ cross-linking strategy of an anion-conducting block copolymer to prepare durable ionomers for use in alkaline membrane fuel cells (AMFCs). Our goal was to use new ionomers and binders with an aim at improving long-term stability of AMFCs, especially at high operation temperatures. At 80 degrees C, AMFCs with in-situ cross-linked ionomers showed promising stability with an operating life time of more than 350 hours at 100 mA/cm(2). We found that the optimized electrode fabrication process and operating conditions can significantly improve the durability performance of AMFCs. For example, a suitable electrode binder in addition to the ion-conducting ionomer can greatly enhance the durability performance of AMFCs. Operating fuel cells under a cathode over-humification condition can also enhance the long-term stability of AMFCs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leng, YJ↗