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At least 415 records · Page 23

Lithium metal pouch cells and methods of making the same

A lithium metal pouch cell having a specific energy ≥300 Wh·kg−1 includes an anode comprising lithium metal and an anode current collector, the anode having an areal capacity N (mAh·cm −2 ); a cathode comprising a cathode material and a cathode current collector, the cathode having an a real capacity P (mAh·cm −2 ), wherein a ratio of N/P is within a range of 0.02 to 5; an electrolyte having an electrolyte mass E and comprising a lithium active salt and a solvent, the lithium metal pouch cell having an electrolyte mass to cell capacity (E/C) ratio within a range of 1 to 6 g·Ah −1 ; a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode; and a packaging material defining a pouch enclosing the anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator; wherein a protruding tab of the anode current collector and a protruding tab of the cathode current collector are external to the pouch.

Xiao, Jie↗

Lithium metal pouch cells and methods of making the same

A lithium metal pouch cell having a specific energy ≥300 Wh·kg -1 includes an anode comprising lithium metal and an anode current collector, the anode having an areal capacity N (mAh·cm −2 ); a cathode comprising a cathode material and a cathode current collector, the cathode having an a real capacity P (mAh·cm −2 ), wherein a ratio of N/P is within a range of 0.02 to 5; an electrolyte having an electrolyte mass E and comprising a lithium active salt and a solvent, the lithium metal pouch cell having an electrolyte mass to cell capacity (E/C) ratio within a range of 1 to 6 g·Ah −1 ; a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode; and a packaging material defining a pouch enclosing the anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator; wherein a protruding tab of the anode current collector and a protruding tab of the cathode current collector are external to the pouch.

Xiao, Jie↗

Direct Ink Writing of 3D Zn Structures as High‐Capacity Anodes for Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries

The relationship between structure and performance in alkaline Zn batteries is undeniable, where anode utilization, dendrite formation, shape change, and passivation issues are all addressable through anode morphology. While tailoring 3D hosts can improve the electrode performance, these practices are inherently limited by scaffolds that increase the mass or volume. Herein, a direct write strategy for producing template‐free metallic 3D Zn electrode architectures is discussed. Concentrated inks are customized to build designs with low electrical resistivity (5 × 10 −4 Ω cm), submillimeter sizes (200 μm filaments), and high mechanical stability (Young's modulus of 0.1–0.5 GPa at relative densities of 0.28–0.46). A printed Zn lattice anode versus NiOOH cathode with an alkaline polymer gel electrolyte is then demonstrated. This Zn||NiOOH cell operates for over 650 cycles at high rates of 25 mA cm −2 with an average areal capacity of 11.89 mAh cm −2 , a cumulative capacity of 7.8 Ah cm −2 , and a volumetric capacity of 23.78 mAh cm −3 . A thicker Zn anode achieves an ultrahigh areal capacity of 85.45 mAh cm −2 and a volumetric capacity of 81.45 mAh cm −3 without significant microstructural changes after 50 cycles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Techno-Economic Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Hybrid Systems for Stationary Power Applications Using Renewable Hydrogen

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)–gas turbine (GT) hybrid systems can produce power at high electrical efficiencies while emitting virtually zero criteria pollutants (e.g., ozone, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, and particulate matters). This study presents new insights into renewable hydrogen (RH 2 )-powered SOFC–GT hybrid systems with respect to their system configuration and techno-economic analysis motivated by the need for clean on-demand power. First, three system configurations are thermodynamically assessed: (I) a reference case with no SOFC off-gas recirculation, (II) a case with cathode off-gas recirculation, and (III) a case with anode off-gas recirculation. While these configurations have been studied in isolation, here we provide a detailed performance comparison. Moreover, a techno-economic analysis is conducted to study the economic competitiveness of RH 2 -fueled hybrid systems and the economies of scale by offering a comparison to natural gas (NG)-fueled systems. Results show that the case with anode off-gas recirculation, with 68.50%-lower heating value (LHV) at a 10 MW scale, has the highest efficiency among the studied scenarios. When moving from 10 MW to 50 MW, the efficiency increases to 70.22%-LHV. These high efficiency values make SOFC–GT hybrid systems highly attractive in the context of a circular economy as they outcompete most other power generation technologies. The cost-of-electricity (COE) is reduced by about 10% when moving from 10 MW to 50 MW, from USD 1976/kW to USD 1668/kW, respectively. Renewable H 2 is expected to be economically competitive with NG by 2030, when the U.S. Department of Energy’s target of USD 1/kg RH 2 is reached.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Impact of modifier-rich coatings on the ionic transport of glasses [Poster]

Ionic conduction in silicate glasses is mainly influenced by the nature, concentration, and mobility of the network-modifying (NWM) cations. The electrical conduction in SLS is dominated by the ionic migration of sodium moving from the anode to the cathode. An activation energy for this conduction process was calculated to be 0.82eV and in good agreement with values previously reported. The conduction process associated to the leakage current and relaxation peak in TSDC for HPFS is attributed to conduction between nonbridging oxygen hole centers (NBOHC). It is suggested that ≡Si-OH = ≡Si-O - + H 0 under thermo-electric poling, promoting hole or proton injection from the anode and responsible for the 1.5eV relaxation peak. No previous TSDC data have been found to corroborate this mechanism. The higher activation energy and lower current intensity for the coated HPFS might be attributed to a lower concentration of NBOHC after heat treatment (Si-OH + OH-Si = SiO-Si + H 2 O). This could explain the TSDC signal around room temperature for the coated HPFS. Another possible explanation could be a redox reaction at the anode region dominating the current response.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Application of a temporal multiscale method for efficient simulation of degradation in PEM Water Electrolysis under dynamic operating conditions

Hydrogen is emerging as a vital energy carrier, driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions. Proton Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) enables hydrogen production under fluctuating renewable power conditions but requires improved understanding and stability of the anode catalyst layer under dynamic operating conditions, especially with low noble metal loadings. Long-term degradation experiments are both time-consuming and costly; therefore, a systematic, model-aided approach is essential. In the present work, a temporal multiscale method is applied to reduce the computational effort of simulating long-term degradation processes in PEMWE, with an exemplary focus on catalyst dissolution. A mechanistic model incorporating the oxygen evolution reaction, catalyst dissolution, and hydrogen permeation from the cathode to the anode was hypothesized and implemented. In this way, the local periodicity of transport and reaction processes in dynamic PEMWE operation, which influence the gradual degradation of the catalyst layer, is captured. The temporal multiscale method significantly reduces the computational effort of simulation, decreasing processing time from hours to mere minutes. This efficiency gain is attributed to the limited evolution of Slow-Scale variables during each period of time P of the Fast-Scale variables. Consequently, simulation is required only until local periodicity is achieved within each Slow-Scale time step. Hence, the fully resolved dynamic problem is decoupled into these two scales, employing a heterogeneous multiscale technique. The developed approach effectively accelerates parameter estimation and predictive simulations, supporting systematic modeling of PEMWE degradation under dynamic conditions.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Methylation enables the use of fluorine-free ether electrolytes in high-voltage lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal batteries represent a promising technology for next-generation energy storage, but they still suffer from poor cycle life due to lithium dendrite formation and cathode cracking. Fluorinated solvents can improve battery longevity by improving LiF content in the solid-electrolyte interphase; however, the high cost and environmental concerns of fluorinated solvents limit battery viability. Here, for this work, we designed a series of fluorine-free solvents through the methylation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane, which promotes inorganic LiF-rich interphase formation through anion reduction and achieves high oxidation stability. The anion-derived LiF interphases suppress lithium dendrite growth on the lithium anode and minimize cathode cracking under high-voltage operation. The Li + -solvent structure is investigated through in situ techniques and simulations to draw correlations between the interphase compositions and electrochemical performances. The methylation strategy provides an alternative pathway for electrolyte engineering towards high-voltage electrolytes while reducing dependence on expensive fluorinated solvents.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Electrochemical Aging and Halogen Oxides Formation on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Fe 3 O 4 @g-C 3 N 4 Coated Conductive Membranes

Electrochemical membrane filtration is widely reported to enhance water contaminants' degradation or rejection via anodic oxidation or cathodic repulsion. Despite their advances, electrochemical membranes or electrocatalysts often suffer from corrosion or passivation, especially under strong electrode potentials or reactions. Moreover, the formation of toxic byproducts, such as chlorinated organic compounds and oxyhalides (e.g., ClO 4 - ) is another major concern. This study investigated the membrane aging processes of two types of conductive membranes, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and ferrite/graphitic carbon nitride hybrids (Fe 3 O 4 @g-C 3 N 4 ) coated on ceramic membranes. Under high current densities (~ 20 mA∙cm -2 ) with anodic potentials (~10 V), MWCNTs and Fe 3 O 4 @g-C 3 N 4 catalysts underwent evident oxidation as indicated by an increase of the intensity ratio of the Raman spectral bands (I D /I G ) and charge transfer resistance (R ct ) of two electrochemical membranes. Under variations of electrode potentials, chloride or bromide were shown to be oxidized to bromate (BrO 3 - ) and chlorate (ClO 3 - ) at levels of 1-10 mmol∙L -1 . The formation of BrO 3 - and ClO 3 - was dependent on the solution pH, current densities (1-20 mA∙cm -2 ), and initial concentrations of Br or Cl ions. Finally, to warrant a safe and rational design and operation of electrochemically reactive membrane processes, membrane aging and toxic byproduct's formation deserve careful characterization under relevant water filtration environments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A Superior Carbonate Electrolyte for Stable Cycling Li Metal Batteries Using High Ni Cathode

Li metal batteries pairing Li metal anode with high-nickel layer structured oxide cathode are a promising energy storage technology to achieve high energy density. To obtain long cycling life for Li metal batteries, the electrolyte plays a pivotal role in stabilizing both the Li metal anode and the high-nickel cathode upon electrochemical cycling. Herein, we report a carbonate electrolyte that enables a Li||LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 pouch cell to achieve a high gravimetric energy density of 366 Wh/kg and unprecedented cycling stability with 80% capacity retention after 335 cycles. Here, the 19 F quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and interface characterization demonstrate that FEC and LiDFOB can reduce the consumption rate of each other and the electrolyte, form a robust LiF-rich SEI on Li metal anode, and improve the microstructure integrity of the high-nickel cathode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Continuous Purification of Molten Chloride Salt: Electrochemical Behavior of MgOHCl Reduction

We present a study on the electrochemical behavior of magnesium hydroxide (MgOH + ) reduction on a tungsten (W) cathode in molten chloride salt (MgCl 2 -KCl-NaCl) across the temperature range of 475 °C–525 °C. MgOH + , which forms within the salt upon exposure to moisture, is a leading cause of corrosion. Corrosion is a major barrier to deployment of chloride salts across a number of applications, including concentrating solar power plants and nuclear power plants. While pre-purification protocols have been developed to ensure MgOH + is removed from molten chloride salts prior to deployment, MgOH + forms in situ during operation of chloride-salt based plants. Thus, methods for continuous purification during plant operation are needed. Continuous electrochemical purification via electrolysis using a Mg anode and W cathode has been proposed, but little has been done to assess scalability. Here, we assess fundamental properties of electrochemical removal of MgOH + to enable future scale up of this method.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Biopolymer‐assisted Synthesis of P‐doped TiO 2 Nanoparticles for High‐performance Lithium‐ion Batteries: A Comprehensive Study

Abstract TiO 2 material has gained significant attention for large‐scale energy storage due to its abundant, low‐cost, and environmentally friendly properties, as well as the availability of various nanostructures. Phosphorus doping has been established as an effective technique for improving electronic conductivity and managing the slow ionic diffusion kinetics of TiO 2 . In this study, non‐doped and phosphorus doped TiO 2 materials were synthesized using sodium alginate biopolymer as chelating agent. The prepared materials were evaluated as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The electrodes exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance, including a high reversible capacity of 235 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and excellent first coulombic efficiency of 99 %. An integrated approach, combining operando XRD and ex‐situ XAS, comprehensively investigates the relationship between phosphorus doping, material structure, and electrochemical performance, reinforced by analytical tools and first principles calculations. Furthermore, a full cell was designed using 2 %P‐doped TiO 2 anode and LiFePO 4 cathode. The output voltage was about 1.6 V with high initial specific capacity of 148 mAh g −1 , high rate‐capability of 120 mAh g −1 at 1 C, and high‐capacity retention of 96 % after 1000 cycles at 1 C.

El Halya, Nabil↗

Investigating the durability of a direct methanol fuel cell equipped with commercial Platinum Group Metal-free cathodic electro-catalysts

For the first time a long-term (500 h) durability study in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is carried out on a Platinum Group Metal-free (PGM-free) cathodic electro-catalyst commercially available on market. The electro-catalyst is tested for 500 h at a fixed cell voltage (0.3 V), recording the polarization curves during the operation. A drastic decrease in performance is observed after the first 100 h (from 220 to 75 mA cm –2 ); afterwards, the decrease is flatter, passing from 75 to 25 mA cm –2 (at 500 h). The causes of this performance degradation are investigated by postmortem physicochemical analyzes, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with X-ray energy dispersive analysis (EDX). Finally, possible reasons of degradation are indicated to be PGM-free catalyst aggregation, carbon and nitrogen species decrease, Ruthenium dissolution and migration from the anode to the cathode, poisoning both membrane and cathode catalyst.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Seasonal energy storage technologies based on rechargeable batteries

Rechargeable batteries include a Ni y Fe 1-y cathode where 0≤y≤1, an anode comprising a current collector, a porous separator positioned between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte comprising MAlX 4 , wherein M is Na, Li, K, or a combination thereof, and X is Cl, Br, I, or a combination thereof, and wherein the electrolyte is a solid at temperatures less than 50° C. The batteries are temperature activated. The electrolyte temperature is increased above its melting point while charging and reduced below the melting point for energy storage, such as seasonal energy storage. The electrolyte temperature is increased above the melting point again to discharge the battery.

Li, Guosheng↗

Electrolyte Regulating toward Stabilization of Cobalt-Free Ultrahigh-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathode in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Cobalt (Co)-free ultrahigh-nickel (Ni) layered oxides exhibit a double-edged competitive advantages in reducing the cathode cost and boosting the energy density, promising the sustainable development of batteries for electric vehicles. However, the increased Ni content, resultantly more highly oxidative Ni 4+ , potentially induces severe capacity fading due to the aggravated side reactions, limiting the practical applications. Here, we evaluate the compatibility of two localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) with LiNi 0.96 Mg 0.02 Ti 0.02 O 2 (NMT) cathode under a high charging voltage of 4.4 V in lithium ion batteries. The LHCE with EC additive enables the formation of stable interfacial layers on both NMT cathode and graphite anode, thus realizing a capacity retention of 97.2% over 200 cycles at 25 °C and high reversible capacities of ~180.2 and ~185.8 mAh g -1 , respectively, at 5C charge rate and 5C discharge rate. This study offers a promising approach to enable Co-free ultrahigh-Ni layered oxides for practical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

High accuracy in-situ direct gas analysis of Li-ion batteries

Cycling of lithium-ion batteries containing Ni-rich NMC cathodes at high voltage involves intense gas generation. From the safety standpoint, it is critical to understand how different gas species respond to changes of upper cut-off voltages. In this manuscript, we introduce a novel experimental set up for real-time analysis of gas generation in prismatic pouch cells. In a typical experiment, a lithium-ion pouch cell is directly connected to a quadruple mass spectrometer by glass capillary. Pressure difference helps move the generated gases to the mass spectrometer column for full analysis. The gaseous species are probed during both formation cycle and aging cycles in Li-ion pouch cells comprising NMC811 cathode and graphite anode. The gases are generated upon the creation of the solid electrolyte interphase on graphite during the first formation charge. Besides ethylene gas, C 2 H 4 , whose occurrence is related to the decomposition of ethylene carbonate, a minor solvent decomposition happened at a lower voltage is demonstrated to be associated with residue water on the electrode. For aging cycles, three upper cut-off voltages have been selected to investigate the gas evolution behavior upon charging to 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6 V. Higher upper cut-off voltages do not affect the amount of O 2 measured as a part of the generated oxygen could have reacted with electrolytes. Quite similar and low amounts of O 2 remain in the cells upon charging to the selected cut-off voltages. On the other hand, the generation of CO 2 has been found to be very sensitive to upper cut-off voltage. During similar aging cycles, 6167 nmol $g_{NMC}^{-1}$ of CO 2 is generated at 4.6 V, versus 1650 nmol $g_{NMC}^{-1}$ of CO 2 at 4.4 V, versus 91 nmol $g_{NMC}^{-1}$ of CO 2 at 4.2 V.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗