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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

An Effective Relithiation Process for Recycling Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathode Materials

Abstract Rapid adoption of lithium‐ion batteries for electronics and electric vehicles requires cost‐effective and efficient recycling of battery components especially the valuable cathode active materials. The direct recycling method transforms end‐of‐life (EOL) cathode materials into battery grade materials with minimal energy consumption and least environmental disruption. In direct recycling, the relithiation step to restore the lithium stoichiometry of the cathode materials is critical. In this work, a novel electrochemical relithiation approach in an aqueous electrolyte followed by a heat treatment for recycling cathode materials in EOL lithium‐ion batteries is demonstrated and analyzed. Using LiCoO 2 as an example, it is shown that the recycled LiCoO 2 materials show equivalent crystal structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance to the commercial LiCoO 2 .

Yang, Tairan↗
DOE OSTI2021

In–Depth Analysis of the Degradation Mechanisms of High–Nickel, Low/No–Cobalt Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium–Ion Batteries

A rational compositional design of high-nickel, cobalt-free layered oxide materials for high-energy and low-cost lithium-ion batteries would be expected to further propel the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), yet a composition with satisfactory electrochemical properties has yet to emerge. The previous work has demonstrated a promising LiNi 0.883 Mn 0.056 Al 0.061 O 2 (NMA-89) composition that outperformed high-nickel, cobalt-containing analogs in cycling stability and maintained a comparable rate performance and thermal stability. Herein, the capacity fading mechanism of NMA-89 in a pouch full cell with a 4.2 V cutoff is compared to that of its cobalt-containing analogs. The results reveal that particle cracking in LiNi 0.89 Mn 0.055 Co 0.055 O 2 (NMC-89) and LiNi 0.883 Co 0.053 Al 0.064 O 2 (NCA-89) leads to a loss of active material and an increase in surface area, thereby exacerbating structural and surface instabilities, accelerating impedance and polarization growth, and ultimately reducing their capacity retentions. LiNi 0.89 Mn 0.044 Co 0.042 Al 0.013 Mg 0.011 O 2 (NMCAM-89) and NMA-89 experience subdued surface reactions and maintain spherical particle structures, both of which are conducive to their capacity retentions during long-term cycling. Furthermore, this investigation offers insights into how specific transition-metal ions dictate the electrochemical stability of high-Ni layered oxide cathode materials, highlights the benefit of Mn-Al combination in NMA-89, and presents potential strategies to further enhance the performance of this novel class of cathode materials.

degradation mechanisms↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multielectron Organic Redoxmers for Energy-Dense Redox Flow Batteries

Redox flow battery is a highly promising stationary energy storage method but the limited energy density and high chemical cost are among the main barriers for commercialization. Multi-electron organic redoxmers represent a family of structurally tailorable candidates that can achieve multiplied energy density with decreased materials consumption, potentially resulting in a viable solution to address these challenges. In this work, the recent development of organic molecules with reversible multi-redox activities in both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes is reviewed. The major focus is on the fundamental correlation between the chemical structures and the functional properties of reported multi-electron organic molecules. Valuable insights are offered on rational structural design strategies for improving the relevant physico- and electro-chemical properties. Finally, the current challenges are discussed to suggest future research needs along the avenue of using the multi-electron approach to achieve energy-dense, stable, cost-effective redox flow batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Research and Development on Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices Enabling a Spectrum of Electrified Vehicles

The USABC Advanced Battery development plan had the following three focus areas: 1. Existing technology validation, implementation, and cost reduction 2. Identification of the next viable technology with emphasis on the potential to meet USABC cost and energy density goals. 3. Support high-risk, high-reward battery technology R&D The primary aim of this project was focused on the barriers that most impede wider public adoption of electrification in vehicles-cost, energy density, low-temp performance, calendar life, and improvements in abuse tolerance. The specific objectives are as follows: Cost Reduction: drive to significantly reduce battery cost to be in-line with the $\$$100/kWh or less (by the end of calendar year 2020) DOE cost goals. Additionally, goals of $\$$75/KWh were set for 2023 aligned with fast charge and some offset of energy density. Energy Density Increase: focus on improving the cell-level specific energy and energy densities to >350 watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and >750Wh/L. Low Temperature Performance Increase: strive toward developments that improve the discharge power and eliminate or dramatically reduce the life limiting lithium plating associated with regenerative braking at low temperatures, during the program. Calendar Life Increase: drive to achieve a 15-year calendar life. Abuse Tolerance Improvement: strive to develop improvements in Li-ion abuse tolerance and/or development of electrochemical energy storage technologies with inherently better response to abuse circumstances. Emerging Areas: initiate new programs that address emerging technologies that arise during the contract period.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Single‐Step Deformation Processing of Ultrathin Lithium Foil and Strip

Abstract Next‐generation, high‐efficiency energy storage and conversion systems require development of lithium metal batteries. But the high cost of production and constraints on thickness of lithium (anode) foils continue to limit adoption for integration into battery cell architectures. Here, a novel lithium anode manufacturing solution is demonstrated – single‐step production of ultrathin gauge foil formats directly from solid ingot. Hybrid cutting‐based deformation processes, involving large plastic strains and strain rates, produce foil to sub‐10 µm thickness, with surface quality even superior to present Li anode processing routes. Energy analysis shows the single‐stage processing is ≈50% more efficient than conventional processing by extrusion‐rolling. Through in situ force measurements and high‐speed imaging of the cutting it also characterize – for the first time – the flow stress of Li to strain rates of 800 sec −1 , revealing a power‐law relationship. The results present a paradigm shift in manufacturing and integration of solid lithium anodes for energy applications.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Techno-Economic Impact of a Smart Battery Sorting System

Create analytical framework to capture costs and benefits of the automated sorting into battery recycling including the development and deployment of various types of battery recycling technologies such as pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and direct recycling. Li Industries, Inc. is a Virginia startup company focused on reinventing how lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are recycled. Li Industries is focused on developing direct LIB recycling and automated battery sorting technologies in order to reduce the environmental impact of the LIB lifecycle. This work is to be conducted in support of the American-Made Challenges Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize. Li Industries and NREL will work together to understand how novel technologies, such as those being developed by Li Industries, can impact the development and economics of the battery recycling industry. This voucher is being used to evaluate the profitability of an automated sorting system developed by Li Industries and the potential effect this increased value could have on the domestic lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling industries in the United States. NREL has developed the Lithium-Ion Battery Resources Assessment (LIBRA) system dynamics model to project the future viability of the US LIB manufacturing and recycling industries under varying technoeconomic conditions and battery adoption scenarios over the coming decades. Additional logic was added to LIBRA to analyze the role automated sorting of recycling feedstock could play in the buildout of the industry and the impacts it has on the recovery of end-of-life (EOL) battery materials. This report summarizes the outcomes of this modeling analysis in the US context through a series of sensitivity analyses run for a range of values of a given input dimension and compared across the unsorted or automated sorting cases for LIB recycling feedstock. For greater detail on the process and analysis, the researchers are publishing a forthcoming journal article titled Techno-Economic Impact of a Smart Battery Sorting System for Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling and Mineral Recovery in the United States by Weigl, et al. In the event the article is not accepted by any currently seeking publication in academic or industry journal, it may be published by NREL. CRADA benefit to DOE, Participant, and US Taxpayer: assists laboratory in achieving programmatic scope competencies, uses the laboratory's core competencies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Storing Electricity with Salt and Iron (CRADA Final Report)

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, Inlyte Energy, Inc. investigated low-cost energy storage for the electricity grid via batteries manufactured from abundant materials. Low-cost energy storage can solve the problem of the intermittency of wind and solar power, thereby allowing these sources of energy to scale more rapidly. The project team explored development of a Na-FeCl 2 battery—which had as its starting redox-active materials the abundant materials table salt (NaCl) and iron—that can operate safely and efficiently over a long lifetime, and be produced at very low-cost. The Na-FeCl 2 battery is architecturally similar to the commercialized Zebra (Na-NiCl 2 ) batteries, which have demonstrated safety, efficiency, and long lifetime. This project explored and assessed key design changes, including the use of planar Na-β’’-alumina solid electrolyte and lower temperatures (~200 °C) with polymer seals aimed at decreasing costs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cost effective synthesis of oxide materials for lithium ion batteries

Methods for synthesizing single crystalline Ni-rich cathode materials are disclosed. The Ni-rich cathode material may have a formula LiNi X Mn y M z Co 1-x-y-z O 2 , where M represents one or more dopant metals, x≥0.6, 0.01≤y<0.2, 0≤z≤0.05, and x+y+z≤1.0. The methods are cost-effective, and include methods for solid-state, molten-salt, and flash-sintering syntheses.

Xiao, Jie↗
DOE OSTI2022

Sodium trithiocarbonate cathode for high-performance sodium–sulfur batteries

The high abundance and low cost of sodium and sulfur make room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries an attractive technology compared to the current lithium-ion batteries for large-scale grid-storage applications. However, the commercialization of RT Na-S batteries is impeded by the slow kinetics of Na-S chemistry, severe sodium polysulfide shuttling, and uncontrollable growth of dendritic Na. Herein, sodium trithiocarbonate (Na 2 CS 3 ) is applied as a cathode material to facilitate concurrent improvement in both electrodes, leading to a high-rate performance with extended cycle life. The conductive characteristic of the carbon-sulfur resonance bond provides fast ion and electron transfer throughout the cathode, resulting in superior electrochemical reactivity. At the cathode, the presence of Na2CS3 forms an oligomer-structured layer to suppress the dissolution and shuttling of active materials. Meanwhile, when small portions of Na 2 CS 3 intermediates migrate to the anode, a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer with uniform Na-ion flux is formed, enabling improved Na stripping and plating performance. A series of electrochemical and materials characterization, accompanied by density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Na 2 CS 3 is a promising candidate to realize high-rate performance long cycle life RT Na-S batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Technology Strategy Assessment: Findings from Storage Innovations 2030 Supercapacitors

Electrochemical capacitors, which are commercially called supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, are a family of energy storage devices with remarkably high specific power compared with other electrochemical storage devices. Supercapacitors do not require a solid dielectric layer between the two electrodes, instead they store energy by accumulating electric charge on porous electrodes filled with an electrolyte solution and separated by an insulating porous membrane. Supercapacitors offer large specific capacitance and high power output. They can be charged and discharged very quickly, offer excellent cycle life and long operational life, and operate over a broad temperature range. The major drawbacks of supercapacitors are low energy density and a high self-discharge rate. For example, a supercapacitor passively discharges from 100% to 50% in a month compared with only 5% for a lithium-ion battery [1]. The high capital cost and low energy density of supercapacitors make the unit cost of energy stored ($/kWh) more expensive than alternatives such as batteries. Their attributes make them attractive for uses in which frequent small charges/discharges are required (e.g., ensuring power quality or providing frequency regulation). Their attributes and cost make them less attractive for long-duration energy storage, which favors technologies with low self-discharge that cost less per unit of energy stored.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermal energy grid storage: Liquid containment and pumping above 2000 °C

As the cost of renewable energy falls below fossil fuels, the key barrier to widespread sustainable electricity has become availability on demand. Energy storage can enable dispatchable renewables, but only with drastic cost reductions compared to current battery technologies. One electricity storage concept that could enable these cost reductions stores electricity as sensible heat in an extremely hot liquid (>2000°C) and uses multi-junction photovoltaics (MPV) as a heat engine to convert it back to electricity on demand hours, or days, later. Furthermore, this paper reports the first containment of silicon in a multipart graphite tank above 2000°C, using material grades that are affordable for energy storage at GWh scales. Low cost molded graphite with particle sizes as large as 10 μm successfully contained metallurgical grade silicon, even with as much as twothirds iron by mass for up to 10 hours and temperatures as high as 2300°C, in tanks as large as two gallons.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide Using Nickel Hydroxide Batteries in a Membrane Electrode Assembly

Direct air capture (DAC) is a growing field responding to the need to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Several technologies are being developed today attempting to meet this need. The technology furthest in development are temperature swing adsorption technologies which have recently moved out of the pilot plant scale.1 This presentation looks to present an electrochemical device as alternative to these technologies. The electrochemical device proposed is a pair of nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) battery electrodes which produce hydroxide (OH-). The hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide (CO2) to create carbonate (CO32-) and bicarbonate (HCO3-). These carbonates can be transported from the cathode across an anion exchange membrane to the anode where they are evolved back into CO2 due to a pH reduction at the anode. This builds on work that optimized a Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (HEMFC) for CO2 capture, showing the efficacy of an electrochemically mediated pH swing carbon capture device.2,3 The benefit of the nickel hydroxide battery approach is the low energy cost associated with separation. Because a pair of nickel hydroxide batteries undergo the same electrochemical reaction, low potentials, and thus low energy cost is required. Experiments have shown device level energy requirements of less than 1 MWh ton-1CO2. Most of the energy required by the device produces the pH gradient used to capture and release CO2. The biggest hurdle for this electrochemical approach is increasing the flux of CO2 to allow for more compact devices. Strategies for managing the transient charge and discharge behavior of the battery system will be discussed. Focus will be on improving flux to reduce the overall cost of the device.

Buchen, James↗
DOE OSTI2026

Spinel high-entropy oxides (FeNiCrMnZnX) 3 O 4 (X = Al, mg) as anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

To address the high cost, cobalt dependency, and resource constraints typical of conventional high-entropy oxide (HEO) anodes, this study reports the successful synthesis of two Co-free, six-component spinel-type HEOs(FeNiCrMnZnAl) 3 O 4 (HEO-Al) and (FeNiCrMnZnMg) 3 O 4 (HEO-Mg), via a sol-gel method. The distinct effects of Al 3+ and Mg 2+ incorporation on the electrochemical performance and lithium storage kinetics were systematically investigated. XRD, Raman, and TEM characterizations confirm that both materials possess a pure spinel phase, uniform particle size, and homogeneous elemental distribution. Notably, electrochemical evaluations reveal that HEO-Al delivers a superior reversible capacity of 480.7 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g −1 , and maintains 354.5 mAh g −1 after 1000 long-term cycles at 1 A g −1 , significantly outperforming HEO-Mg. Kinetic analysis indicates that HEO-Al exhibits lower charge transfer resistance, a higher Li + diffusion coefficient, and a pseudocapacitive contribution of up to 82%. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that Al substitution effectively optimizes the structural stability and lithium storage kinetics of Co-free HEOs, providing a viable strategy for designing low-cost, highly stable HEO anode systems.

Anode materials↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Scalable Approach to Minimize Charging Costs for Electric Bus Fleets

Incorporating battery electric buses into bus fleets faces three primary challenges: a BEB’s extended refuel time, the cost of charging, both by the consumer and the power provider, and large compute demands for planning methods. When BEBs charge, the additional demands on the grid may exceed hardware limitations, so power providers divide a consumer’s energy needs into separate meters even though doing so is expensive for both power providers and consumers. Prior work has developed a number of strategies for computing charge schedules for bus fleets; however, prior work has not worked to reduce costs by aggregating meters. Additionally, because many works use mixed integer linear programs, their compute needs make planning for commercial-sized bus fleets intractable. This work presents a multi-program approach to computing charge plans for electric bus fleets. The proposed method solves a series of subproblems where the solution to the charge problem becomes more refined with each problem, moving closer to the optimal schedule. The results demonstrate how runtimes are reduced by using intermediate subproblems to refine the bus charge solution so that the proposed method can be applied to large bus fleets of 100+ buses. Not only will we demonstrate that runtimes scale linearly with the number of buses but we will also show how the proposed method scales to large bus fleets of over 100 buses while managing the monthly cost of energy.

Mortensen, Daniel (ORCID:0000000276494452)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding the reversible electrodeposition of aluminum in low-cost room-temperature molten salts

Aluminum is the most earth-abundant metal, trivalent, and inert in ambient air; it also has a density approximately five times that of lithium at room temperature, making it attractive for cost-effective, long-duration storage in batteries. Here, we investigate structural requirements and physicochemical and transport properties of ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes thought to enable high reversibility of Al battery anodes. We find that intentionally designed, low-cost IL analogs, including ammonium-based molten salts, offer comparable Al anode reversibility to state-of-the-art imidazolium-based IL melts. A critical ratio of solvated Al-ion species is required to balance the effects of Lewis acidity needed to continuously etch native Al 2 O 3 and form a stable solid electrolyte interphase on Al. Our findings open new opportunities for developing simple, cost-effective, room-temperature Al batteries that enable long-duration electrical energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structural and chemical evolution in layered oxide cathodes of lithium-ion batteries revealed by synchrotron techniques

Abstract Rechargeable battery technologies have revolutionized electronics, transportation and grid energy storage. Many materials are being researched for battery applications, with layered transition metal oxides (LTMO) the dominating cathode candidate with remarkable electrochemical performance. Yet, daunting challenges persist in the quest for further battery developments targeting lower cost, longer lifespan, improved energy density and enhanced safety. This is, in part, because of the intrinsic complexity of real-world batteries, featuring sophisticated interplay among microstructural, compositional and chemical heterogeneities, which has motivated tremendous research efforts using state-of-the-art analytical techniques. In this research field, synchrotron techniques have been identified as a suite of effective methods for advanced battery characterization in a non-destructive manner with sensitivities to the lattice, electronic and morphological structures. This article provides a holistic overview of cutting-edge developments in synchrotron-based research on LTMO battery cathode materials. We discuss the complexity and evolution of LTMO’s material properties upon battery operation and review recent synchrotron-based research works that address the frontier challenges and provide novel insights in this field. Finally, we formulate a perspective on future directions of synchrotron-based battery research, involving next-generation X-ray facilities and advanced computational developments.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing the Effect of Electrode Thermodynamics on Reaction Heterogeneity in Thick Battery Electrodes

Thick electrodes present a viable strategy for enhancing energy density and reducing manufacturing costs of lithium-ion batteries. However, reaction heterogeneity during cycling compromises their rate capability and cycle life. While this nonuniformity is commonly attributed to sluggish charge transport, it is demonstrated here that the thermodynamic properties of the electrode material play an equally critical role. Through combined X-ray fluorescence microscopy and absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, reaction distributions in LiFePO 4 (LFP) and LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 (NMC) thick electrodes with matched porosity and tortuosity are compared. LFP electrodes develop pronounced depth-oriented state-of-charge (SOC) gradients that worsen with increasing discharge rates, whereas NMC maintains much more uniform SOC distributions under such conditions. This difference originates from their distinct SOC dependence of equilibrium potentials and is quantifiable through a dimensionless “reaction uniformity” number. Intriguingly, LFP thick electrodes also exhibit lateral SOC variations that strengthen during slow discharge. In conclusion, the enhanced reaction uniformity in NMC correlates with better active material utilization and slower capacity fade than LFP, highlighting electrode thermodynamics as a key design consideration for thick electrodes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A High-Energy NASICON-Type Cathode Material for Na-Ion Batteries

Over the last decade, Na-ion batteries have been extensively studied as low-cost alternatives to Li-ion batteries for large-scale grid storage applications; however, the development of high-energy positive electrodes remains a major challenge. Materials with a polyanionic framework, such as Na superionic conductor (NASICON)-structured cathodes with formula Na x M 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , have attracted considerable attention because of their stable 3D crystal structure and high operating potential. Herein, a novel NASICON-type compound, Na 4 MnCr(PO 4 ) 3 , is reported as a promising cathode material for Na-ion batteries that deliver a high specific capacity of 130 mAh g –1 during discharge utilizing high-voltage Mn 2+/3+ (3.5 V), Mn 3+/4+ (4.0 V), and Cr 3+/4+ (4.35 V) transition metal redox. In addition, Na 4 MnCr(PO 4 ) 3 exhibits a high rate capability (97 mAh g –1 at 5 C) and excellent all-temperature performance. In situ X-ray diffraction and synchrotron X-ray diffraction analyses reveal reversible structural evolution for both charge and discharge.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗