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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 433 records · Page 24

Method for Manufacturing Thin-film Lithium Microbatteries

A process for making thin-film batteries including the steps of cleaning a glass or silicon substrate having an amorphous oxide layer several microns thick; defining with a mask the layer shape when depositing cobalt as an adhesion layer and platinum as a current collector; using the same mask as the preceding step to sputter a layer of LiCoO2 on the structure while rocking it back and forth; heating the substrate to 300 C. for 30 minutes; sputtering with a new mask that defines the necessary electrolyte area; evaporating lithium metal anodes using an appropriate shadow mask; and, packaging the cell in a dry-room environment by applying a continuous bead of epoxy around the active cell areas and resting a glass slide over the top thereof.

Jay F Whitacre↗

Solvation Environment and Interface Dynamics of Li 2 B 12 H 12 and Li 2 B 12 F 12 Electrolytes Uncovered by Theory and Operando Optical and FTIR Spectroelectrochemistry

In this work, we evaluated two closo-borate salts (Li 2 B 12 H 12 and Li 2 B 12 F 12 ) in propylene carbonate from theoretical and experimental perspectives to understand how the coordination environment influences their spectroscopic and electrochemical properties. The coordination environments of the closo-borate salts were modeled via density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD). Vibrational spectra calculated from the predicted coordination environments are in agreement with experimentally measured steady-state FTIR data. This theoretical investigation also suggested that Li 2 B 12 F 12 would possess a higher ionic conductivity than Li 2 B 12 H 12 , which was corroborated experimentally. Additionally, an electrochemical cell was designed and fabricated that enabled operando optical and FTIR spectroelectrochemical (OP-IR-SEC) measurements. This allowed for the simultaneous measurement of the relative changes of species at a lithium electrode-liquid electrolyte interface and the visualization of lithium plating at the electrode surface. This technique could provide new chemical insights and potentially link optical changes at the electrode–electrolyte interface to specific chemical species in similar electrochemical systems. The Li 2 B 12 F 12 electrolyte was found to have a higher thermal stability, which may find utility in applications for batteries that are subject to high-temperature conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Durable, Inexpensive and Scalable Redox Flow Battery Based on Iron Sulfate and Anthraquinone Disulfonic Acid

A new redox flow battery system based on iron sulfate and anthraquinone disulfonic acid (AQDS) is shown here to have excellent electrical performance, capacity retention, and chemical durability. While these redox couples, iron(II)/iron(III) and AQDS are well known individually, their combination in a redox flow battery is shown here for the first time to provide unique benefits for large-scale energy storage. Based on iron sulfate, a waste product of the steel industry, the active materials cost for this battery is anticipated to be $66/kWh. Cycling studies of over 500 cycles in the symmetric cell configuration show a negligibly low capacity fade rate of 7.6 × 10 −5 % per cycle. This symmetric cell also shows a notably high average coulombic efficiency of 99.63%. Using a graphite felt electrode modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), we could achieve a peak power density of 194 mW cm −2 . The major voltage losses are ascribed to the ohmic resistance of the electrode and electrolyte. Despite the lower cell voltage of the system relative to the vanadium flow battery, the iron–AQDS flow battery system presents a good prospect for simultaneously meeting the demanding requirements of cost, durability and scalability for large-scale sustainable energy storage.

Yang, Bo↗

Direct recycling and remanufacturing of anode scraps

With the rapid expansion of Li-ion battery production, significant amounts of electrode scraps that need to be recycled are being produced during cell manufacturing. Anode scrap that comprises critical materials such as graphite and valuable Cu should be recycled and reintegrated into the battery supply chain. This study reports a simple yet efficient water-based recovery process for delaminating anode films from Cu foils through the intercalation of water between the hydrophilic Cu foil and hydrophobic anode coating. Because of the absence of harsh chemicals, the recovered anode films and Cu foils are battery grade and free of damage in terms of physical and chemical properties. This study also demonstrates the reprocessing of those anode films into a new anode that exhibits electrochemical performance similar to that of the pristine anode. We report this environmentally friendly and cost-effective separation technique allows battery manufacturers to directly recycle and reuse their electrode scraps safely and effectively on-site.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

A Novel Lithium-ion Laminated Pouch Cell Tested For Performance And Safety

A new Li-ion 4.0 Ah pouch cell from GS Yuasa has been tested to determine its performance and safety. The cell is of a laminate pouch design with liquid electrolyte. The rate, thermal and vacuum performance capabilities have been tested to determine the optimum parameters. Under vacuum conditions, the cells were cycled under restrained and unrestrained configurations. The burst pressure of the laminate pouch was also determined. The overcharge, overdischarge into reversal and external short circuit safety tests were also performed to determine the cell s tolerance to abuse. Key Words: Li-ion, safety, vacuum test, abuse, COTS batteries, rate capability

Jeevarajan, Judith A.↗

Designing Moderately‐Solvating Electrolytes for High‐Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

New electrolytes are critical for high‐energy lithium (Li)–sulfur (S) batteries (LSBs) to ensure their stability against Li metal anode and polysulfides (PSs) shuttling which hinder the large‐scale application of LSBs. In this study, the design principle of moderately solvating electrolytes (MSEs) for LSBs is demonstrated by using a multiple‐solvent system comprising of a highly solvating solvent, a weakly solvating solvent, and a non‐solvating solvent to create a well‐balanced electrolyte system. This resulting electrolyte significantly improves the cycle life of LSBs, achieving 300 cycles, which is twice as long as that of similar cells with the conventional electrolyte and it also ensures stable calendar life for at least seven months. The optimal MSE forms robust passivation layers enhancing the structural integrity of both S and Li metal electrodes after cycling. These virtues effectively hinder parasitic side reactions and self‐discharge behavior of LSBs. This electrolyte design principle is versatile and can be applied to other battery chemistries, providing a potential path toward the development of a more efficient and stable battery system. By addressing key challenges such as the instability of electrodes and shuttling of polysulfides, this electrolyte approach offers promising solutions for advancing LSB technology.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Perspectives on the relationship between materials chemistry and roll-to-roll electrode manufacturing for high-energy lithium-ion batteries

As lithium-ion battery (LIB) active material and cell manufacturing costs continue to drop with wider adoption of electric vehicles, electrode and cell processing costs remain too high in terms of reaching the ultimate U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cell cost target of $80/kWh. This paper primarily covers major materials chemistry advancements made over the last 10 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the space of advanced manufacturing science for LIBs with the aim of simultaneously meeting the ultimate cost target, 500 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density, 10-15-min fast charge times, and 1000 deep discharge cycles. Aqeous electrode processing with a variety of active anode and cathode materials is now a standard procedure at the DOE Battery Manufacturing R&D Facility at ORNL (BMF), including the latest processes developed for Ni-rich cathodes. New results on cobalt-free LiNi 0.8 Fe 0.1 Al 0.1 O 2 (NFA 811) are also included and discussed in an electrode processing advantage context. In addition, colloidal processing advancements have been made for Si/C composite anodes for achieving >600 mA h/g capacities. Optimization of electrode coating parameters and drying protocols have been completed, which has elucidated how key processing variables need to be changed when parameters such as slurry solids loading, solvent type, and wet electrode thickness are changed. ORNL has also increased the line speeds at which thick cathodes can be processed using ultra-fast electron beam (EB) curing and substantially decreased formation cycling times to <1 day. Finally, key details of these advancements are discussed in the context of materials chemistry and process-property-performance relationships.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Design of a multi-functional gel polymer electrolyte with a 3D compact stacked polymer micro-sphere matrix for high-performance lithium metal batteries

We report lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are considered as promising high energy density batteries. However, they still suffer from poor cyclability due to the instability of solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs) and Li dendrite issues. Herein, a novel 3D densely packed multifunctional crosslinked gel polymer electrolyte (PHGPE) has been synthesized by in situ copolymerization of pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate in a liquid electrolyte via a thermal initiation method. Due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the frameworks, the PHGPE exhibits a 3D compact-stacked and crosslinked micro-sphere structure, which benefits the construction of homogeneous Li + flux, enabling uniform Li plating/stripping and formation of robust SEIs onto the lithium electrode. Benefiting from the above advantages, symmetric Li cells in the PHGPE deliver excellent cyclabilities of 6000 h at a current density of 1 mA cm -2 (1 mA h cm -2 ) and 7700 h at 0.5 mA cm -2 (2 mA h cm -2 ). Moreover, the PHGPE has such a wide electrochemical window that it is compatible with both high-voltage LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 and sulfur cathodes to realize long cycle life. Additionally, a LiFePO 4 based pouch size LMB also presents promising performance. Therefore, this study of the PHGPE has opened a new avenue for high-performance LMBs with excellent versatility and practicality.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Advanced photovoltaic power system technology for lunar base applications

Advanced photovoltaic/electrochemical (batteries or regenerative fuel cells for storage) power system options for a lunar base are discussed and compared. Estimated system masses are compared with those projected for the SP-100 nuclear system. The results of the comparison are quantified in terms of the mass saved in a scenario which assembles the initial base elements in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and launches from there to the lunar surface. A brief summary is given of advances in photovoltaic/electrochemical power system technologies currently under development in the NASA/OAST program. A description of the planned focussed technology program for surface power in the new Pathfinder initiative is also provided.

Brinker, David J.↗

Designing Advanced Electrolytes for High-Voltage High-Capacity Disordered Rocksalt Cathodes

Lithium (Li)-excess transition metal oxide materials which crystallize in the cation-disordered rock salt (DRX) structure are promising cathodes for realizing low-cost, high-energy-density Li batteries. However, the state-of-the-art electrolytes for Li-ion batteries cannot meet the high-voltage stability requirement for high-voltage DRX cathodes, thus new electrolytes are urgently demanded. It has been reported that the solvation structures and properties of the electrolytes critically influence the performance and stability of the batteries. In this study, the structure–property relationships of various electrolytes with different solvent-to-diluent ratios are systematically investigated through a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental tests and analyses. This approach guides the development of electrolytes with unique solvation structures and characteristics, exhibiting high voltage stability, and enhancing the formation of stable electrode/electrolyte interphases. These electrolytes enable the realization of Li||Li 1.094 Mn 0.676 Ti 0.228 O 2 (LMTO) DRX cells with improved performance compared to the conventional electrolyte. Specifically, Li||LMTO cells with the optimized advanced controlled-solvation electrolyte deliver higher specific capacity and longer cycle life compared to cells with the conventional electrolyte. Additionally, the investigation into the structure–property relationship provides a foundational basis for designing advanced electrolytes, which are crucial for the stable cycling of emerging high-voltage cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Cobalt-Free Cathodes for Next Generation Li-Ion Batteries

In this U.S. Department of Energy sponsored project Nexceris, in collaboration with project partners; The Ohio State University and Navitas Advanced Systems have advanced the technical maturity of a non-cobalt containing cathode for next-generation Li-ion batteries. The cathode is based on the lithium manganese nickel-titanium oxide, LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 TiO 4 (LNMTO) high voltage spinel. To address limitations with poor cycle and calendar life an microstucturally hierarchical LNMO/LNMTO core-shell cathode powder has been developed that enables the formation of a solid-electrolyte interface that effectively passivates the cathode surface. The microstructural enhancements of the cathode material focus on preferentially enriching the surface with titanium. In parallel, new, optimized binder and electrolyte chemistries have been incorporated to address degradation mechanisms associated with high-voltage systems. Single-layer pouch cell and large-format 2-Ah cell testing have shown that an optimized LNMO/LNMTO core-shell powder significantly improves initial cell capacity and cycle life compared to homogeneous LNMO powder. To support development and the fabrication of 2-Ah cells a novel Hybrid Alternative Wet-Chemical Synthesis (HAWCS) process have been developed. This low-cost, synthesis approach enables the excellent compositional and particle morphology control achieved with co-precipitation without the strict process controls and associated expensive process equipment.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Developing extreme fast charge battery protocols – A review spanning materials to systems

Extreme fast charging (XFC) has become a focal research point in the lithium-battery community over the last several years. As adoption of electric vehicles increases, fast charging has become a key driver in enhancing consumer recharge experience. Recently, the research community has made significant improvements in developing charge protocols to support XFC. New charge protocol designs derived using a combination of advanced, physically derived models, and electrochemical and secondary characterization methods, increase charge acceptance and decrease aging. By coordinating these methods and modifying protocols to account for different material constraints, including lithium plating and cathode particle degradation, novel charge protocols have increased the energy accepted during charging by over 25% in 10 min and increased the charge acceptance prior to a constant-voltage step by approximately 3x. Here, we review several charge-protocol advances, aging factors which are enhanced by XFC and advances which will enable adoption of XFC capable vehicles. These advances include implementing machine learning and other detection algorithms to reduce and classify lithium plating, which is known to significantly degrade cell performance and reduce cell life. The review concludes by discussing full-system fast charge requirements, including electric vehicle service equipment needs for implementing XFC protocols.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Photovoltaics for high capacity space power systems

The anticipated energy requirements of future space missions will grow by factors approaching 100 or more, particularly as a permanent manned presence is established in space. The advances that can be expected in solar array performance and lifetime, when coupled with advanced, high energy density storage batteries and/or fuel cells, will continue to make photovoltaic energy conversion a viable power generating option for the large systems of the future. The specific technologies required to satisfy any particular set of power requirements will vary from mission to mission. Nonetheless, in almost all cases the technology push will be toward lighter weight and higher efficiency, whether of solar arrays or storage devices. This paper will describe the content and direction of the current NASA program in space photovoltaic technology. The paper will also discuss projected system level capabilities of photovoltaic power systems in the context of some of the new mission opportunities under study by NASA, such as a manned lunar base, and a manned visit to Mars.

Flood, Dennis J.↗

Photovoltaics for high capacity space power systems

The anticipated energy requirements of future space missions will grow by factors approaching 100 or more, particularly as a permanent manned presence is established in space. The advances that can be expected in solar array performance and lifetime, when coupled with advanced, high energy density storage batteries and/or fuel cells, will continue to make photovoltaic energy conversion a viable power generating option for the large systems of the future. The specific technologies required to satisfy any particular set of power requirements will vary from mission to mission. Nonetheless, in almost all cases the technology push will be toward lighter weight and higher efficiency, whether of solar arrays of storage devices. This paper will describe the content and direction of the current NASA program in space photovoltaic technology. The paper will also discuss projected system level capabilities of photovoltaic power systems in the context of some of the new mission opportunities under study by NASA, such as a manned lunar base, and a manned visit to Mars.

Flood, Dennis J.↗

Mechano-chemical understanding of NaSICON for aqueous redox-flow batteries

Redox-flow batteries utilizing a sodium superionic conductor (NaSICON) can be cost-effective systems for grid energy storage by combining high sodium selectivity with reliance on abundant, low-cost elements. However, improving membrane toughness while maintaining a sufficiently thin membrane for ion conduction is needed. Addressing this issue requires deeper insight into the mechanical properties of NaSICON, its interactions with aqueous chemistries, and the chemo-mechanical degradation mechanisms that arise at the intersection of these phenomena. Here, we provide a framework for understanding these problems, strategies to address them, and highlight the potential of unconventional sintering and thin-film fabrication to optimize the performance of NaSICON in practical flow cells.

Grid energy storage↗

Utilization of Machine Learning Techniques for Managing the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Constellation

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) operates a constellation of ten geosynchronous Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). The TDRS constellation consists of multiple geosynchronous communication relay satellites located around the equator so they can provide continual coverage of any mission in low earth orbit. The TDRS are located primarily in three oceanic regions around the earth. NASA’s White Sands Complex provides the ground communication support for TDRS located over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Another TDRS ground station in Guam supports the TDRS over the Indian Ocean. With these satellites the TDRS network can provide continuous coverage of satellites in low-earth orbit. The NASA Space Network (SN) project office at GSFC manages the constellation of spacecraft. Major customers of the TDRS constellation include, but are not limited to, the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. The TDRS constellation has three generations of satellites and has been active for over 30 years providing reliable communication links between customer satellites and corresponding ground stations. However, one of the major concerns for TDRS, and in any space mission, is to ensure the health and safety of the spacecraft. Generally, engineers use telemetry data to monitor and analyze the performance and state of health of the spacecraft. Telemetry data contains hundreds of parameters that monitor each important component in the spacecraft, which can be utilized to recognize and characterize the behavior of the spacecraft. Each parameter contains considerable information to represent time-dependent properties of each spacecraft subsystem and component. During the entire life of a TDRS spacecraft, thousands of gigabytes of telemetry data are transmitted in real-time from the spacecraft to the ground station at the White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and recorded as historical data sets for engineers to process and analyze the events that occurred on-orbit. These parameters contain the function of multiple spacecraft subsystems, such as the attitude control system (ACS), Thermal, Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS), etc. . The first and second generations have exceeded their required lifetime and NASA is keen to manage these spacecrafts carefully in order to maximize the remaining life using the spacecraft telemetry. The challenge is to know when the risk of losing a spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit exceeds the benefit of continued operations for customer support. In the TDRS fleet, the EPS is the most critical subsystem related to spacecraft operations. Failure of the EPS would strand a spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. Since EPS provides power to the spacecraft, component failures ultimately lead to the inability to support the spacecraft loads and the communications payload. For instance, TDRS-8 has several anomalies in EPS including the Bus Voltage Limiter (BVL) shunt current, solar array loss of circuits, and failed battery cells. Any of these anomalies can cause critical issues to the spacecraft. Therefore, developing a system to analyze and perform early detection of a potential anomaly is an important issue in telemetry data analysis. In recent years, Telemetry Mining (TM) has been proposed to process telemetry data by using Data Mining (DM) techniques such as classification, clustering, regression and anomaly detection. Anomaly detection, also known as outlier detection, has been widely used in many data mining areas such as remote sensing, medical data processing and digital image processing. The goal of anomaly detection is to detect abnormal data, which contains a relatively low probability of occurrence among the entire data set. Early detection of anomalies is one of the most significant issues in managing the spacecraft configuration. If anomalies can be detected early enough, then the redundant resources can be used to extend the life of the operational spacecraft. We present an unsupervised anomaly detection method to process the EPS data extracted from TDRS-8. This is different from traditional analytical methods, which use telemetry data to illustrate behavior and physical meaning of each spacecraft component. TM connects multiple parameters as a vector and then conducts data analysis on this high dimension telemetry vector. This method is looking at the properties of a high dimensional vector that is able to consider the relationship between different parameters in the anomaly detection problem. This kind of method performs much better than the traditional limit checking method. In addition, we propose a new approach of real-time anomaly detection to process telemetry data in real-time, which can then be applied to spacecraft monitoring with high reliability, low cost and high accuracy.

Machine Learning (ML)↗

2023 Roadmap on molecular modelling of electrochemical energy materials

New materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion are the key to the electrification and sustainable development of our modern societies. Molecular modelling based on the principles of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics as well as empowered by machine learning techniques can help us to understand, control and design electrochemical energy materials at atomistic precision. Therefore, this roadmap, which is a collection of authoritative opinions, serves as a gateway for both the experts and the beginners to have a quick overview of the current status and corresponding challenges in molecular modelling of electrochemical energy materials for batteries, supercapacitors, CO 2 reduction reaction, and fuel cell applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Energy Storage Analysis

This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic characterization of energy storage and exible low carbon power generation technologies that can shift energy across days, weeks, or months to balance daily, weekly, and seasonal disparities in supply and demand. Energy storage technologies evaluated here include pumped hydropower storage (PHS), adiabatic and diabatic compressed air energy storage (CAES), vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs), pumped thermal energy storage (P-TES), and renewably produced hydrogen stored in either geologic formations or underground pipes with re-electrification via combustion turbines in combined cycles, stationary proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, or the novel use of PEM fuel cells designed for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) which are expected to have shorter lives but also lower capital costs. We also evaluate flexible low-carbon power generation systems, including ethanol combustion in gas turbines and natural gas combustion with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). We estimate current costs with literature data, use learning rates to characterize future costs, and develop capacity factors calibrated to an 85% renewables grid to calculate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of each technology. Results illustrate that at the 12-hour storage duration, PHS and CAES have the lowest LCOE with current costs, and VRBs become competitive if future costs are achieved. At the 120-hour storage duration, hydrogen systems with geologic storage and natural gas with CCS achieve the lowest LCOE in both current and future capital cost scenarios. In particular, the new configuration of HDV-PEM fuel cells with hydrogen storage in geologic formations evaluated here could lower the LCOE by 22-27% compared to stationary fuel cell systems typically evaluated and might help enable very high (>80%) renewable energy electric power systems. P-TES and hydrogen stored in underground pipes are the least-cost options at the 120-hour storage duration rating that do not require some form of geologic storage. Sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo analysis illustrate that the general trends seen in this study are valid for a wide range of capacity factors and future cost scenarios. The study also illustrates that coproducing and selling hydrogen to other markets could reduce the LCOE of hydrogen systems by up to 39%.

carbon capture and sequestration↗