Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have come up with a new design for lithium-ion batteries that can hold more energy and recharge within a mere 10 minutes.
A team led by Chongwu Zhou, professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, replaced the graphite anodes that are typically used in the batteries with porous silicon nanoparticles to come up with the new design, which can be used in a range of applications, from mobile devices to hybrid cars.
Zhou said, in a press release, that the research "opens the door for the design of the next-generation lithium-ion batteries." He worked with a team of graduate students as well as researcher Yunhao Lu at the Zhejiang University in China on the invention. The batteries could be available in two to three years, according to Zhou. USC’s Viterbi School funded the research.
Researchers at the University of Southern California, led by Professor Chongwu Zhou, replaced graphite with porous silicon nanoparticles in anodes of lithium-ion batteries to come up with a new design. The battery, which could be available in two to three years, has a longer life and charges more quickly than lithium-ion batteries used now. (Source: Mingyuan Ge & Chongwu Zhou/USC)
The work is certainly not the first time researchers have tried to use silicon in anodes -- the place where the current flows into a battery -- because it’s inexpensive and has a high potential capacity. However, previous designs could not stand up to the charging and discharging cycles in which the anodes swell and shrink repeatedly. The small plates of silicon that were part of earlier silicon anode designs broke down after repeated use, researchers said.
The trick of the design Zhou’s team came up with are porous silicon nanowires that are less than 100 nanometers in diameter and a few microns long. Small pores on the wires allow silicon to expand and contract without breaking, researchers said. They also increase the surface area of the anode, which enables lithium ions to stream in and out of the battery more quickly.
All of this results in a stronger battery in a less expensive design, researchers said. However, there were a couple of drawbacks to the design. One is that the nanowires are difficult to manufacture in large quantities. To get around this problem, researchers took small silicon spheres, which are commercially available, and gave them the same pores as the nanowires.
Another weakness in the design is that the battery’s lifespan isn’t as long as traditional graphite-based design -- 200 recharge cycles for the silicon nanoparticle batteries versus 500 for traditional batteries. The team will continue to research ways to change the nanoparticle element of the battery to improve this metric, Zhou said: "The easy method we use may generate real impact on battery applications in the near future."
In future research, the team also will seek a new cathode material with a high capacity to use together with the porous silicon nanowires and/or porous silicon nanoparticles to completely overhaul the battery design, researchers said.
There is a lot of innovation happening in the battery space at the moment and, in my opinion, it couldn't come at a better time. If you think about it, while so much other technology has evolved in leaps and bounds, batteries historically have been very slow to evolve yet we are still quite dependent on them to power all of our gadgets and devices. The idea of a longer-lasting battery that can recharge so quickly is a welcome innovation in this space.
I'm confused. Although the title says that a longer-lasting battery was invented, the story says "Another weakness in the design is that the battery's lifespan isn't as long as traditional graphite-based design".
Yes, you're right, TJ...tricky wording there...It depends on what you mean as longer lasting. The battery will run out more quickly but it will continue to be charged and recharged longer, and apparently they are working on the design so it will eventually be longer lasting in both respects. Sorry for the confusion...I should have worded it more clearly.
Thanks for posting this: potentially really good news. And yes, it's helpful to use two different terms for total lifespan and length of charge. In cell phone batteries, the latter is called "talk time."
Nice story, Liz. Let's hope this technology reaches its potential. Material scientists have tried many lithium-ion chemistries over the past 20 years and short cycle life has often been a problem. Lithium-sulfur, for example, has offered high energy but has had problems getting past about 50 cycles. Most automakers are looking for a minimum of a thousand cycles. Some are looking for 2,000 because they want some margin for warranties. Let's hope these engineers can do it.
I didn't know that term, Ann, but it makes sense! Now I will know to use it when I am talking about cell phone batteries anyway and avoid any confusion in the future.
Yes, it would be great if they could overcome what you note is a long-time hurdle. This would be a great invention, particularly for the future of electric vehicles and could overcome any remaining hurdles to adoption. It's good to know at least that some very clever people are looking at the problem in new ways.
The weakness in any portable system is the battery. If you can recharge in 10 minutes, you have a winner.
And they said nothing good ever came out of California...
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