"What we do in this department is take material from discovery through pubescence and teenage years, exercise it and then take it to death and see what changed," said Ira Bloom, chemist and lab manager for the testing facility.
Once the batteries are put out of their misery, scientists conduct an autopsy in the Post-Test Facility. Lithium reacts with air and moisture, so the whole procedure is done in sealed glove boxes filled with inert gases, using tools like saws and ceramic scissors to prevent short circuits in what Bloom described as "a very inelegant process."
After cutting open the batteries, the researchers analyze what happened to the electrolytes, the cathodes, the anodes and other components. Using Raman spectroscopy, an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, a scanning electron microscope and a thermogravimetric analyzer, they can find out what happened to the battery as it grew old, what compounds it gave off, how its structure changed and what parts wore out. The team can then determine what led to the observed results and figure out ways to control these factors.
Bloom found that batteries are most significantly affected by temperature, followed by how intensely they are charged and discharged. Lithium-ion cells in particular don't like to sit idle, which can shorten their lifespans.
With information like this, battery and automobile manufacturers can figure out how to set up a warranty for their energy storage systems, while getting a handle on the limits of the technology in terms of performance and safety. "Right now, they're shooting for a 15-year life of the battery," Bloom said.
The facility's capacity is expected to double to cope with a large backlog of test materials, according to Bloom. The process is incremental, and he expects it will be five to 10 years before some of these designs hit the market. "It's been more of an evolution than a revolution," he said.
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
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9 Comments
Add CommentI don't know, but I think I smell a skunk. Lithium has been used since the 70s and the improvements have been near zero, just like the ICE engine has been in use for over one hundred years and is still a crappy, dirty, stinking source of providing transportation. What does this company think that they can change about lithium in ten years that will make a difference? I think we should give up lithium and try thorium. 8 grams of thorium in a stainless steel encased battery - ignited by a laser can get you over 300,000 miles. So why are we still playing with children's chemistry sets and not advanced physics? I would rather have a battery that I can hand down to my great great grandchildren than I would a battery that will not even make it to my son's (and 'no', I do not have a daughter, so get off the politically correct bull sh**) 40th birthday.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLithium is not the technology that can replace the worlds fleet of one billion ICE vehicles with electric. "Analysis of Lithium's geological resource base shows that there is insufficient economically recoverable Lithium available in the Earth's crust to sustain Electric Vehicle manufacture in the volumes required, based solely on LiIon batteries."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswww.meridian-int-res.com/Projects/Lithium_Problem_2.pdf
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso:
"Two other battery technologies exist which could provide “Sustainable Mobility” in a world without oil, without the same resource constraints. These are:
● The “Zebra” Sodium Nickel Chloride battery
● The Zinc Air battery and Fuel Cell".
In addition to the above the Sodium Iron Chloride battery could power the world's fleet of vehicles.
All of the above are also much cheaper than Li.
In the computer industry, I've seen an improvement in both price and performance for lithium-ion -- though admittedly, not a large one.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI still hear rumors of ways to use lithium more efficiently -- particularly lithium-air. But who knows?
In any case, we have to move forward in research, rather than listening to the ever-present curmudgeons who are always claiming "it can't be done" and "you're wasting your time." If people like this ruled research science, we'd still be living in caves!
Don't know about the other two, but fuel cells require significant amounts of platinum to work efficiently. That's why they are a more dominant player already.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf research finds a substitute for platinum, though, fuel cells could be the answer.
"Grassahol" could be a solution to -- but it still has problems.
The point is, we must continue research on *all* possible fossil fuel substitutes until we find one (preferably more than one) that will keep civilization going.
Some fuel cells do require platinum as a catalyst but zinc air doesn't.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel-cells#Comparison_of_fuel_cell_types
I agree all areas should be investigated. However, as pointed out in the link I posted previously, the majority of research is in Li and not nearly enough in other more sustainable solutions.
One of the statements of this article caught my eye...that they(the battery) does not like to stay inactive...If I remember correctly, the ten year plus storage life of the original lithium batteries is what got them where they are today...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat study by William Tahil has been widely discredited. The article mentions a couple later studies, on in response to Tahill's that refers to it as both “alarmist” and “ludicrious.”
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.cleanbreak.ca/2009/01/26/lithium-glut-maybe-but-what-about-after-2020/#more-1471
". Lithium has been used since the 70s and the improvements have been near zero,..."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat, sir, is an utterly false statement. Both energy and power density of lithium batteries have increased greatly in the past 10 years alone. Currently, lithium batteries increase in energy density about 8% a year with the very real prospect of that figure rising exponentially with the advent of lithium air, lithium sulphur or other promising configurations.