Lithium News

The aim is to assess the use of high purity natural graphite as anode material for such batteries

Leading Edge Materials Corp updated on the Swedish government-funded research project called: “Natural Swedish graphite for future lithium-ion batteries” led by Uppsala university’s Professor Kristina Edstrom – an energy storage and battery expert.

The aim is to assess the use of high purity natural graphite as anode material for such batteries, using graphite from the group’s Woxna project in Sweden.

LEM is a founding participant in the project, along with the Angstrom Advanced Battery Centre (AABC), Uppsala University.

Work completed in the project so far includes electrochemical testing of unpurified Woxna flotation concentrate to establish baseline performance.

“These baseline data provide critical information for the next round of purification testwork, which will include electrochemical testing of graphite thermally treated at up to 2,300 C. Results are anticipated late third quarter 2018 and will be reported as they become available,” said LEM.

As lithium-ion batteries contain up to 20% graphite, optimization of graphite anode materials has been a long-term research focus

“Sweden presents many natural advantages for taking a leading role in lithium-ion battery manufacture,” said LEM president and chief executive Blair Way.

“While it is easy to point to access to raw materials and low-cost green energy, it is also the knowledge developed by Prof. Edstrom and the Angstrom Advanced Battery Centre that has allowed Swedish industry to react quickly to the emerging energy storage opportunity with an estimated value of 250 billion euros by 2025 in Europe alone.

“The combination of our fully built Woxna graphite mine, with the cutting-edge research of Kristina and her team, place Leading Edge Materials in a very strong position as a preferred anode supplier as European battery manufacture rolls out over coming years.”

Of particular note is the investment into AABC of Northvolt AB, with the financial backing of the European Investment Bank, which in early June received a permit for construction and operation of a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Skelleftea.

The proposed plant will produce eight-gigawatt-hour cell capacity annually from 2020 expanding to 32 gigawatt hours in 2023.

US-based Li-ion battery manufacturer XALT Energy’s XPAND Battery system has been certified as acceptable for installation on all marine vessels classified by DNV GL.

The XPAND Battery System has been demonstrated to comply with DNV GL rules for Classification of Ships, Offshore Units, and High Speed and Light Craft, and was therefore granted Type Approval Certificate TAE00002YC. The certification includes XALT Energy’s XMP71P-based systems, including XALT’s Battery Management System (BMS).

The XPAND Battery System flawlessly completed all required tests including the new 2018 forced thermal runaway passive propagation requirement with no active safety systems required. This makes it compliant with Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) Propagation Test 1.

This Type Approval is an important milestone for both XALT Energy and the marine electrification market. The XMP71P-based system, already deployed worldwide on many commercial transit buses and heavy-duty trucks, can now be used on virtually any application requiring exceptional safety, durability, and performance.

—Martin Klein, Senior Vice President of Engineering for XALT Energy

The XPAND Battery Systems use XALT’s pouch format lithium-ion cells, including high-power, high-energy, and ultra-high-energy versions, providing a wide range of performance capabilities to meet specific operational demands. XPAND Systems are controlled by XALT’s proprietary BMS, which is included in the Type Approval Certificate.

XRS XPAND Battery Rack System. XALT also launched the XRS XPAND Rack System. XRS incorporates XALT’s XPAND Battery Packs and Battery Management Systems (BMS) in modular, expandable racks. Both the XPAND Battery System and the rack have been granted DNV GL Type Approvals, making the XRS acceptable for installation on all vessels classed by DNV GL.

XRS incorporates all plumbing, ducting, and high-voltage distribution components to maximize the performance and life of XALT’s liquid-cooled XPAND battery packs. XRS also includes Battery Disconnect Units and local mode controllers necessary for large, multi-string systems.

A typical rack contains two strings of ten series-connected packs, with an operating voltage up to 1000V and total energy up to 222kWh, depending on the cell in use.

The safety, durability, and flexibility of XALT’s XPAND-based systems have been recognized by commercial transit bus and heavy-duty truck customers worldwide. Now XRS opens the door for deployment on very large marine vessels. Given the ability to populate XRS with XALT’s high energy or high power XPAND packs, we are able to fulfill a wide range of marine missions, including ferries, tug boats, and off-shore support ships.

—Martin Klein

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Californians do not purchase electric vehicles because they are cool, they buy EVs because they live in a warm climate. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be rapidly charged at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but now a team of Penn State engineers has created a battery that can self-heat, allowing rapid charging regardless of the outside chill.

“Electric vehicles are popular on the west coast because the weather is conducive,” said Xiao-Guang Yang, assistant research professor in mechanical engineering, Penn State. “Once you move them to the east coast or Canada, then there is a tremendous issue. We demonstrated that the batteries can be rapidly charged independently of outside temperature.”

When owners can recharge car batteries in 15 minutes at a charging station, electric vehicle refueling becomes nearly equivalent to gasoline refueling in the time it takes. Assuming that charging stations are liberally placed, drivers can lose their “range anxiety” and drive long distances without worries.

Previously, the researchers developed a battery that could self-heat to avoid below-freezing power drain. Now, the same principle is being applied to batteries to allow 15-minute rapid charging at all temperatures, even as low as minus 45 degrees F.

The self-heating battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending outside the cell to create a third terminal. A temperature sensor attached to a switch causes electrons to flow through the nickel foil to complete the circuit when the temperature is below room temperature. This rapidly heats up the nickel foil through resistance heating and warms the inside of the battery. Once the battery’s internal temperature is above room temperature, the switch turns opens and the electric current flows into the battery to rapidly charge it.

“One unique feature of our cell is that it will do the heating and then switch to charging automatically,” said Chao-Yang Wang, Chao-Yang Wang, William E. Diefenderfer Chair of mechanical engineering, professor of chemical engineering and professor of materials science and engineering, and director of the Electrochemical Engine Center. “Also, the stations already out there do not have to be changed. Control off heating and charging is within the battery, not the chargers.”

The researchers report the results of their prototype testing in this week’s edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They found that their self-heating battery could withstand 4,500 cycles of 15-minute charging at 32 degrees F with only a 20-percent capacity loss. This provides approximately 280,000 miles of driving and a lifetime of 12.5 years, longer than most warranties.

A conventional battery tested under the same conditions lost 20-percent capacity in 50 charging cycles.

Lithium-ion batteries degrade when rapidly charged under 50 degrees F because, rather than the lithium ions smoothly integrating with the carbon anodes, the lithium deposits in spikes on the anode surface. This lithium plating reduces cell capacity, but also can cause electrical spikes and unsafe battery conditions. Currently, long, slow charging is the only way to avoid lithium plating under 50 degrees F.

Batteries heated above the lithium plating threshold, whether by ambient temperature or by internal heating, will not exhibit lithium plating and will not lose capacity.

“This ubiquitous fast-charging method will also allow manufacturers to use smaller batteries that are lighter and also safer in a vehicle,” said Wang.

Also working on this project were Guangsheng Zhang former postdoctoral scholar in mechanical engineering, and Shanhai Ge, assistant research professor of mechanical engineering, Penn State.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, EC Power, LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy supported this work. Wang is the founder and CTO of EC Power, LLC.

TESLA IS GETTING CLOSE TO THE MAGIC BATTERY COST NUMBER THAT WILL TURBOCHARGE DEMAND

Electric vehicle sales are climbing steadily – for almost two years now, each month’s sales have been greater than those of the previous year. The market for lithium-ion batteries, which is also driven by the increasing demand for utility-scale stationary storage, is growing at a far more impressive rate. According to Orbis Research, the global battery market is expected to expand from around $30 billion in 2017 to $139 billion by 2026. Goldman Sachs predicts battery demand will grow at an annual rate of 32% through 2025.

Sounds like an enticing business opportunity, right? It’s just the beginning. As of the end of 2017, EVs accounted for around 1% of the global automobile market – the potential for growth is huge. However, EVs are still considerably more expensive than legacy vehicles, thanks to high battery costs. The average price of a Li-ion battery pack has fallen 70% since 2010, but it still stands at $209/kilowatt-hour, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Tesla’s battery pack prices are believed to be around $150/kWh). Most battery boffins agree that the “magic number” that will allow automakers to sell EVs at prices comparable to fossil-fueled cars without subsidies is around $100/kWh.

Here’s where things get interesting: it appears that Tesla is getting very close to that tipping point. At the company’s recent shareholder meeting, CTO JB Straubel, as always, was cagey about battery costs, as Electrek reported. “It’s difficult for us to talk about specific cost numbers,” said Straubel, “but we are still very confident that we have the best price and performance of anything out there in the world. If there’s anything better, I don’t know about it, and we have looked as hard as we possibly can. We try to talk with every single battery startup, every lab, every large manufacturer. We get quotes from them. We test cells from them. If there’s anything better, we are all ears, we want to find it, but we haven’t found it yet.”

An ebullient Elon Musk was a bit more forthcoming, and hinted that the $100 magic number is only a couple of years away. “We think we have come up with some pretty cool breakthroughs on energy density and cost of the battery pack,” said Musk, and indicated that Tesla is on track to reach a cell-level battery cost of $100/kWh by the end of the year, and to deliver the magic number of $100/ kWh at the pack level in less than two years. (For comparison, Electrek tells us that GM is currently paying about $145/kWh for cells, and Audi claims to be paying $114/kWh.)

Tesla-watchers’ ears pricked up at the word “breakthrough.” Electrek and others have calculated that Tesla won’t be able to deliver the promised performance of the Semi without a battery cost breakthrough. Far be it from Tesla to overpromise – ergo, said breakthrough must be in the offing.

We know hot coals and lighter fluids are fire hazards, but what about cell-phone batteries?

Boxx Sanitation in Eau Claire is worried about cellphone batteries catching on fire.

“When that comes in contact with metal, which is often possible with a garbage truck, when that comes in contact the two positive and negative terminals on the battery, that curates an explosion,” said Josh Boxx, the owner of Boxx Sanitation.

These batteries have been an issue in the past.

“It happened to me on route. I was throwing away a recycling bin, went around the cul-de-sac and the next thing I know there’s smoke coming out of the back of my truck, so I pulled over, and checked it out and had a water bottle handy so I was able to put it out. If I didn’t have that, I also had a fire extinguisher in my truck, so I was well prepared,” said Sam Lindsay, a garbage truck driver at Boxx Sanitation.

Lithium batteries are found in things like cellphones, laptops, and even power tools.

Instead of throwing them away, you can take them to First Choice Recycling, Batteries plus or Best Buy.

Exide Industries Ltd, India’s largest manufacturer of lead acid storage batteries and power storage solutions provider, and Switzerland-based Li-ion battery manufacturer Leclanché SA announced a joint venture to build lithium-ion batteries and provide energy storage systems for India’s electric vehicle market and grid-based applications.

As part of the JV, Leclanché will provide access to its expertise and intellectual property for lithium-ion cells, modules and battery management systems; Exide Industries will leverage its extensive sales network and brand.

The JV’s production plant will be based in Gujarat. Exide Industries, which is committed to setting up large-scale manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, will be the majority shareholder and Leclanché will be the strategic minority shareholder of the JV.

A module and battery pack assembly line is expected to be operational by Q2 2019 and a lithium-ion cell production plant is expected to be in operation by mid 2020. In the intervening period, cells will be sourced from Leclanché’s plant in Willstätt, Germany.

The JV will focus on e-transport, on stationary energy storage systems and speciality storage markets. In e-transport, the target segment is fleet vehicles including e-buses, e-wheelers and e-rickshaws.

As a result of this combination, the JV is ideally positioned to be a leading provider of storage solutions for electric vehicles and energy storage applications in India and will also contribute to developing solutions to increase the amount of renewable energy that is used and reduce India’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Leclanché SA is the perfect partner for us in India. The company brings superior technology, modules and battery management systems, as well as immediate access to engineering resources to build market-ready products. This ideally compliments our leading position in the lead acid storage battery market in India and will allow us to take the lead in the lithium-ion battery industry, which is expected to grow significantly in the next few years.

—Gautam Chatterjee, CEO of Exide Industries

In a region that is expected to be one of the world’s largest and fastest growing markets for electric vehicles, the JV will provide Leclanché with giga-scale procurement volumes, which will help reduce costs, and increase recurring annuity revenues, generating recurring stable revenue growth for the company.

This is an important milestone in our stated growth strategy and further evidence that the opportunity for Leclanché is now. We very much look forward to working with Exide Industries in delivering the best that Leclanché has to offer: superior cell technologies, IP and knowhow that combines high quality German engineering and Swiss precision with deep experience in the design and implementation of battery storage solutions.

—Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché

India is the fifth largest car market in the world with the potential to become one of the top three in the near future; there are a projected 400 million customers in need of mobility solutions by the year 2030.

Today, only 4% of Indians have access to private motor vehicles compared to 80% in the US.

By the year 2030, an estimated 600 million vehicles will be on Indian roads—three times the current number. An estimated 40% of cars sold in India could be electric in 2030.

Exide Industries is India’s largest manufacturer of lead acid storage batteries and power storage solutions provider. Its current market capitalization is close to Rs 215 billion (USD 3.2 billion).

With seven international standard factories spread across India for producing batteries, the company offers one of the widest ranges of batteries for every conceivable application in automotive as well as industrial segments. To complete the entire value chain, the company has two captive lead smelting units and two UPS manufacturing facilities. Exide also has manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and does business globally through its subsidiaries and international affiliates.

Exide’s products are sold globally, particularly in developed markets like Australia, Japan and Western Europe, under its own brand names.

With the help of its collaborators—Shin Kobe and Furukawa of Japan, East Penn of the US and Moura of Brazil—Exide has consistently remained at the cutting edge of international battery technology and introduced various pioneering products and power storage solutions in the Indian and global markets.

Exide’s vast product range, that includes everything in lead acid from the smallest UPS batteries to the giant submarine batteries, find applications in automotive, two-wheelers, inverters, UPS, power, telecom, fork-lift trucks and railways, among others. Exide is also present in the non-conventional energy business where it designs and integrates solar and wind power solutions for use in remote areas of the country.