Solar Energy

Rock-Based Super Battery Set to Revolutionize Electric Cars

Published

3 months ago

July 22, 2024

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Rock-Based Super Battery Set to Revolutionize Electric Cars

by Robert Schreiber

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 22, 2024

In a decade, solid-state batteries derived from rock silicates are poised to become a greener, more efficient, and safer alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have patented an innovative superionic material made from potassium silicate-a mineral extractable from ordinary rocks.

Currently, the range and charging speed of electric car batteries are limited by lithium-ion technology, which also poses environmental and supply chain challenges. Lithium is costly, environmentally damaging, and scarce, potentially hindering the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

As the demand for electric cars grows, developing new lithium-free batteries becomes essential. These batteries must match or exceed current efficiency levels while being more eco-friendly and cost-effective. This challenge drives research into new battery materials and designs, critical for reducing the transport sector’s carbon footprint.

DTU researcher Mohamad Khoshkalam has developed a promising material for next-generation batteries: solid-state batteries using potassium and sodium silicates, common minerals found in the Earth’s crust. These materials, sourced from everyday rocks, are not sensitive to air and humidity, allowing them to be molded into ultra-thin layers within the battery.

Patented Superionic Material

The newly patented potassium silicate material is economical, environmentally friendly, and abundant, covering over 90% of the Earth’s surface. It conducts ions effectively at around 40 degrees Celsius and is moisture-resistant. This facilitates safer, cheaper, and more scalable battery production, as it can occur in open environments at near-room temperatures. Moreover, it eliminates the need for expensive and harmful metals like cobalt, used in current lithium-ion batteries to enhance performance and lifespan.

“The potential of potassium silicate as a solid-state electrolyte has been known for a long time, but in my opinion has been ignored due to challenges with the weight and size of the potassium ions. The ions are large and therefore move slower,” says Mohamad Khoshkalam.

Understanding Khoshkalam’s discovery requires recognizing the electrolyte’s vital role in a battery. The electrolyte, which can be liquid or solid, enables ion movement between the anode and cathode, sustaining the electric current during charging and discharging. Its conductivity hinges on ion mobility, traditionally slower in rock silicates due to their larger size compared to lithium-based electrolytes. However, Khoshkalam’s process accelerates ion movement in potassium silicate, enhancing its conductivity.

“The first measurement with a battery component revealed that the material has a very good conductivity as a solid-state electrolyte. I cannot reveal how I developed the material, as the recipe and the method are now patented,” Mohamad Khoshkalam continues.

The Battery of the Future

Solid-state batteries are seen as the future by researchers and electric car manufacturers. Recently, Toyota announced plans to release a vehicle with a lithium solid-state battery by 2027-28. However, previous announcements have faced setbacks. Unlike conventional batteries, solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes, allowing ions to move faster, improving efficiency and reducing charging time.

A battery cell can be as thin as cardboard, with ultra-thin layers for the anode, cathode, and electrolyte, enabling more powerful, compact batteries. This can translate to driving up to 1,000 km on a single 10-minute charge. Additionally, solid-state batteries are safer as they lack combustible liquid components.

Yet, significant challenges remain before solid-state batteries reach the market. The technology, although successful in labs, is difficult and costly to scale. Material and battery research is intricate and slow, requiring advanced labs and equipment. Even after 20 years, lithium-ion batteries are still evolving.

Furthermore, new production methods are needed to ensure the ultra-thin layers in battery cells remain intact. While high-pressure techniques work in labs, translating this to commercial batteries is complex.

High-Risk, High-Reward Technology

Solid-state batteries based on potassium and sodium silicates have a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL), indicating a lengthy journey from lab discovery to market implementation. Despite the challenges, Khoshkalam remains optimistic.

“We have shown that we can find a material for a solid-state electrolyte that is cheap, efficient, eco-friendly, and scalable-and that even performs better than solid-state lithium-based electrolytes,” he said.

Khoshkalam has patented his discovery and is establishing the start-up K-Ion to develop these components for battery companies. Supported by DTU’s Earthbound initiative, K-Ion aims to expedite the transition from lab research to societal impact.

The next step is to create a demo battery to showcase to companies and investors, with a prototype expected in 1-2 years.

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Solar Energy

DGIST enhances quantum dot solar cell performance

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2024

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DGIST enhances quantum dot solar cell performance

by Riko Seibo

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 04, 2024

A research team led by Professor Jongmin Choi from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST, in collaboration with Gyeongsang National University’s Professor Tae Kyung Lee and Kookmin University’s Professor Younghoon Kim, has developed a new method that significantly boosts the performance and longevity of perovskite quantum dot solar cells. Their innovative approach addresses a key issue: surface distortions on quantum dots that hinder solar cell efficiency.

Perovskite quantum dots are widely regarded as essential for next-generation solar cells due to their high light-to-electricity conversion efficiency and scalability. However, the process of replacing the “ligands” on their surface often causes distortions, akin to crumpled paper, that degrade solar cell performance.

The research team tackled this problem by introducing short ligands that firmly grip both sides of the quantum dots. This method effectively restores the quantum dot’s distorted surface, resembling the process of flattening crumpled paper. By smoothing the surface, they significantly reduced defects and improved both the performance and the stability of the solar cells. The power conversion efficiency rose from 13.6% to 15.3%, and the cells maintained 83% of their performance over 15 days, marking a major advancement in solar cell technology.

“Through this research, we could minimize surface defects on the quantum dots and stabilize their surfaces by newly adopting these amphiphilic ligands, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and stability of the solar cells,” explained Professor Jongmin Choi. He also noted the team’s intention to extend this approach to other photoelectric devices in the future.

This study, a collaborative effort by DGIST, Gyeongsang National University, and Kookmin University, was supported by the National Research Council of Science and Technology, the DGIST R and D Program, and the New Faculty Research Foundation at Gyeongsang National University. The findings were published in the ‘Chemical Engineering Journal’ on September 15, 2024.

Research Report:Multifaceted anchoring ligands for uniform orientation and enhanced cubic-phase stability of perovskite quantum dots

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Solar Energy

Philippines’ Marcos opens first EV battery plant

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2024

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Philippines’ Marcos opens first EV battery plant

by AFP Staff Writers

Manila (AFP) Sept 30, 2024

President Ferdinand Marcos inaugurated on Monday the first factory for electric vehicle batteries in the Philippines, calling it the “future” of clean energy.

The Australian-owned lithium-iron-phosphate factory aims to produce two gigawatt-hours of batteries per year by 2030, powering about 18,000 electric vehicles or nearly half a million home battery systems.

“We have worked very hard and tried to do our best to bring this kind of technology to the Philippines with a clear recognition that this is the future,” Marcos said in a livestreamed speech.

“As the first manufacturing plant in the Philippines for advanced iron phosphate batteries… (it) sets the stage for the Philippines to become a player in clean energy storage in our part of the world.”

Located in New Clark city north of Manila, the StB Giga Factory Inc. facility will create 2,500 local jobs and channel five billion pesos ($89.2 million) into the economy each year, Marcos said.

The investment aligns with the government’s efforts to “transition our country to renewable energy”, and would help Manila “entice more investors in renewable energy facilities in the country”, he added.

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Solar Energy

Fire breaks out at Chinese battery giant CATL plant

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2024

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Fire breaks out at Chinese battery giant CATL plant

by AFP Staff Writers

Beijing (AFP) Sept 29, 2024

A fire broke out Sunday at a factory belonging to Chinese battery giant CATL, which supplies electric vehicle makers including Tesla, but only a “relatively small” impact on operations is expected, the company said.

A CATL spokesperson said no injuries or casualties had occurred at the plant in the coastal city of Ningde, and that “the reasons behind this accident are still under investigation”.

Emergency services were sent to the plant to fight the fire and to organise the evacuation of any people who were inside the 15,000 square metre (160,000 square feet) site, a statement by the Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone said.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze just before 11:30 AM local time (0330 GMT).

It was not immediately clear what was produced at the plant, CATL’s base in the eastern province of Fujian, but the company said the effect of the now extinguished fire would not be significant.

“The impact to CATL’s overall production operation is relatively small,” the spokesperson said.

Videos published by the Chinese business media outlet Cailianshe, and posted on the Weibo social network, showed parts of a large white building in flames with thick gray smoke rising into the air.

AFP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the images.

CATL was founded in 2011 and produces more than a third of the electric vehicle batteries sold worldwide for automakers that include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.

ehl-reb/des

Tesla

Weibo

Mercedes-Benz Group

BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

Volkswagen

TOYOTA MOTOR

HONDA MOTOR

Hyundai Motor Company

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