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Post by lowell on Apr 7, 2023 0:11:56 GMT -6
"Tesla To Use Iron-based Batteries In Semi Electric Trucks And Affordable Electric Car"
By Hyunjoo Jin and Paul Lienert 04/06/23 AT 5:12 PM EDT International Business Times
' Tesla Inc said it plans to expand the use of cheaper, iron-based batteries to a version of its Semi heavy electric trucks and an affordable electric vehicle.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has championed on the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology dominated by Chinese suppliers, saying in March, "the vast majority of the heavy lifting for electrification will be iron-based cells."
But having Chinese suppliers build battery factories in the Unites States is a challenge because of the U.S.-China political tensions.
The world's biggest electric carmaker said in its paper on "Master Plan Part 3" released on Wednesday that it will use LFP batteries for "short-range" heavy electric trucks, which it calls "Semi Light," without providing details such as a launching date.
Tesla last December started to deliver its Semi electric trucks with a longer, 500-mile driving range per charge and which use nickel-based batteries. Tesla has previously said it will also launch a 300-mile range version.
The automaker said its proposed small electric vehicles will use LFP batteries with capacity of 53 kilowatt-hours (kWh), versus 75 kWh for Model Y and Model 3.
Tesla said last month that it will cut assembly costs by half in future generations of cars, which will be built at its factories in Mexico and elsewhere.
Tesla said it will also use LFP batteries in its mid-sized vehicles, Model 3 and Model Y, without giving a timeline.
Currently, Tesla uses nickel-based batteries for most of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States.
Musk and other LFP advocates cited the abundance and cheaper prices of iron as a key factor outweighing the drawbacks that have held back the adoption of LFP cells globally. They are bigger and heavier, and generally hold less energy than nickel-based cells, giving them a shorter range.
LFP cells also tend to pose less of a fire risk than nickel-based cells.
Tesla currently sources LFP batteries from China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co, which does not have a factory in the United States. Tesla's South Korean supplier, LG Energy Solution, said it plans to build LFP batteries at its proposed Arizona factory. '
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Post by lowell on Apr 7, 2023 0:25:13 GMT -6
Types of Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium Cobalt Oxide(LiCoO2) — LCO
"Its high specific energy makes Li-cobalt the popular choice for mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras. The battery consists of a cobalt oxide cathode and a graphite carbon anode. The cathode has a layered structure and during discharge, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode. The flow reverses on charge. The drawback of Li-cobalt is a relatively short life span, low thermal stability and limited load capabilities (specific power)."
Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4) — LMO
"Li-ion with manganese spinel was first published in the Materials Research Bulletin in 1983. In 1996, Moli Energy commercialized a Li-ion cell with lithium manganese oxide as cathode material. The architecture forms a three-dimensional spinel structure that improves ion flow on the electrode, which results in lower internal resistance and improved current handling. A further advantage of spinel is high thermal stability and enhanced safety, but the cycle and calendar life are limited." "Low internal cell resistance enables fast charging and high-current discharging. In an 18650 package, Li-manganese can be discharged at currents of 20–30A with moderate heat buildup. It is also possible to apply one-second load pulses of up to 50A. A continuous high load at this current would cause heat buildup and the cell temperature cannot exceed 80°C (176°F). Li-manganese is used for power tools, medical instruments, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles."
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) — NMC
"One of the most successful Li-ion systems is a cathode combination of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC). Similar to Li-manganese, these systems can be tailored to serve as Energy Cells or Power Cells. For example, NMC in an 18650 cell for moderate load condition has a capacity of about 2,800mAh and can deliver 4A to 5A; NMC in the same cell optimized for specific power has a capacity of only about 2,000mAh but delivers a continuous discharge current of 20A. A silicon-based anode will go to 4,000mAh and higher but at reduced loading capability and shorter cycle life. Silicon added to graphite has the drawback that the anode grows and shrinks with charge and discharge, making the cell mechanically unstable."
"There is a move towards NMC-blended Li-ion as the system can be built economically and it achieves a good performance. The three active materials of nickel, manganese and cobalt can easily be blended to suit a wide range of applications for automotive and energy storage systems (EES) that need frequent cycling. The NMC family is growing in its diversity."
Lithium Iron Phosphate(LiFePO4) — LFP
"In 1996, the University of Texas (and other contributors) discovered phosphate as cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. Li-phosphate offers good electrochemical performance with low resistance. This is made possible with nano-scale phosphate cathode material. The key benefits are high current rating and long cycle life, besides good thermal stability, enhanced safety and tolerance if abused.
Li-phosphate is more tolerant to full charge conditions and is less stressed than other lithium-ion systems if kept at high voltage for a prolonged time. (See BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries). As a trade-off, its lower nominal voltage of 3.2V/cell reduces the specific energy below that of cobalt-blended lithium-ion. With most batteries, cold temperature reduces performance and elevated storage temperature shortens the service life, and Li-phosphate is no exception. Li-phosphate has a higher self-discharge than other Li-ion batteries, which can cause balancing issues with aging. This can be mitigated by buying high quality cells and/or using sophisticated control electronics, both of which increase the cost of the pack. Cleanliness in manufacturing is of importance for longevity. There is no tolerance for moisture, lest the battery will only deliver 50 cycles. Figure 9 summarizes the attributes of Li-phosphate."
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Post by lowell on Apr 7, 2023 21:52:12 GMT -6
Surprising revelations about recycled batteries
Story by Brett Aresco • 8h ago The Cool Down ' As if you needed yet another reason to recycle your electronics with lithium-ion batteries, a study in the science journal Joule shows that recycled lithium-ion batteries may outperform their new counterparts.
Working in tandem, a group of 27 researchers from institutions like the Argonne National Laboratory and the Brookhaven National Laboratory tweaked the composition of recycled lithium-ion batteries to see how they would perform and achieved some surprising results.
To reach their unexpected conclusions, the scientists behind the study made some changes to the cathode, which is the key (and most expensive) component within a typical lithium-ion battery.
Rather than melting down the entire used battery (as most other recycling processes do), the team was able to salvage the cathode and merely change its structure, resulting in better performance than even a new battery can offer.
Kang Xu, a U.S. Army Research Laboratory scientist unaffiliated with the study, told Scientific American that the research team’s results were “very unique and very impressive.” The study’s findings also have the potential to be combined with similar research involving recycled anodes, the counterparts of cathodes.
In a 2022 study from Rice University published in the journal Advanced Materials, for instance, scientists were able to “quickly regenerate graphite anode materials found in lithium-ion batteries, removing impurities so they can be used again and again.”
Improved lithium-ion battery recycling will not only help the environment and consumers but businesses as well.
“Battery manufacturers want to know that recycled cathode materials are not inferior to new cathode materials,” said Yan Wang, a scientist from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute who contributed to the Joule study. “This research shows that recycled materials can electrochemically match or outperform pristine, state-of-the-art cathode materials from tier 1 suppliers.”
Beyond losing valuable materials and structures that could be reused, failure to recycle lithium-ion batteries can have disastrous consequences.
In 2017, USA Today reported that 65% of fires at California waste management facilities were caused by discarded lithium-ion batteries. And yet, people can’t seem to stop trashing them: In early February, a garbage truck in Columbus, Ohio, caught fire because a careless consumer threw out their laptop.
The question of how to make lithium-ion battery recycling profitable has long vexed companies, governments, and environmental advocates.
“Economically viable electric vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling is increasingly needed,” a 2021 paper in the journal iScience concluded. “However routes to profitability are still unclear.”
This latest study has the potential to change that paradigm entirely. “This work,” the authors write, “proves that recycled materials could potentially be reused in new batteries and the profitable recycling process could be realized.”
Luckily, there are a number of startups, like Germany’s Tozero and Canada’s Li-Cycle, that are committed to making lithium-ion battery recycling mainstream. With any luck, they will be able to incorporate the lessons learned from this latest study, and more consumers will be willing to give their old batteries another chance. '
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