The advancements in EV battery technology continue with new discoveries every other day
To tackle the safety issues pertaining to EV fires, Koreans have come up with a battery that can put out its own fire. Not only that, they claim that it can hold around 88% capacity even after 1,000 cycles. Most batteries wear out to approximately 70% after that period of time. Hence, this new research has been able to address two key challenges facing the EV industry at large.
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New EV Battery Can Douse Its Own Fire
This impressive innovation has been created by a team at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) in Korea. They have devised a new lithium metal battery that possesses a “triple-layer solid polymer electrolyte”. It bears the ability to douse its own fire and retain excellent performance even after around 1,000 charge and discharge cycles.
In regular solid polymer electrolyte batteries, lithium forms dendrites during charging and discharging. They can damage the internal connections in a battery, increasing the risk of fire and explosion. However, this new material incorporates soft outer layers which ensure decent contact with the electrodes and the strong middle layer improves the battery’s structural integrity. Moreover, decabromodiphenyl ethane works are a fire suppressant with a high concentration of lithium salt and zeolite.
The principal researcher in this team, Dr. Kim Jae-Hyun claims that, “the battery design boasts exceptional longevity, retaining approximately 87.9% of its performance after 1,000 charging and discharging cycles. That’s a significant improvement compared to most current batteries, which typically lose 20–30% of their capacity over the same number of cycles.”
He further explained, “This research is anticipated to make a significant contribution to the commercialization of lithium metal batteries using [solid polymer] electrolytes while providing enhanced stability and efficiency [to] energy storage devices,” Dr. Kim said. In simpler terms, this technology could lead to safer, longer-lasting batteries for a range of applications.”
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Learn Electric Cars Says
Now, I must admit that there have been innumerable new ground-breaking technologies being developed around the globe in the last couple of years. In fact, it is difficult to keep track of everything that has been happening in this space. Furthermore, all of these findings boast tall claims. However, mass market production still remains a challenge in all these experiments.
Having said that, I must mention that this is how new technologies evolve. There can never be a silver bullet overnight. Incremental improvements are the key to finalizing a couple of permanent solutions for the future. Until then, I will keep bringing the latest from the world of EV battery development to my readers.