Advanced Electrodes for Low-Cost, Long Cycle Life Li-ion Batteries

Electrical energy storage is increasingly being recognized as an essential element of the grid of the future. The use of distributed energy storage systems within the grid can shave the peaks from a user or utility load profile, increase asset utilization by improving duty factor and delaying utility upgrades, decrease fossil fuel use for ancillary services, provide high levels of power quality, increase grid stability, and smooth the intermittent output of renewable energy sources. Batteries are currently being developed to provide distributed energy storage, however current batteries do not have adequate cycle lives and costs. Lead acid batteries have low cycle lives and require routine maintenance which increases life cycle costs. High temperature sodium-sulfur batteries are expensive and currently difficult to acquire in the U.S. Li-ion batteries have considerable potential to provide distributed energy storage, however current Li-ion batteries are expensive and are limited in their cycle life (typically less than 5000 cycles) based on the limitations of the active cathode and anode materials. New materials are needed to provide batteries that meet cycle life and cost targets. Lynntech proposes to develop an advanced, zero-strain cathode material based on a low-cost process for coating metal oxides on 5V cathode materials. The coating will create a zero-strain cathode with long cycle life and with a voltage that is compatible with lithium titanate zero-strain anodes. The zero-strain cathode material, combined with a zero-strain lithium titanate anode, will provide long-cycle life batteries which can be used for distributed energy storage. During the Phase I project, the advanced coated cathodes will be synthesized and characterized in half cells and full cells. During Phase II, Lynntech will optimize the synthesis parameters needed to scale up the process for pilot plant production. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The anticipated result of the project is the development of Li-ion batteries with long cycle lives which provide improved, lower cost batteries for distributed energy storage. Electrical energy storage can reduce energy use and improve grid stability. Momentary electricity outages of only a few cycles or minutes can lead to hours of downtime with costs for U.S. industry estimated in the tens of billions of dollars annually. The development of cost-effective electrical energy storage systems can provide seamless continuity of power supply. Other applications for this technology are in the automobile industry, etc