BATERRY TECHNOLOGY

 BATTERY TECHNOLOGY

The continuum of battery technology development has been varying from stagnant periods to significant breakthroughs, in an almost unpredictable fashion. The inception of the idea about a battery charged-electric vehicle is indeed as old as the motor car itself. The trend has been consistently directing away from heavy and acid batteries to compact, light and far more efficient nickel/metal (NiMH) accumulators. One of those significant breakthroughs mentioned above came with the introduction of lithium-ion technology. Of course, many additional technological advances seem to be imminent, within the next years, through the introduction of post-lithium-ion technology.

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Lithium-ion batteries are named after the movement of lithium ions within them, and they power most rechargeable devices today. The element lithium (Li) has some interesting properties that allow batteries to be both portable and powerful; the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to scientists who worked on the idea during the 1970s. But despite their widespread use, lithium-ion batteries remain extremely complicated and still intrigue scientists to unlock their secrets and open up the road for optimal efficiency.

These new batteries have also displaced the Ni-Cd (Nickel-Cadmium) ones, dominating in portable electronic devices market of smartphones and laptops. Li-ion batteries are also extensively utilized in the aerospace domain, like in the new Boeing 787, where weight and environmental-friendliness are significant factors.

Lithium-ion seems to be the most efficient battery technology available, indicating a lot of space for further improvements. They are capable of having a very high voltage and charge storage per unit mass and unit volume. They are also incomparable with the older batteries in terms of quality, output, half-life and cost. A lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery uses lithium ions as a key component of its electrochemistry. More specifically, as it goes through its discharge cycle, lithium atoms in the anode are ionized and separated from their electrons. Then, those charged lithium ions move from the anode and pass through the electrolyte until they reach the cathode, where they recombine with their electrons and practically neutralize. In principle, rechargeable batteries shouldn’t expire but they can only practically be recharged a limited number of times before they lose their ability to hold a charge. The ordinary types of battery will stop working when their terminals, the electrodes, are altered due the ions passing from one terminal of the battery to the other. In a rechargeable battery, the electrodes recover when an external charger sends those ions back where they came from.

During the last two decades, lithium-ion batteries have reached the status of being the spearhead of the automotive market. They are the same technological advancement that enabled automakers to redefine their positioning towards fossil fuels and internal combustion engines (ICE). We observe a global transition towards electric vehicles (EV), which continually pushes the boundaries of lithium-ion batteries for more power, longevity and cost-effectiveness.

For example, the ranges of 500 km are already feasible for electric vehicles, while the charging times are constantly being reduced thanks to rapid charging technology. The launch of what are known as post-lithium-ion systems are considered within-reach. New technologies, and especially the kind aimed at material-related improvements, plus ever-increasing production volumes leading to further price decreases, will determine the evolutionary development stages of the next few years. But the beauty of the battery system is not only in the cell itself and the related materials, but in the whole system that incorporates it. This includes the electronics, software, integrated cooling and the highly secure housing that is tailor-made for the vehicle and the cells.