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Innovation in EV Batteries

Watch this video to learn more about how Michigan researchers are aiming to make a better battery that could supplant Li-ion batteries. They envision a future in which a 1,000-mile EV range is the norm.

Topics:
Automotive Batteries Electrification Energy Power

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    Transcript

    00:00:00 As we look towards a more sustainable future we  have uh global warming, we have a finite source   of energy, that being fossil fuels. We need to be  wiser and forward-thinking about how we're going   to create a sustainable energy future and I think  batteries are at the center of that transition.   What if we can make a better battery or a  battery that could supplant lithium-ion battery,   that could really accelerate the widespread  adoption of electric vehicles. Today's electric   vehicles may be able to drive a range of 300 to  400-mile range. With some of these next-generation   battery technologies, we could envision a future  where that might extend to say a 1,000-mile range   and we could also start to electrify some of the  more challenging transportation modalities such as   heavy-duty vehicles, like some of the large trucks  on the road, or even uh the future frontier of   electric aviation. I'm Professor Jeff Sakamoto.  I'm in mechanical engineering and material  

    00:00:50 science. I am the director of this EF FRC Energy  Frontier Research Center and its title is MUSIC,   which stands for mechanochemical understanding  of iic conductors. My name is Neil dupta. I'm   an associate professor in mechanical engineering  and material science and engineering and I lead a   research group that works really in the energy  space. So, we're looking at both lithium-ion   batteries, which are the current state-of-the-art,  uh which have really enabled things like portable   electronics. But, most recently we're really  excited about their potential for enabling   electric vehicles and electrification of many  sectors that could be powered by renewable energy   but also we're looking to the future of battery  technology where we're thinking about what might   be beyond lithium. The question that MUSIC is  trying to answer through fundamental research   is what if we can make a better battery,  what if we can make a battery that's not,  

    00:01:39 that does not combust. It's intrinsically  safe. This kind of battery enables a new way   of manufacturing that can dramatically reduce the  complexity and therefore the cost and the third   one is a better battery. Right now, lithium-ion  is about 7 or 800 W hours per liter, a different   kind of battery could get us that, we're looking  at in MUSIC would get us to like 1300 W hours and   that better battery is a solid-state battery.  There's three main components to the battery.   There's the anode which is the negative electrode  and there's the cathode which is the positive   electrode. In between the positive and negative  electrodes there's a really important component   which is called the electrolyte. The job of the  electrolyte is to basically shuttle the lithium   from one side of the battery to the other. When  you're charging or discharging it the current   state-of-the-art electrolyte in the lithium-ion  battery is a liquid but there's parallel efforts  

    00:02:26 to see if we could replace the liquid electrolyte  with a solid. MUSIC in particular is focusing on   new a new class of electrolyte material. It's  called the fast iron conducting ceramic. It   can conduct lithium-ions um as fast as a liquid  can or even faster and at room temperature so   this uh this class of material is enabling uh this  solidate battery that could accelerate our ability   to commercialize something like a lithium metal  anode. This is WID viewed as one of the sort of   holy Grails in battery research. That's what might  help us to realize that vision of a 1,000 mile   range vehicle and so the promise is improved  safety, potentially higher energy densities,   um, but there are some important challenges as  well. So, MUSIC, as a center, is really trying   to address those key challenges of these  interfaces. Some of these unique mechanical   phenomena that emerge and also looking at the  manufacturing science what is it going to take  

    00:03:20 to scale these up and make it you know something  that can actually be commercialized. This is a   grand challenge in batteries and it's not going  to be solved by one individual alone. Really it   requires this kind of center-level activity. You  know, we're really fortunate that DoE has invested   in this. They also recognize the importance of  understanding these basic science questions that   are going to enable things like solid electrolytes  both for batteries as well as other technologies   will benefit from this as well, such as hydrogen  fuel cells. You know, I feel very fortunate to   be able to work with all of our Co-PI's and  our our partner institutions for example in   Oakridge National Lab. One of our national lab  partners, they have very unique facilities for   electron microscopy and neutron analysis that  enable us to perform cutting edge research. So,   there's some really amazing uh capabilities at  the Department of Energy National Laboratories,  

    00:04:12 really good science, really good  opportunities for collaboration,   really good environment for students to work with  you know shoulder-to-shoulder with internationally   acclaimed recognized scientists. Having this  team across the country that brings together   the thought leaders in mechanochemistry for solid  electrolytes is really a very unique opportunity.   You know, we're very fortunate to the DoE to have  provided the funding for that and I think that you   know we're very proud of how we're executing on  that vision and really we're just getting started.   It's been said that we are in a battery moment  in civilization and I think that's very true. So,   I think that the work that we're doing right now  is very important on batteries uh to enable and   accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and  just the overall help with the overall transition   from a fossil fuel future, limited future,  to a more sustainable uh electric future.

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