EAGER: An Innovative High Specific Energy Li-air battery

CBET-134187PI：FaghriLi-空气电池是当前Li离子电池的有前途的替代品，这是由于锂金属的高比能（12 kWh kg-1）和可从环境中获得的用于阴极的无限氧气。然而，即使在实践中达到的比能量远低于理论值（不到其理论值的10%），但在实验室研究中达到的锂空气电池比能量至少是锂离子电池的2-5倍。因此，发展科学和技术以实现更接近最大可能的价值是一个重要目标。Li-空气电池的比能量所实现的低值部分地与多孔阴极电极的低传质系数有关。在所提出的努力中，提出了一种具有更高比能量和功率的创新和主动锂空气电池。创新在于开发了邻近阴极的叉指型微通道系统，电解质和氧气混合物通过该系统循环。假设是由于多孔电极中电解质的对流可以增加电极中氧和锂离子的质量通量，从而提高了锂空气电池的比能量和功率。此外，提出了一种改进的热管理系统，其具有电池电极内外的电解质循环，使得电池系统能够在极端环境条件下操作。新提出的电池预计具有高达600 Wh kg-1的比能量和高达25 W kg-1的比功率。因此，该项目将导致具有增强的比能量和功率的锂空气电池。应用领域包括汽车、储能、航空航天等。

CBET-134187PI: FaghriLi-air batteries are promising alternatives to current Li-ion batteries due to the high specific energy of lithium metal (12 kWh kg-1) and the infinite oxygen for the cathode available from the ambient. However, even if the specific energy achieved in practice is much lower than the theoretical value (less than 10% of its theoretical value), the specific energy of Li-air batteries achieved in laboratory studies is at least 2-5 times higher than that of Li-ion batteries. Thus, developing the science and the technology to achieve values closer to the maximum achievable is an important objective. The low values achieved for the specific energy of a Li-air battery is partly related to the low mass transfer coefficient of the porous cathode electrode. In the proposed effort, an innovative and active Li-air battery is proposed that has a much higher specific energy and power. The innovation lies in the development of an inter-digitated micro channel system adjacent to the cathode through which electrolyte and oxygen mixture is circulated. The hypothesis is that the specific energy and power of Li-air batteries is enhanced because the convection of electrolyte in the porous electrode can increase the mass flux of oxygen and lithium ion in the electrode. In addition, an improved thermal management system with the circulation of electrolyte, within and outside the battery electrode is proposed enabling the battery system to operate under extreme environmental conditions The newly proposed battery is expected to have a specific energy as high as 600 Wh kg-1, and a specific power as high as 25 W kg-1. Thus, the project will lead to Li-air batteries with enhanced specific energy and power. The application domains include automotive, energy-storage, aerospace and others.