STTR Phase I: Multifunctional Trilayer Membrane for a Stable, Scalable and Economical High Energy Capacity Li-S Battery with Long Cycle Life

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将解决随着电动汽车数量增加而对锂离子电池材料短缺的担忧。 锂硫（Li-S）电池提供了一个机会，因为硫更容易获得，成本更低，而且对环境友好。与铅酸电池不同，锂硫电池不需要使用硫酸或其他对环境有害的化学物质。 未来10年，全球锂硫电池市场将以70%以上的年增长率增长，2018-2022年将增长近7亿美元。该项目将加速先进锂硫电池的开发。该STTR第一阶段项目旨在解决锂金属阳极的可逆性差和安全性（稳定性）差等重要技术挑战。将开发等效电路网络（ECN）模型，用于模拟新型Li-S电池的性能。锂硫电池的应用需要准确、合理的模型。通过实验、系统建模和模拟，将实现这些目标：1）利用使用先进膜的新电池更好地理解Li-S电化学，2）研究不同操作参数（例如充电和放电速率）对电池性能的影响，3）对温度对Li-S电池性能的影响进行初步研究，4）展示和报告Li-S袋式电池的高能量和长循环性能，5）将制造Li-S电池（硬币和袋式电池），并使用精确的测试设备在不同的充电/放电速率和温度水平下研究它们的性能。这些数据将用于ECN模型开发和模拟研究。该项目的潜在成果包括开发一种新的锂硫软包电池，该电池采用先进的复合膜，使电池的容量超过400 Wh/kg，并证明循环寿命超过500次。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project will address concerns about the shortage of materials for Lithium-ion batteries as the number of electric vehicles increases. Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer an opportunity because sulfur is more readily available, lower cost, and environmentally friendly. Unlike lead-acid batteries, Li-S batteries do not require use of sulfuric acid or other environmentally harmful chemicals. The global Li-S battery market will grow at an estimated annual rate of 70+% in the next 10 years, with a growth of nearly $700 M in 2018-2022. The proposed project will accelerate the development of advanced Li-S batteries. This STTR Phase I project proposes to address important technical challenges like inferior reversibility and poor safety (stability) of the Li metal anode. Equivalent circuit network (ECN) models will be developed for simulating the performance of the new Li-S cells. Accurate and appropriate models are necessary for applications of Li-S batteries. Through experiments, systems modeling, and simulation, these objectives will be accomplished: 1) Gain better understanding of Li-S electrochemistry with a new cell using an advanced membrane, 2) Study effects of different operating parameters, such as the charge and discharge rate on the cell performance, 3) Conduct preliminary studies on the effect of temperature on the Li-S cell performance, 4) Demonstrate and report high energy and long cycle performance in Li-S pouch cell, 5) Li-S cells (coin and pouch cells) will be fabricated and their performance studied at different charge/discharge rates and temperature levels using precise testing equipment. The data will be used for ECN model development and simulation studies. The potential outcome(s) of the project include development of a new Li-S pouch cell incorporating an advanced composite membrane to enable the cell to have a capacity of over 400 Wh/kg and demonstrated cycle life of over 500 cycles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.