Development of Rechargeable Zinc Lithium-ion Battery

为了实现加拿大和全球智能电网系统的巨大利益，开发廉价，安全和环境友好的储能技术来取代锂离子电池势在必行。为了创建高效可靠的智能电网，使用电化学能量存储（EES）设备存储电力并按需输送是一个高度优先事项。近年来，水溶液锌锂离子电池（ZLIB）作为一种高效的EES系统引起了人们的极大关注。这项技术完全安全环保，其成本远低于典型的锂离子电池。在ZLIB中，金属锌被用作阳极，其在加拿大是天然丰富的金属，并且锂嵌入电极（例如磷酸铁锂）被用作阴极。将使用水性电解质代替典型锂离子电池的有机电解质，从而降低整体成本，提高安全性并减少对环境的影响。目前，滑铁卢大学的Zhongwei Chen博士的研究小组已经为ZLIB应用开发了一种高性能和耐用的厚半固体阴极并获得专利。目前的建议需要优化我们的专利半固体阴极，沿着扩大制造工艺，同时确保质量控制和产品一致性。电极设计和策略将进一步研究，以优化半固态阴极。这些策略包括优化半固体阴极物理参数，如电极负载和孔隙率，评估全电池的容量和耐久性性能，并最终扩大制造工艺，为演示准备30Wh电池原型。工业制造商可以采用成功的放大制造过程来实现商业上可行的可充电ZLIB，用于未来一代智能电网。 预计拟议研究的结果将为成功的可充电ZLIB商业化提供所需的潜在突破。

Development of inexpensive, safe, and environmentally benign energy storage technologies to replace lithium ion batteries are imperative in order to realize the immense benefits of smart grid systems both in Canada and globally. To create an efficient and reliable smart grid, storing the electricity with an electrochemical energy storage (EES) device and delivering it on demand is a high priority. Recently, aqueous zinc lithium-ion batteries (ZLIBs) have attracted significant attention as an efficient EES system. This technology is completely safe and environmentally friendly, and its cost is much lower than a typical lithium-ion battery. In a ZLIB, metallic zinc is used as the anode which is naturally an abundant metal in Canada and lithium intercalation electrodes, e.g. lithium iron phosphate is used as the cathode. Instead of organic electrolyte of typical lithium-ion battery, aqueous electrolyte will be used which reduces the overall cost, increase safety, and reduce environmental impacts. Currently, Dr. Zhongwei Chen's research group at the University of Waterloo has developed and patented a high performance and durable thick, semi-solid cathode for the ZLIB application. The present proposal entails the optimization of our patented semi-solid cathode, along with scaling up the manufacturing process while simultaneously ensuring quality control and product consistency. Electrode design and strategies will be furtherly investigated to optimize the semi-solid cathode. The strategies consist of optimization of semi-solid cathode physical parameters such as electrode loading and porosity, evaluating the capacity and durability performance in a full-cell, and eventually upscaling the fabrication process to prepare a 30Wh battery prototype for the demonstration. Successful scaling up the fabrication process can be employed by industrial manufacturers to accomplish a commercially viable rechargeable ZLIB for future generation of smart grids. It is expected that the results of the proposed research will provide the potential breakthrough required for successful rechargeable ZLIB commercialization.