FMRG: Holistic Design of Low-Cost and Recyclable High Energy Density Li-ion Batteries

锂离子电池由于其高能量容量和轻质而成为电网和电动汽车的关键储能技术。然而，它们仍然昂贵，非常难以回收，并且随着时间的推移会遭受显著的性能下降。这项未来制造（FM）资助将支持基础研究，以发现和开发未来的制造概念，从而制造可靠，能源密集，易于回收的下一代锂离子电池。这种新的制造方法将使电池制造步骤更小，并提供高效的热管理，同时提高电化学性能，生命周期可持续性和可回收性。与目前最先进的技术相比，制造过程将减少浪费和降低能源投入。该研究将减少美国对进口关键材料的依赖，通过简化电池制造和回收过程支持循环经济，并在这样做的同时降低锂离子电池的成本。该基金还将为K-12、本科生、研究生和专业人士创建新的外展项目和劳动力发展活动，并改革与锂离子电池、制造工程、热科学和系统设计相关的多学科领域的课程。当今的锂离子电池是通过基于浆料的工艺制造的，这给电池制造和回收带来了复杂性、成本和其他挑战。这项研究将利用一种新的制造模式，利用新型电沉积/去电镀技术，全面优化锂离子电池制造，以提高性能、生命周期可持续性、热管理和可回收性。为了支持这一愿景，研究计划由四个紧密耦合的研究重点组成，并与广泛的劳动力发展和教育活动相结合。在推力1中，该研究将推进电极和电解质制造以及阴极-电解质-阳极堆的组装。在第二个目标中，该研究将利用第一个目标中的理解来开发电化学和创新的由内而外的电池回收概念。在Thrust 3中，研究将集中在电池设计上，利用电沉积电极和电解质的新颖热和电学特性，形成与回收兼容的高性能电池。在Thrust 4中，该研究将进行广泛的生命周期分析和基于可靠性的优化，以提高锂离子电池解决方案的可靠性和生命周期可持续性，并展示其相对于现有电池制造技术的性能优势。贯穿这些目标的是一个整体的设计策略，它整合了制造、性能、回收和生命周期分析等方面。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。

Lithium-ion batteries are emerging as the key energy storage technology for both the power grid and electric vehicles due to their high energy capacity and lightweight. However, they remain costly, are very difficult to recycle, and suffer significant performance degradation over time. This Future Manufacturing (FM) grant will support fundamental research to discover and develop future manufacturing concepts that enable fabrication of reliable, energy dense, and easily recyclable next generation Li-ion batteries. The novel manufacturing approach will enable battery fabrication in smaller steps and provide highly efficient thermal management, while improving electrochemical performance, lifecycle sustainability, and recyclability. The manufacturing processes will result in both reduced waste and lower energy input compared to the current state-of-the-art. The research will reduce the dependency of the United States on imported critical materials, support a circular economy through simplified battery manufacturing and recycling processes, and in doing so also reduce the cost of Li-ion batteries. The grant will also create new outreach projects and workforce development activities for K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students and professionals and transform the curricula in multidisciplinary areas related to Li-ion batteries, manufacturing engineering, thermal science, and system design.Li-ion batteries today are manufactured via slurry-based processes, which introduce complexity, cost, and other challenges into battery manufacturing and recycling. This research will utilize a new manufacturing paradigm, which capitalizes on novel electrodeposition/de-electroplating technologies to holistically optimize Li-ion battery manufacturing for enhanced performance, lifecycle sustainability, thermal management, and recyclability. In support of this vision, the research plan is composed of four tightly coupled research thrusts, paired with extensive workforce development and education activities. In Thrust 1, the research will advance electrode and electrolyte manufacturing and assembly of cathode-electrolyte-anode stacks. In Thrust 2, the research will use the understanding developed in Thrust 1 to develop both electrochemical and innovative inside-out cell recycling concepts. In Thrust 3, the research will focus on cell design, exploiting the novel thermal and electrical properties of the electrodeposited electrodes and electrolytes to form high performance cells compatible with recycling. In Thrust 4, the research will perform extensive lifecycle analysis and reliability-based optimization, to enhance reliability and lifecycle sustainability of the Li-ion battery solution and demonstrate its performance gains over existing battery manufacturing technologies. Running through these thrusts is a holistic design strategy that integrates aspects of manufacturing, performance, recycling, and lifecycle analysis.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.