Protected Anodes for Lithium Sulphur Batteries (PALIS)

JM、牛津大学、伊利卡和WMG提议合作，共同开发一种高能量密度保护的锂硫电池负极材料，作为传统锂离子的低成本替代品。该项目将评估阳极材料的保护机制。没有保护层，负极材料的可逆容量很小。这些受保护的阳极具有更高的循环寿命，可以与传统的LiB竞争(大约500-1000次循环，至少在达到80%的初始容量之前)。这是一种创新的储能解决方案，将与可再生能源收集结合使用，其能量密度大约是当前技术的三倍。将来自可再生能源的电能储存在电池组中，以便在高峰时间释放，有利于减少二氧化碳排放。此外，由于使用这项技术可以获得更高的体积能量，锂离子电池将有潜力用于电动汽车，而电动汽车之前一直是锂离子技术的储备。与锂离子电池相比，锂离子电池的主要优势在于更高的能量密度，从而降低每千瓦时的成本。这为锂离子电池在未来固定储能和汽车领域的应用提供了市场机会。牛津大学将筛选和开发具有最佳离子导电性的固体电解质材料，以保护锂阳极。这项工作将涉及陶瓷电解液的合成，并将与伊利卡的高通量PVD技术结合进行。同时，将与Ilika和JM合作制造阳极保护层的复合结构。随后将对用于保护阳极的性能最佳的固体电解质进行评估，以便重点分析保护机制。通过恒电流/恒电位极化或循环、交流阻抗谱、扫描电子显微镜、XPS和X射线CT等电化学和微观结构分析，将进一步深入了解发生在受保护阳极中的界面现象。在这个项目中，WMG将利用其部分由政府资助的能源创新中心(EIC)内的设施和技术人员，该中心的建立是为了使工业界和学术界都能够以从研究规模到典型原型尺寸的多尺度形式使用新兴电池化学。EIC以电极混合和涂覆设备为特色，采用最新技术生产高质量、一致的电极。JM是材料开发方面的专家，最近证明了他们的Li-S原型正极材料的电池性能在循环寿命、能量密度和倍率能力方面与商业锂离子电池相当并具有竞争力。合作伙伴将通过开发高能量密度保护阳极材料来提高当前锂离子电池技术的性能，这是推动锂离子电池进入固定储能市场和汽车行业的必要条件。WMG将直接与JM和伊利卡合作开发高能保护阳极复合材料，并与牛津大学合作优化Li-S电极，以实现高能量和高循环寿命。这项研究的目的是为高能锂离子电池提供新的阳极和阴极材料，其性能水平将超过商业化的锂离子石墨系统。对学术界的好处是实用研究的传播，这些研究能够加快LiSB技术在高价值制造环境中的采用。其商业化战略是将Li-S的技术知识产权授权给材料和电池制造商。

JM, Oxford University, Ilika and WMG propose a collaboration to jointly develop a high energy density protected anode material for Li-sulphur batteries, as a low cost alternative to traditional lithium-ion. The project will evaluate protection mechanisms for anode materials. Without the protective layer, anode materials show little reversible capacity. These protected anodes give a much higher cycle life that can compete with traditional LiB (~500-1000 cycles at least before 80% initial capacity is reached). This is an innovative energy storage solution to be used in conjunction with renewable energy harvesting, with around three times more energy density than the current technology. Storing electrical energy from renewable energy sources in battery banks for release at peak times has the benefit of reducing CO2 emissions. In addition, with the higher volumetric energy envisioned using this technology, LiSBs will have the potential to be used in electric vehicles which has previously been the reserve of Li-ion technology. The main advantage to using LiSBs over LIBs is the higher energy density, which can lead to lower cost per Wh. This can give LiSBs the market opportunity for implementation in future application in the stationary energy storage and automotive sector. Oxford will screen and develop solid electrolyte materials with optimum ionic conductivity for protecting the lithium anode. This work will involve synthesis of ceramic electrolytes and will be carried out in combination with the high throughput-PVD techniques of Ilika. In parallel, fabrication of composite structures of protective layers for the anode will be created in collaboration with Ilika and JM. Evaluation of best-performing solid electrolytes to be employed for protecting the anode will subsequently take place in order to focus on analysis of the protection mechanism. A deeper understanding of the interfacial phenomena, occurring in the protected anode will be further investigated through both electrochemical and microstructural analyses such as galvanostatic/potentiostatic polarisation or cycling, EIS, SEM, XPS and X-ray CT. In this project the WMG will utilise facilities and technologists within its partly government funded Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) which has been established to provide both industry and academia alike with a capability to use emerging battery chemistries in multi-scale formats from research scale through to representative prototype sizes. The EIC features electrode mixing and coating equipment incorporating the latest technology for producing high quality, consistent electrodes. JM are experts in material development and have recently demonstrated that cell performance of their cathode material in Li-S prototypes is comparable and competitive with commercial Li-ion cells in terms of cycle life, energy density and rate capability. The partners will advance the performance of current LiSBs technology by developing high energy density protected anode materials -imperative for pushing LiSBs onto both the stationary energy storage market and into the automotive industry. The WMG will work directly with JM and Ilika to develop the high energy protected anode composites and also optimise the Li-S electrodes in conjunction with Oxford for both high energy and cycle life. The aim of the research is to provide new anode and cathode materials for high energy LiSBs, which will surpass performance levels of the commercialised Li-ion graphite systems. The benefit to the academic community is the dissemination of practical research which has the capability of accelerating the uptake of LiSB technology into a high value manufacturing environment. The commercialisation strategy is to licence the Li-S technology IP to material and battery manufacturers.