Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the main power sources for most contemporary portable devices. However, their performance has long been an issue of concern. Addressing this concern, researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a technique to enhance the performance of these lithium-ion batteries.
Origins and Development of Lithium-Ion Batteries
The foundation of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries was laid down during the 1970s oil crisis. Stanley Whittingham initiated work on developing methods for fossil fuel-free energy technologies around this time. For his work contributing to the development of Li-ion batteries, he, along with John Goodenough and Akira Yoshino, was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The first commercially feasible Li-ion battery was created by Yoshino in 1985.
Utility of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Li-ion batteries offer portable electricity, powering electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Today, most Electrical Vehicles (EV) also use Li-ion batteries, though their capacity is slowly reaching its theoretical limit of providing roughly up to 300-watt hour per kilogram of energy. Additionally, these batteries can store solar and wind power, suggesting their potential role in a fuel-free society.
Limitations of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Despite their wide utility, Li-ion batteries have certain disadvantages. They are susceptible to overheating and tend to get damaged at high voltages, given they consist of flammable and combustible materials. Over time, these batteries also start losing their capacity.
Recent Research to Improve Battery Performance
IIT Guwahati researchers have developed a technique that can accurately estimate one of the most critical battery internal states known as SOC – state of charge. This remaining capacity indicates how much more charge can be taken from the battery before it gets fully discharged. Accurate knowledge of SOC can optimize battery capacity utilization, prevent battery overcharging and undercharging, enhance lifespan, reduce costs, and ensure safety.
State Of Charge: A Critical Factor
The state of charge (SOC) is an indicator of the currently available capacity as a proportion of the rated capacity. It varies between 0% to 100%. The cell is considered fully charged at 100% SOC and completely discharged at 0% SOC. In practice, the SOC is usually not allowed to drop below 50%, meaning the cell is recharged when the SOC reaches this level.
Other Developments in Lithium-Ion Batteries
In January 2020, researchers from Australia announced they had developed the world’s most efficient lithium-sulphur (Li-S) battery, capable of powering a smartphone for five continuous days. Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory created a Li-ion battery that doesn’t catch fire. India, through a newly-floated state-owned company Khanij Bidesh India Ltd., signed a pact with an Argentine firm to jointly prospect lithium in Argentina, which has some of the largest reserves of lithium in the world.
Potential Alternatives to Li-ion Technology
Various alternatives are being explored to overcome the limitations of Lithium-ion batteries. These include Lithium-Sulfur Batteries which have lower production costs, improved safety and better energy efficiency, Graphene Batteries which can overcome the frequent charging required by lithium, Fluoride Batteries which could last eight times longer than lithium batteries, and Sand Battery which uses silicon to achieve better performance than current lithium-ion batteries. Other options being explored include Ammonia-powered Batteries, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrode, and Solid-state Batteries that lower the risk of fires, increase energy density and potentially take only 10 minutes to charge an EV.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024