Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

Simple electrode assembly engineering:Toward a multifunctional lead-acid battery

Electrochemical energy storage is a promising technology for the integration of renewable energy.Lead-acid battery is perhaps among the most successful commercialized systems ever since thanks to its excellent cost-effectiveness and safety records.Despite of 165 years of development,the low energy density as well as the coupled power and energy density scaling restrain its wider application in real life.To address this challenge,we optimized the configuration of conventional Pb-acid battery to integrate two gas diffusion electrodes.The novel device can work as a Pb-air battery using ambient air,showing a peak power density of 183 mW cm^(−2),which was comparable with other state-of-the-art metal-O_(2)batteries.It can also behave as a fuel cell,simultaneously converting H_(2)and air into electricity with a peak power density of 75 mW cm^(−2).Importantly,this device showed little performance degradation after 35 h of the longevity test.Our work shows the exciting potential of lead battery technology and demonstrates the importance of battery architecture optimization toward improved energy storage capacity.

Recent advances and perspectives of zinc metal-free anodes for zinc ion batteries

Zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) are recognized as potential energy storage devices due to their advantages of low cost, high energy density, and environmental friendliness. However, zinc anodes are subject to unavoidable zinc dendrites, passivation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reactions during the charging and discharging of batteries, becoming obstacles to the practical application of ZIBs. Appropriate zinc metal-free anodes provide a higher working potential than metallic zinc anodes, effectively solving the problems of zinc dendrites, hydrogen evolution, and side reactions during the operation of metallic zinc anodes. The improvement in the safety and cycle life of batteries creates conditions for further commercialization of ZIBs. Therefore, this work systematically introduces the research progress of zinc metal-free anodes in “rocking chair” ZIBs. Zinc metal-free anodes are mainly discussed in four categories: transition metal oxides,transition metal sulfides, MXene(two dimensional transition metal carbide) composites, and organic compounds, with discussions on their properties and zinc storage mechanisms. Finally, the outlook for the development of zinc metal-free anodes is proposed. This paper is expected to provide a reference for the further promotion of commercial rechargeable ZIBs.

An overview of the characteristics of advanced binders for high-performance Li–S batteries

The lithium-sulfur battery(Li–S)is a promising energy storage system with many advantages over the commercialized lithium-ion battery.It has a high theoretical capacity of 1675 mAh gà1,a high theoretical energy density(2600 Wh kgà1),and is eco-environmentally friendly.Although only a small amount is used(<10 wt%)in the electrode,binders may affect the discharge capacity and cycling stability of sulfur cathodes in the Li–S battery.In recent years,tremendous efforts have been made to develop functional binders with robust adhesive strength,fast ion/electron transportation,strong anchoring of lithium polysulfide(LiPS),and rapid redox kinetics,to improve capacity,coulombic efficiency,and energy density.This article reviews recent developments in binders for the Li–S battery.After briefly introducing the fundamentals of the Li–S battery,the desireable characteristics of binders are discussed based on the correlation between the functions of the binder molecules and the performance of the battery.Future challenges in developing promising binders and potential solutions are provided in the conclusion.

Advanced characterization and calculation methods for rechargeable battery materials in multiple scales

The structure-activity relationship of functional materials is an everlasting and desirable research question for material science researchers,where characterization and calculation tools are the keys to deciphering this intricate relationship.Here,we choose rechargeable battery materials as an example and introduce the most representative advanced characterization and calculation methods in four different scales:real space,energy,momentum space,and time.Current research methods to study battery material structure,energy level transition,dispersion relations of phonons and electrons,and time-resolved evolution are reviewed.From different views,various expression forms of structure and electronic structure are presented to understand the reaction processes and electrochemical mechanisms comprehensively in battery systems.According to the summary of the present battery research,the challenges and perspectives of advanced characterization and calculation techniques for the field of rechargeable batteries are further discussed.

Lithium sulfide nanocrystals as cathode materials for advanced batteries

The ever-increasing need for sustainable development requires advanced battery techniques beyond the current generation of lithium ion batteries.Among all candidates being explored,lithium-sulfur batteries are a very promising system to be commercialized in the near future.Towards this end,the development of lithium sulfide(Li_(2)S)nanocrystal-based cathodes has received tremendous effort and witnessed multiple reviews.Differentiated from the focus on performance improvement in previous reviews,this review summarizes the research progress in line with the approaches of materials synthesis and electrode fabrication.The key chemistry,operation procedure,materials characterizations and performance assessments are all given a balanced description.Moreover,all approaches are collectively analyzed along the lines of six criteria towards practical applications,i.e.,electrode performance,materials quality,resources sustainability,production cost,operation procedure,and consumed energy.Finally,some perspective viewpoints on the future research directions are offered.

Designing Advanced Liquid Electrolytes for Alkali Metal Batteries:Principles,Progress,and Perspectives

The ever-growing pursuit of high energy density batteries has triggered extensive efforts toward developing alkali metal(Li,Na,and K)battery(AMB)technologies owing to high theoretical capacities and low redox potentials of metallic anodes.Typically,for new battery systems,the electrolyte design is critical for realizing the battery electrochemistry of AMBs.Conventional electrolytes in alkali ion batteries are generally unsuitable for sustaining the stability owing to the hyper-reactivity and dendritic growth of alkali metals.In this review,we begin with the fundamentals of AMB electrolytes.Recent advancements in concentrated and fluorinated electrolytes,as well as functional electrolyte additives for boosting the stability of Li metal batteries,are summarized and discussed with a special focus on structure-composition-performance relationships.We then delve into the electrolyte formulations for Na-and K metal batteries,including those in which Na/K do not adhere to the Li-inherited paradigms.Finally,the challenges and the future research needs in advanced electrolytes for AMB are highlighted.This comprehensive review sheds light on the principles for the rational design of promising electrolytes and offers new inspirations for developing stable AMBs with high performance.

Recent advances and perspectives on vanadium-and manganese-based cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries

The growing demand for energy storage has inspired researchers’exploration of advanced batteries.Aqueous zinc ion batteries(ZIBs)are promising secondary chemical battery system that can be selected and pursued.Rechargeable ZIBs possess merits of high security,low cost,environmental friendliness,and competitive performance,and they are received a lot of attention.However,the development of suitable zinc ion intercalation-type cathode materials is still a big challenge,resulting in failing to meet the commercial needs of ZIBs.Both vanadium-based and manganese-based compounds are representative of the most advanced and most widely used rechargeable ZIBs electrodes.The valence state of vanadium is+2~+5,which can realize multi-electron transfer in the redox reaction and has a high specific capacity.Most of the manganese-based compounds have tunnel structure or three-dimensional space frame,with enough space to accommodate zinc ions.In order to understand the energy storage mechanism and electrochemical performance of these two materials,a specialized review focusing on state-of-the-art developments is needed.This review offers access for researchers to keep abreast of the research progress of cathode materials for ZIBs.The latest advanced researches in vanadium-based and manganese-based cathode materials applied in aqueous ZIBs are highlighted.This article will provide useful guidance for future studies on cathode materials and aqueous ZIBs.

3D printing-enabled advanced electrode architecture design

A high-performance energy storage device plays an important role in controlling carbon emissions.The emerging additive manufacturing techniques bring a great revolution of electrode fabrication process and promote the performance of energy storage devices through the advanced electrode architecture design.In this paper,recent studies on the three-dimensional(3D)-printed electrode with advanced architecture have been mainly reviewed,including interdigitated structure,through-thickness aligned structure,hierarchical porous structure and fiber and fibric structure of electrodes,and expectations for the development of novel advanced electrode architecture generated and optimized by computational simulation and machine learning.The strategy of advanced electrode architecture design and fabrication enabled by the 3D printing technique represents a promising direction toward future energy storage devices with high electrochemical and mechanical performance.

Research on thin grid materials of lead-acid batteries

A detailed investigation on Pb-Ca-Sn alloys was made in order to choose suitable grid alloys materials for thin plate lead-acid batteries. The electrochemical performances of alloys were investigated by electrochemical corrosion experiment, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) test. The results indicate that Pb-Ca-Sn-Bi-Cu alloys can be used to make the grids used for thin grid lead-acid batteries, the content of bismuth has primary effects on the corrosion resistance of grid alloys, the composition of alloys plays an important role on batteries performance, and appropriate scale of elements can be choosed to obtain optimal electrochemical performance. The lead-acid batteries using this kind of grid show good performance by cycle life test.

Experiments Study on Charge Technology of Lead-Acid Electric Vehicle Batteries

The basic theory of the fast charge and several charge methods are introduced. In order to heighten charge efficiency of valve-regulated lead-acid battery and shorten the charge time, five charge methods are investigated with experiments done on the Digatron BNT 400-050 test bench. Battery current, terminal voltage, capacity, energy and terminal pole temperature during battery experiment were recorded, and corresponding curves were depicted. Battery capacity-time ratio, energy efficiency and energy-temperature ratio are put forward to be the appraising criteria of lead-acid battery on electric vehicle （EV）. According to the appraising criteria and the battery curves, multistage-current/negative-pulse charge method is recommended to charge lead-acid EV battery.

PREPARATION OF LEAD-ACID BATTERY USING ELECTROPLATED RETICULATED SiC AS THE POSITIVE CURRENT COLLECTOR

The possibility of using Pb-electroplated reticulated SiC as the positive current collector for lead-acid batteries was investigated. Reticulated SiC with two aperture sizes (3 and 2mm) were tested as the substrate of positive electrode. It was found that the reticulated SiC has an excellent corrosion resistance in H2SO4 solution, and the Pb layer electroplated on reticulated SiC showed analogous electrochemical behavior to metal Pb. Preliminary test of the battery performance indicated that the utilization efficiency of the positive active mass of new designed batteries are improved compared with the conventional batteries. The improvement could be ascribed to the high specific surface area of the reticulated structured positive current collector, which was further supported by the even better performance of the battery made from a smaller aperture size (2mm) reticulated SiC as the substrate of the positive electrode.

Self-Discharge in Valve-Regulated Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries

Factors that cause the self-discharge in valve-regulated sealed lead-acid batteries are discussed and measures to inhibit the self-discharge are put forward.

Study of the Charge Acceptance of Small-Size Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries

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Mathematical Model and Experiment of Temperature Effect on Discharge of Lead-Acid Battery for PV Systems in Tropical Area

This paper presents Mathematical Model and Experiment of Temperature effect on Charge and Discharge of Lead-Acid Battery performance in PV system power supply. To test temperature effect on battery discharge cycles, a temperature range of tropical area from 25 - 60 degrees Celsius in a simulator is set up for testing. This temperature range is normally practical for battery usage. This allows the battery to determine the parameters of the battery quickly and high accurate. A Mathematical Model with MATLAB Program is written and constructed as block diagram using the equations of battery the parameters. By running program, the effects of various parameters are investigated. The results showed that time of discharge the battery is longer. Then, the experiment is set up by battery VRLA 12 V 20 AH. The results confirmed the mathematical model simulations.

A study on equivalent circuit model of lead-acid battery for electric vehicles

A 100Ah@42V lead-acid battery package for electric vehicles are used for study. 1he hybrid pulse test is applied to the battery package to acquire enough data, by which the partnership for a new generation of vehicles （PNGV） equivalent circuit model parameters are identified by the least square method. Then, the PNGV model is verified under two conditions, i.e., the composite pulse excitation and the constant-current respectively. The corresponding maximum relative errors of output voltage are less than 3 % and 3.5 %. Results show that the present PNGV equivalent circuit model and verification method is effective, which can satisfy requirement of simulation of power system of electric vehicles.

Potentiometric Measurement of State-of-Charge of Lead-Acid Batteries Using Polymeric Ferrocene and Quinones Derivatives

Measurement of state-of-charge of lead-acid batteries using potentiometric sensors would be convenient;however, most of the electrochemical couples are either soluble or are unstable in the battery electrolyte. This paper describes the results of an investigation of poly (divinylferrocene) (PDVF) and Poly(diethynylanthraquinone) (PAQ) couples in sulfuric acid with the view to developing a potentiometric sensor for lead-acid batteries. These compounds were both found to be quite stable and undergo reversible reduction/oxidation in sulfuric acid media. Their redox potential difference varied linearly with sulfuric acid concentration in the range of 1 M - 5 M (i.e. simulated lead-acid electrolyte during battery charge/discharge cycles). A sensor based on these compounds has been investigated.

Functional Optical Fiber Sensors Detecting Imperceptible Physical/Chemical Changes for Smart Batteries

The battery technology progress has been a contradictory process in which performance improvement and hidden risks coexist.Now the battery is still a“black box”,thus requiring a deep understanding of its internal state.The battery should“sense its internal physical/chemical conditions”,which puts strict requirements on embedded sensing parts.This paper summarizes the application of advanced optical fiber sensors in lithium-ion batteries and energy storage technologies that may be mass deployed,focuses on the insights of advanced optical fiber sensors into the processes of one-dimensional nano-micro-level battery material structural phase transition,electrolyte degradation,electrode-electrolyte interface dynamics to three-dimensional macro-safety evolution.The paper contributes to understanding how to use optical fiber sensors to achieve“real”and“embedded”monitoring.Through the inherent advantages of the advanced optical fiber sensor,it helps clarify the battery internal state and reaction mechanism,aiding in the establishment of more detailed models.These advancements can promote the development of smart batteries,with significant importance lying in essentially promoting the improvement of system consistency.Furthermore,with the help of smart batteries in the future,the importance of consistency can be weakened or even eliminated.The application of advanced optical fiber sensors helps comprehensively improve the battery quality,reliability,and life.

Application of a Sulfur Removal Hydrometallurgical Process in a Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Plant in Costa Rica

This study presents the implementation of a desulphurization process for lead recycling under different chemical and physical conditions using pyro-metallurgical processes. Desulphurization was done using a hydrometallurgical process using sodium carbonate as a desulphurization agent and different lead-bearing loads compositions. Waste characterization included: SO2 concentrations in the stack emissions, total lead content in the furnace ash, the total lead content in the slag, and the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). A significant reduction in SO2 emissions was achieved (~55% reduction) where mean SO2 concentrations changed from 2193 ± 135 ppm to 1006 ± 62 ppm after the implementation of the modified processes. The desulfurized lead paste (i.e. the metallic fraction lead of the battery) of the modified process exhibited an improvement in the concentration of the lead in the TCLP test, with an average value of 1.5 ppm which is below US EPA limit of 5 ppm. The traditional process TCLP mean value for the TCLP was 54.2 ppm. The total lead content in the bag house ashes shows not significant variations, when comparing the desulphurization (67.6% m/m) and non-desulphurization process (64.9% m/m). The total lead mean content in the slag was higher in the desulphurization process (2.49% m/m) than the traditional process (1.91% m/m). Overall, the implementation of a new desulphurization method would potentially increase the operation costs in 10.3%. At the light of these results, a combination of hydrometallurgical and pyro-metallurgical processes in the recycling of lead-acid batteries can be used to reduce the environmental impact of these industries but would increase the operational costs of small lead recyclers.

Battery Management System with State ofCharge Indicator for Electric Vehicles

Aim To research and develop a battery management system(BMS)with the state of charge(SOC)indicator for electric vehicles (EVs).Methods On the basis of analyzing the electro-chemical characteristics of lead-acid. battery, the state of charge indicator for lead-acid battery was developed by means of an algorithm based on combination of ampere-hour, Peukert's equation and open-voltage method with the compensation of temperature,aging,self- discharging,etc..Results The BMS based on this method can attain an accurate surplus capa- city whose error is less than 5% in static experiments.It is proved by experiments that the BMS is reliable and can give the driver an accurate surplus capacity,precisely monitor the individual battery modules as the same time,even detect and warn the problems early,and so on. Conclusion A BMS can make the energy of the storage batteries used efficiently, develop the batteries cycle life,and increase the driving distance of EVs.