Lithium Battery

Context (TH): With Electric Vehicles (EV) recording a 50% growth in 2023, compared to 2022, the heart of it, i.e. Lithium Battery is a topic of discussion.

A Lithium-ion or Li-Ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses lithium compounds as one of the electrodes.
In 1985, Akira Yoshino developed the first prototype.

Lithium battery Cell

Each Lithium battery cell has essentially three components.
- A Positive electrode – (Lithium cobalt oxide, or LiCoO2).
- A Negative electrode – (Carbon).
- A Separator – Electrolyte – most commonly used (lithium salt, such as LiPF6) in an organic solution.
- In addition, lithium-ion batteries incorporate other elements that improve their performance and safety: a temperature sensor, a voltage regulator circuit and a state-of-charge monitor.
When the battery is charged, lithium ions flow from the positive electrode to the negative electrode through the electrolyte and attach to the carbon.
During discharge, the lithium ions return from the carbon to the LiCoO2.

High power density.
Easy maintenance.
Variety of models available.
Higher Battery Life.
Much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size.
High specific energy and high load capabilities with Power Cells.
High capacity, low internal resistance.
Simple charge algorithm and reasonably short charge times.
Low self-discharge. A lithium-ion battery pack loses only about 5 percent of its charge per month.

Energy density is the amount of energy the battery can store with respect to its mass.
Power density is the amount of power that can be generated with respect to its mass.

Emergency power systems – server farms, the batteries of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
Solar energy storage: Solar energy storage is intermittent, and these batteries are best suited to solar panels because they charge fast.
Consumer electronics and mobile devices: Allows for ever-increasing miniaturisation.
Disability assistance: electric wheelchairs, stairlifts or motorised prostheses.

Energy density is still lower compared to petrol.
Requires higher protection circuit to prevent thermal runaway if stressed.
Performance declines with time.
At freezing temperatures (zero degrees Celsius), quick charging is not possible.
Lithium-ion battery packs degrade significantly more quickly when exposed to heat.
Environmental concerns are primarily related to the mining of lithium.
The liquid electrolyte used in EV batteries is highly flammable.

Lead Acid Battery: They are heavier and have a low energy density.
Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) Battery: They had a low cycle life. Banned because of their toxicity.
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NIMH) Battery: Sufficient for smaller battery applications. It does not require an external source for charging. It is charged only by the regenerative braking mechanism.
Sodium-ion batteries: Sodium ions are physically larger than lithium, which translates to lower energy density resulting in lower range for EV’s.
Solid-state batteries (SSB): Lower risk of ignition, can also hold more energy compared to their Li-on counterparts. (Potential viable alternative so far).
Potential benefits of SSB: reduced weight, improved charging speed, and enhanced safety.
Hydrogen fuel cells
- They are a clean, reliable, quiet, and efficient source of high-quality electric power.
- It produces electricity, with water and heat as the only by-products.
- Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on earth.
- Disadvantages: quite expensive, need to build a network of hydrogen filling stations.

Retaining basic lithium-ion battery structure with tweaks to electrodes (e.g., Tesla’s use of Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).
Deployment of sensing and control infrastructure (Battery Management System) for safety and faster charging.
Exploration of Solid-State Lithium Battery (SSB) for significant improvements in performance.