Presentation Description: Most energy storage research and development is aimed at creating safer and more energy dense batteries. However, by increasing energy density, one is inherently decreasing the safety of the cell. The lithium ion family currently has the highest energy density of the commercially available battery chemistries and researchers continue to find ways for pushing its limits. This presentation specifically discusses progress in development and the future potential for solid-state lithium ion batteries and lithium ion batteries using high capacity anode materials. Energy storage capacity is a material dependent property. There are two ways for increasing a cell's energy density: 1. Put more electrode active material in the cell 2. Find new electrode active materials with higher capacities. The anode capacity is particularly important because ion move from anode to cathode during discharge. In other words, a higher anode capacity means more energy to do work during the discharge cycle. Two materials of particular interest for use as a battery anode are lithium metal and silicon. Both have nearly ten times the theoretical specific capacity of graphite, the conventional lithium ion battery anode. However, lithium metal is volatile and potentially very dangerous and silicon anodes tend to have very short lives. This presentation will discuss how researchers are addressing these challenges and when we can expect to see solid-state and silicon-anode lithium ion batteries commercially.
Methodology: this presentation will use a video to show dendrite growth.
Learning Objectives:
better understand the challenges preventing popular technology ideas, such as solid-state batteries, from being commercially viable
describe the ways in which researchers are developing higher density batteries
