Brisbane-based battery technology company Li-S Energy announced recently the development of its first 20-layer battery cells that are based on its third-generation semi-solid state lithium-sulfur technology.
The new 20-layer cells use a low-flammability electrolyte – a battery component that moves charge-carrying ions during charging and discharging – that is safer than the traditional lithium-sulfur and lithium-ion cells that use a high-flammability electrolyte, said the company via a press release.
To curb dendrites – the metal filaments that can short out the battery cell – and further improve safety, Li-S Energy has used its patented li-nanomesh technology, wherein the cells use what the company calls boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs).
Li-S Energy’s 20-layer battery cells have a volumetric energy density of 540 Watt-hours per liter, a 45 percent increase compared to its second-generation cells. The cells also achieved a gravimetric density of 400 Watt-hours per kilogram. Volumetric density is the amount of energy contained within a given volume, while gravimetric density is the amount of energy stored per weight unit.
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To put that in perspective, CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer announced last year that its third-generation cell-to-pack lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells have an energy density of 290 Wh/l and 160 Wh/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, CATL’s third-generation nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells carry an energy density of 450 Wh/l and 250 Wh/kg.
Tesla’s 4680 cells, available on the Model Y AWD, have an estimated energy density between 272-296 Wh/kg.
In simple terms, the 20-layer cells carry the same physical size as existing lithium-ion cells, but with half the weight, according to the company. Li-S Energy expects its new technology to be used in drones and aviation. It didn’t mention its usage in electric cars.
Either way, breakthroughs in battery technology can only be a good thing, as more energy density can enable a longer driving range, potentially offering a cure for range anxiety, which according to several surveys is a stumbling block in the faster adoption of electric vehicles.
Source: Li-S Energy