LiNaMan - Sodium Battery

"LiNa Energy is founded upon a novel (patent filed Oct 2017) sodium metal chloride planar cell which unlocks the high power/energy density potential of an established sodium battery chemistry whilst giving many additional product advantages such as vastly improved safety (compared to Li-battery), and reduced product complexity. In addition, the unique LiNa chemistry negates the requirement for expensive and difficult to source cobalt.

The main objective of this project is to take the LiNa concept and apply modern material engineering to demonstrate successful operation. Working alongside LiNa are the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Lancaster University. The consortium will use their considerable skill and expertise to design, develop, manufacture and test the first ever LiNa cell. As defined in the LiNa patent, a central theme of the project is to densify a sodium conducting separator on a planar metallic support. All partners are proven world-leaders in this field. This project also addresses manufacturing scale up by applying modern manufacturing methodologies and techniques.

Project success will enable LiNa to demonstrate to already engaged third-parties the enormous potential of LiNa's unique battery. These include a major; electrode material supplier, automated manufacturing equipment supplier, two battery manufacturers and a battery Integrator. All these companies have provided letters of support for LiNa Energy. These companies (and others) will be increasingly targeted as the project progresses as they have expressed considerable interest to see demonstrable results. We will discuss how the technology can be integrated into the next generation of BEV with beneficial impact on vehicle architecture, cost, performance and safety.

Successful achievement of the project milestones will have major economic impacts. These could be realised though the establishment of joint ventures between the partners to exploit IP generated in the project, through to partnerships with current and extended collaborators through future rounds of the Faraday challenge and possibly EU H2020 (and beyond). Protection of IP will be achieved using standard agreements typical within the Faraday Challenge to maximise the swift impact of the research. Both direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project's success could add to the wealth of the nation through the manufacture, sale and servicing of products which contain aspects developed using the results of this project.

The project will complement existing Faraday Challenge projects by adding a strand currently missing from the portfolio and support the UK in a fresh sodium technology ideally suited to automotive applications."