Novel Manufacturing Approaches to Next Generation Batteries

Lead Research Organisation: King's College London
Department Name: Engineering

Abstract

Electrical energy storage can contribute to meeting the UK's binding greenhouse emission targets by enabling low carbon transport through electric vehicles (EVs) in the expanding electric automotive industry. However, challenges persist in terms of performance, safety, durability and costs of the energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Although there has been research in developing new chemistry and advanced materials that has significantly improved electrical energy storage performance, the structure of the electrodes and LIBs and their manufacturing methods have not been changed since the 1980s. The current manufacturing methods do not allow control over the structures at the electrode and device levels, which leads to restricted ion transport during cycling.

The approach of this research is to develop a complete materials-manufacture-characterisation chain for LIBs, solid-state LIBs (SSLIBs) and next generation of batteries. Novel structures at the electrode and device levels will be designed to promote fast directional ion transport, increase energy and power densities, improve safety and cycling performance and reduce costs. New, scalable manufacturing techniques will be developed to realise making the designed structures and reduce interfacial resistance in SSLIBs. Finally, state-of-the-art physical and chemical characterisation techniques including a suite of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and electrochemical testing will be used to understand the underlining charge storage mechanism, interfacial phenomena and how electrochemical performance is influenced by structural changes of the energy storage devices. The results will subsequently be used to guide iterations of the structure design.

The fabricated batteries will be packaged into pouch cells and rigorously tested by EV protocols through close collaborations with industry to ensure flexible adaptability to the current industry match to create near-term high impact in industry. The commercialisation strategy is to license developed intellectual property (IP) to material and battery manufacturers.

Planned Impact

Global climate change due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities has already had observable effects on the environment. Under the 2008 Climate Change Act, the UK has a legally binding target to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. To mitigate climate change and address poor local air quality, Britain and most countries of the world will ban new petrol and diesel vehicles from approximately 2040, leading to a huge global electric vehicle (EV) market that is currently growing at 28.3% per annum. Improving battery systems for EVs is a required game changer for the UK to take leadership of the global transition to a low carbon economy. However, almost all of the large-scale battery manufacturers are based in Asia. The shares of global lithium ion battery (LIB) production in 2017 were 48%, 27% and 25% in Japan, South Korea and China, respectively. The Gigafactory in the US will also increase LIB production significantly from 2018. This creates disconnect in translating the UK's strength in energy storage science into competitive products for the UK electric automotive industry.

My research focuses on unique manufacturing innovations for batteries in the UK. My research directly addresses the 2017 Industrial Strategy and the EPSRC priority area of "Development and manufacture of batteries for the electrification of vehicles". My research also aligns strongly with two EPSRC themes "Energy" and "Manufacturing the Future", and forms a link between them. This link is critical if the UK is to secure commercial competitiveness in the energy area. The research also falls squarely within the remit of the EPSRC SUPERGEN Energy Storage Hub based in Oxford, and collaborates with High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult at the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) funded by the Technology Strategy Board.

I have taken the initiative to develop my own team of UK leading industrial partners in the sectors of batteries, electric automotive and manufacturing to exploit my ideas. Given the early stage of my career, I am pleased that my proposed research has already attracted significant and diverse industrial support. Evidence of their commitment to work with me is given in the attached Letters of Support. My proposed research will collaborate with industry to develop and scale up a unique, novel and world-leading manufacturing capability for making structured batteries to contribute to the UK economy in the emerging electric transport battery industry. The research programme will evaluate economic feasibility of the technologies that I develop, and commercialise the most promising technologies. The partner companies represent the near-term and most credible route to the commercial exploitation of innovations that arise from my research. Throughout the Fellowship, the timely recognition and protection of exploitable intellectual property (IP) will be realised through Oxford University Innovation that advises on licensing patents and possible spin-out opportunities.

This Fellowship will train at least 1 DPhil student and 1 PDRA, promote communication between academia and industry, and provide the DPhil student and PDRA with the skills that are highly needed by the growing UK battery industrial base.

The outcomes of this research will be disseminated through open dissemination events, public engagement events and intermediary organisations (such as the EPSRC SUPERGEN Energy Storage Hub, the EPSRC Energy Storage Research Network, etc.) to inform policy makers and other researchers in the energy and wider fields, as well as to facilitate public understanding of battery research and technologies, especially in the aspects of safety, sustainability, cost and performance relating to social, economic and policy changes that are relevant to the public.

Publications

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Kazim S (2024) MXene-Based Energy Devices: From Progressive to Prospective in Advanced Functional Materials

 
Description This award has developed a new processing technique of making electrodes for energy storage devices. This award discovered that using certain structures made by the newly developed processing technique improved the energy storage performance of the energy storage devices.
Exploitation Route The outcomes of this funding may be taken forward to be implemented in industry to make better-performing energy storage devices that will benefit wide society.
Sectors Chemicals

Electronics

Energy

Environment

Healthcare

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Transport

 
Description The processing technique that has been developed during this award allows manufacture of new types of batteries. The findings from this award are useful for industries that manufacture batteries in order to reduce costs and improve battery performance. The developments from this project give battery manufacturers another perspective of how manufacturing techniques can be improved. The findings are also useful to the general public through outreach activities to help the public understand battery science better.
Sector Chemicals,Electronics,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport
Impact Types Societal

Economic

 
Description Invited panel discussion by Imperial Policy Forum and the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Advanced manufacturing of smart electrodes with designed microstructure for energy applications
Amount £91,819 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 11/2023
 
Description Battery manufacturing - Next generation electrodes (Nextrode)
Amount £5,735,767 (GBP)
Funding ID FIRG066 
Organisation The Faraday Institution 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2025
 
Description Development of a prototype machine for novel dry electrode manufacturing for lithium ion batteries
Amount £84,306 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2024 
End 01/2025
 
Description EPSRC IAA Award
Amount £53,235 (GBP)
Organisation King's College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2021 
End 03/2022
 
Description Faraday Institution Training Grant
Amount £135,540 (GBP)
Funding ID FITG034 
Organisation The Faraday Institution 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2020 
End 09/2024
 
Description Innovative electrode manufacturing equipment for lithium ion batteries and solid-state batteries
Amount £72,002 (GBP)
Funding ID FIIF-015 
Organisation The Faraday Institution 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 10/2025
 
Description Ion diffusion in electrochemical energy devices
Amount £1,240,776 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/Y009908/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2028
 
Description Joint Diamond-ISIS Doctoral Studentship
Amount £105,556 (GBP)
Organisation Diamond Light Source 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2025
 
Description Characterisation equipment 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution My expertise in energy storage devices and fabrication of bespoke electrodes.
Collaborator Contribution Partners' expertise in characterisation equipment.
Impact International conference presentation: Full Field of View Compton Scattering Imaging with in-situ Lithium Batteries, 14th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, Germany, 2021
Start Year 2020
 
Description Characterisation software 
Organisation University of Ghent
Department Department of Physics and Astronomy
Country Belgium 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My expertise in materials, energy storage devices and fabrication of bespoke electrodes.
Collaborator Contribution Partners' expertise in characterisation software and data analysis.
Impact International conference presentation: Full Field of View Compton Scattering Imaging with in-situ Lithium Batteries, 14th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, Germany, 2021
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration on zinc ion batteries 
Organisation Gyeongsang National University
Country Korea, Republic of 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My research team's materials science idea.
Collaborator Contribution My partner's battery assembly expertise.
Impact Two publications "Defect engineering via the F-doping of ß-MnO2 cathode to design hierarchical spheres of interlaced nanosheets for superior high-rate aqueous zinc ion batteries" and "Enhanced and stabilized charge transport boosting by Fe-doping effect of V2O5 nanorod for rechargeable Zn-ion battery".
Start Year 2021
 
Description Electron characterisation 
Organisation Gunma University
Country Japan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My expertise in materials science.
Collaborator Contribution Partners' expertise in characterisation analysis.
Impact International conference presentation: Full Field of View Compton Scattering Imaging with in-situ Lithium Batteries, 14th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, Germany, 2021
Start Year 2020
 
Description Neutron tomography characterisation 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC)
Department ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My expertise in fabrication of bespoke electrodes.
Collaborator Contribution Partners' expertise in neutron tomography characterisation.
Impact Publication: 10.3390/jimaging6120136
Start Year 2020
 
Description Novel manufacturing of structured electrodes 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Department of Materials
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My design of novel manufacturing techniques, and my expertise in materials, energy storage devices and characterisation.
Collaborator Contribution My partners' expertise in manufacturing techniques, materials science and energy storage devices.
Impact Publication: DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202002387 Patent: GB2015840.8
Start Year 2020
 
Description X-ray tomography characterisation 
Organisation Diamond Light Source
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution My expertise in energy storage devices and fabrication of bespoke electrodes.
Collaborator Contribution Partners' expertise in X-ray tomography characterisation technique.
Impact International conference presentation: Full Field of View Compton Scattering Imaging with in-situ Lithium Batteries, 14th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation, Germany, 2021
Start Year 2020
 
Title Electrode manufacturing technology 
Description A new electrode manufacturing method 
IP Reference GB2311054.7 
Protection Patent / Patent application
Year Protection Granted 2024
Licensed No
Impact Other development of intellectual property
 
Title Method of Forming an Electrode 
Description A method of making electrodes for solid-state batteries that improves energy storage performance. 
IP Reference PCT/GB2021/052559 
Protection Patent application published
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact A business case is proposed for licensing.
 
Description Interview by research council 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Both my European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant and myself were featured on the UKRI website to highlight the Horizon Europe guarantee funding to encourage researchers to apply for ERC funding.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.ukri.org/news-and-events/horizon-europe-what-we-are-doing-to-support-you/charging-ahead/
 
Description Interview by research council 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The Faraday Institution interviewed me about my career path to encourage more researchers from diverse backgrounds to continue to work in research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.faraday.ac.uk/faraday-pathways/ann-huang/
 
Description National Battery Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I wrote an article to explain about battery research on National Battery Day. The article is published online and sent out as a newsletter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Participation in the International Women in Engineering Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Showcased a flexible energy storage device developed from my research to the general public through the university social media channel which generated public's interest in the current research work undertaken within the university.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021