Abstract:The negative impact of the automotive industry on climate change can be tackled by changing from fossil driven vehicles towards battery electric vehicles with no tailpipe emissions. However their adoption mainly depends on the willingness to pay for the extra cost of the traction battery. The goal of this paper is to predict the cost of a battery pack in 2030 when considering two aspects: firstly a decade of research will ensure an improvement in material sciences altering a battery's chemical composition. Secondly by considering the price erosion due to the production cost optimization, by maturing of the market and by evolving towards to a mass-manufacturing situation. The cost of a lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) battery (Cathode: NMC 6:2:2 ; Anode: graphite) as well as silicon based lithium-ion battery (Cathode: NMC 6:2:2 ; Anode: silicon alloy), expected to be on the market in 10 years, will be predicted to tackle the first aspect. The second aspect will be considered by combining process-based cost calculations with learning curves, which takes the increasing battery market into account. The 100 dollar/kWh sales barrier will be reached respectively between 2020-2025 for silicon based lithium-ion batteries and 2025-2030 for NMC batteries, which will give a boost to global electric vehicle adoption.

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In this research, twenty-four high capacity (1360 mAh) NMC622/Si-alloy Li-ion full pouch cells with high silicon-alloy content (55%) are cycle aged under seven different cycling conditions to study the effect of different stressors on the cycle life of Si-anode full cells, among which are the effect of ambient temperature, Depth of Discharge (DoD) and the discharge current. The cells are volumetrically constrained at an optimal initial pressure to improve their cycle life, energy and power capabilities. Furthermore, the innovative test setup allows measuring the developed pressure as a result of repeated (de-)lithiation during battery cycling. This uniquely vast testing campaign on Si-anode full cells allows us to study and quantify independently the influence of different stress factors on their cycle life for the first time, as well as to develop a new capacity fade model based on an observed linear relationship between capacity retention and total discharge capacity throughput.

This study analyzed a prototype of a pouch cell containing silicon alloy anodes with the potential to significantly increase the energy density, resulting in improved autonomy for electric vehicles. An electrical characterization campaign was performed, resulting in three main observations. Firstly, measurements showed a high energy density, although a high lower cutoff voltage (3.0 V) was used due to the prototypical nature of the cells. Further optimization would allow a decrease of the lower cutoff voltage, resulting in an even higher energy density. Secondly, a large open-circuit voltage hysteresis was observed, increasing the complexity for equivalent circuit models. Thirdly, ballooning of the pouch cell was observed, most likely caused by gas formation. This leads to a loss of active surface area, significantly reducing the cell’s capacity. This third observation was more thoroughly investigated by 3D computed tomography, which showed mechanical deformation of the layers. An extensive literature review revealed that the addition of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) to the electrolyte enhances the cycling stability of silicon alloy batteries but leads to the production of CO 2 as a side reaction. Furthermore, the usage of external pressure was proposed and validated as a methodology to reduce the production of CO 2 while improving the cells’ performance.

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The large push for more environmental energy storage solutions for the automotive industry by different actors has led to the usage of lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) combining the features of both lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and electric-double layer capacitors (EDLCs). In this paper, the thermal behavior of two types of advanced LICs has been thoroughly studied and analyzed by developing a three-dimensional (3D) thermal model in COMSOL Multiphysics®. Such an extensive and accurate thermal 3D has not been fully addressed in literature, which is a key building block for designing battery packs with an adequate thermal management. After an extensive measurement campaign, the high accuracy of the developed model in this paper is proven for two types of LICs, the 3300 F and the 2300 F. An error between the simulation and measurements is maximum 2 °C. This 3D model has been developed to gain insight in the thermal behavior of LICs, which is necessary to develop a thermal management system, which can ensure the safe operation of LICs when used in modules or packs.