Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2008 R&D 100 Winner
Vehicles powered by the electric grid don't exist today because batteries with sufficient and safe energy density are not a reality. Until now, solid electrodes and liquid electrolytes have advanced little beyond those used in the first rechargeable batteries. The use of Nanostructured Polymer Electrolyte (NPE) for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries, developed by researchers at Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Calif., in conjunction with Seeo, Inc., Berkeley, Calif., is changing the old architecture, enabling rechargeable lithium metal batteries that beat existing energy density by a factor of two. The NPE is a solid electrolyte, a plastic-like solid that acts as an uninterrupted physical barrier between the electrodes of batteries. Its high ionic conductivity can be engineered to be mechanically rigid, resisting the growth of dendrites, the Achilles' heel of lithium batteries. Solid-state lithium-ion batteries with NPE are safe and stable because they lack of liquids and flammable components. The inability of side reaction products to circulate in the cell prevents thermal runaway. These batteries are expected to meet Dept. of Energy energy density goals—the highest hurdle for battery technology.
Technology
Solid electrolyte to recharge batteries
Developers
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Seeo, Inc.
