Explore ways to improve battery technology for electric vehicles

Exploring ways to improve the battery technology of electric vehicles Tesla ModelS is the new favorite of the electric vehicle world, but recently it has caused three fires (including 60 kWh and 85 kWh), and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Thanks to new technology and lightweight materials, the ModelS battery pack can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. Also because of the fidelity of these materials, lithium batteries must have a full range of protection methods in cars. Its lithium battery pack weighs 500 pounds and is mounted on the chassis of a car, which is about the same width as the wheelbase and slightly shorter than the wheelbase. The actual physical dimensions of the battery pack are: 2.7 meters in length, 1.5 meters in width, and 0.1-0.18 meters in thickness. The thicker part of 0.18m is caused by the superposition of two battery modules. This physical ratio refers to the size of the entire battery pack, including the top and bottom, left and right, front and rear packaging panels. The structure of the battery pack is a general diagram. In addition to the 18650 battery, other suitable batteries can also be installed. In addition, the battery pack is sealed with an air barrier, and most of the material is aluminum or aluminum alloy. To be sure, the battery is not only a power center, but also part of the ModelS chassis, with a solid shell to support the vehicle. But it is still on fire, which is why researchers are speeding up the development of a new battery technology for electric vehicles. This summer, the US Department of Energy’s advanced research project apra-e invested US$36 million to help lay a solid foundation for the next generation of batteries. Including 22 technical projects, all of these projects are aimed at improving the efficiency of electric vehicles and reducing their costs. Nickel-metal hydride batteries: From hybrid vehicles to pure electric vehicles, BASF's chemical engineer Michael Fetcenko is one of many battery researchers. With the funding of apra-e, they are trying to promote the nickel-zinc battery technology for hybrid vehicles. To pure electric vehicles. Generally speaking, the energy density of a nickel-hydrogen battery is 1 kWh/kg. To use them in pure electric vehicles, BASF must increase the energy density of nickel-metal hydride batteries to 30-50 kWh/kg. The key to successful operation is to increase the energy density of the Ni-MH battery to the required value and reduce the cost. One way to end this policy may be to replace the rare earth elements needed in batteries. Rare earth element is a general term. Among them, there are 17 kinds of rare earth elements. The reason why rare earth elements are called rare earth elements is not because of their small reserves, but because they are important in mines, and the development process will cost a lot of money. In traditional nickel-hydrogen batteries, more than 50% of the energy comes from the reaction of rare earth elements. However, the reserves of these elements are poor. To solve this problem, the basf experiment uses low-cost metal hydride alloys. Professor Ficenko believes that this material can improve the chemical properties of nickel-metal hydride batteries and reduce costs. But for pure electric vehicles, improving the chemical performance of nickel metal hydride batteries is not enough to replace lithium batteries. Lithium batteries have another important feature: light weight and low density. Zinc-air batteries: From hearing aids to automobiles, California's EnZinc company believes that zinc-air batteries will lead the development of next-generation electric vehicle battery technology. Michael Burz, who leads the company's research team, said that the next generation of electric vehicle batteries should consist of three parts: high performance, safety and low cost. He and his team are trying to change the layout of the battery to do these three things. He pointed out that the structure of the battery has not changed for more than 100 years, and people still have not jumped out of the inherent thinking mode. The battery structure is composed of three elements: positive electrode, negative electrode and electrolyte. The positive electrode releases electrons, and the negative electrode accepts electrons. The anode and cathode are separated by an electrolyte, which acts as a medium for free movement of ions. In a lithium battery, lithium ions move from a lithium oxide positive electrode to a carbon-based composite negative electrode, and an organic electrolyte is used. On the other hand, zinc-air batteries use carbon in the positive electrode to absorb oxygen in the air, and use a zinc alloy in the negative electrode. In general, zinc is still a benign substance, and its by-product in the battery is zinc oxide, which is an important component of sunscreen. Through the above methods, zinc-air batteries can achieve the three major characteristics of high efficiency, low cost and safety. Disclaimer: Some pictures and content of articles published on this site are from the Internet, please contact to delete if there is any infringement. Previous: Smart phone lithium battery power saving tips