NEWS LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Next generation lithium-ion
battery project
NEXT GENERATION OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES SET TO BE DEVELOPED BY UNIVERSITY
OF SHEFFIELD ENGINEERS. NEIL TYLER REPORTS
Engineers at the University of Sheffield are set
to develop the next generation of lithium-ion
batteries as part of a major new collaborative
research project with the universities of
Cambridge, Oxford, Lancaster, UCL, the Science
and Technology Facilities Council and 11 industry
partners.
Following the award of £11 million in funding
from the Faraday Institution, researchers led
by Professor Serena Corr in the University’s
Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering are to develop lithium-ion batteries
with longer lifespans and increased energy
density.
The FutureCat project will use a co-ordinated
approach to cathode chemistry design,
development and discovery to deliver cathodes
that hold more charge, are better suited to withstand prolonged cycling and promote ion mobility
– all of which could be used to increase the range and acceleration of electric vehicles.
Improved cathode design could also help reduce the dependency of cell manufacturers on
cobalt – an element defined by the European Union and United States as a critical raw material,
which is expensive and dangerous to source, with minors often working in deadly conditions.
Commenting Professor Serena Corr said: “Switching to electric vehicles is one way we can
help to reduce global emissions. However, if we are to make this change, we need to produce
electric vehicles that are capable of travelling further and have longer lasting batteries.
“Lithium-ion batteries are crucial to the performance and range of electric vehicles and
developing existing and new cathodes can ultimately enhance battery performance. Our research
is setting ambitious targets to make fundamental breakthroughs that will put us on the path to
commercialising a battery with significant improvements to energy and power densities.”
RS launches STEM initiative
RS Components (RS) has launched
Imagine-X, an initiative to help promote
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths) subjects by providing free
teacher resources to help pupils.
Imagine-X has been developed by RS - as
part of its ongoing commitment to raising
awareness of STEM subjects - to assist
teachers and educators in the delivery
of STEM subjects. It gives teachers free
curriculum-aligned resources for pupils aged
7-14, and links dynamic and exciting STEM
subjects.
James Howarth, Head of Education,
RS, said: “At RS we are passionate
about inspiring the next generation and
demonstrating how STEM subjects can lead
to a wide variety of roles that will support
our future environment and infrastructure.”
Resources for Imagine-X have been
developed with help from primary and
secondary school teachers, education
experts and groups of students from key
stages 2 and 3.
Commenting Mike England, President,
EMEA, RS Components, added: “We
hope the Imagine-X resources will enable
teachers and educators to bring STEM
subjects to life and help ignite the
imagination of millions of young people.”
Waterproof
e-textiles
Scientists from RMIT University have
developed a cost-efficient and scalable
method for rapidly fabricating textiles that are
embedded with energy storage devices. In
just three minutes, the method can produce
a 10x10cm smart textile patch that is
waterproof, stretchable and can be integrated
with energy harvesting technologies.
The technology enables graphene
supercapacitors – powerful and long-lasting
energy storage devices that are easily
combined with solar or other sources of power
– to be laser printed directly onto textiles.
In a proof-of-concept, the researchers
connected the supercapacitor with a solar
cell, delivering an efficient, washable and selfpowering
smart fabric that overcomes the key
drawbacks of existing e-textile energy storage
technologies.
According to Dr Litty Thekkakara, a
researcher in RMIT’s School of Science, smart
textiles require robust and reliable energy
solutions.
“Current approaches to smart textile
energy storage, like stitching batteries
into garments or using e-fibres, can be
cumbersome and heavy, and can also have
capacity issues,” Thekkakara said.
“Our graphene-based supercapacitor is not
only fully washable, it can store the energy
needed to power an intelligent garment – and
it can be made in minutes at large scale.
“By solving the energy storage-related
challenges of e-textiles, we hope to power the
next generation of wearable technology and
intelligent clothing.”
The researchers have applied for a patent
for the new technology, which was developed
with support from RMIT Seed Fund and Design
Hub project grants.
8 10 September 2019 www.newelectronics.co.uk
/www.newelectronics.co.uk