British researchers from the The University of Surrey says that its innovative monitoring sensors can detect faults inside lithium-ion batteries in advance, preventing overheating.
Unlike the sensors already in use, the new smart devices created by British scientists are embedded directly inside the battery to monitor temperature, pressure, voltage, and chemical changes in real time. They are even capable of activating built-in fire extinguishing functions.
«We’ve all heard stories about lithium-ion battery fires and how difficult it is to put them out. The best approach is to prevent them from happening. Our technology can be a real breakthrough for many critical industries Intelligent sensors are built directly into key battery components, such as current collectors and separators, to provide fast and accurate readings from the inside. They don’t just monitor heat — they actively respond to it, using fire-resistant materials to slow down overheating», — indicates Lecturer in Energy Materials and Nanotechnology at the Institute of Advanced Technology at the University of Surrey, Dr Kai Yang.
Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most expensive components in today’s electric vehicle and electronics technologies. Smart sensors can provide significant potential for extending the battery life and safer processing of valuable materials.
«The sale of new gasoline and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2035, but safety, especially the risk of battery fire, remains a major concern. These sensors are essential to improve safety and sustainability without compromising performance. This is exactly the kind of innovation we need to achieve zero emissions while supporting industry and bringing real benefits to end users», — convinces Director of the Institute of Advanced Technology at the University of Surrey, Professor Ravi Silva.
Fire extinguishers inside the batteries
Researchers from The Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has created a prototype of a lithium-metal battery with a built-in fire extinguisher that activates in case of overheating. Lithium-metal batteries have great potential, because they can store 10 times more energy than lithium-ion batteries. They have a high energy density, making them ideal for use in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices.
However, lightweight lithium-metal anodes and Nickel oxide cathodes can produce flammable gases. The accumulation of these gases inside the battery can lead to a flashover and fire.
To solve this problem, Chinese researchers added a fire-resistant polymer into the cathode of their prototype lithium-metal battery. As part of the study, the researchers subjected their prototype battery and a standard lithium-metal battery to heating starting at 50°C.
When the temperature exceeded 100°C, both batteries began to overheat. However, in the prototype, a special polymer began to break down, releasing chemicals — flame inhibitors that acted as tiny fire extinguishers. They suppressed the reductive reactions on the anode associated with the formation of gases.
At 120°C, a standard lithium-metal battery was heated to 1,000°C for 13 minutes and ignited Under the same experimental conditions, the prototype with the fire-resistant polymer reached a peak temperature of 220°C and did not catch fire or explode.
«This intelligent gas management strategy enhances both thermal safety and electrochemical stability, opening a revolutionary path to create fire-safe lithium-metal batteries for modern energy storage systems», — the chinese researchers explain.
In addition, with some modifications, the fire-resistant material can be incorporated to the composition of rechargeable batteries using existing production methods. This can accelerate the commercial application of this technology, which can also be combined with innovative sensors for monitoring inside the batteries.
The results are published in PNAS
Source: TechXplore
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