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Nissan has announced its joint development of an atomic analysis methodology that will aid in boosting the performance of lithium-ion batteries, and extend the driving range of zero-emission electric vehicles.
Nissan said that using a silicon compound instead of a carbon one within a standard lithium-ion battery could help it increase the energy density by up to 150%. Its current batteries have an energy density of up to 400Wh/L.
Under Nissan’s development plans, that could increase to 700Wh/L by 2020 with a target of more than 1,000Wh/L by 2025. This would see the distance a car could travel rise from 150 miles today to 375 miles, assuming that no other improvements are made to the vehicle or the battery technology.
The analysis was the result of a combined research and development effort between Nissan Arc, a Nissan subsidiary, and these Japan-based organisations: Tohoku University, the National Institute for Materials Science, the Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, and the Science and Technology Agency.
The analysis examined the structure of amorphous silicon monoxide (SiO), widely seen as the key to boosting next-generation lithium-ion battery capacity, allowing researchers to better understand electrode structure during charging cycles.
Silicon is capable of holding greater amounts of lithium than common carbon-based materials, but in crystalline form it possesses a structure that deteriorates during charging cycles, ultimately impacting on performance. However, amorphous SiO is resistant to such deterioration.
Its base structure had been unknown, making it difficult for mass production. However, the new methodology provides an accurate understanding of the amorphous structure of SiO, based on a combination of structural analyses and computer simulations.
Takao Asami, president of Nissan Arc, said: “The invention of this new analysis method is essential to further develop the next generation of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.
“It will certainly become one of our core technologies.”