Anyone interested in electric vehicles (EVs) knows about common knocks such as long charging times, limited range, charging station availability, etc. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have made a breakthrough effort to reduce lithium-ion battery charging time to 10 minutes to make EVs look more delicious to the American public.
Senior author Xiao-Guang Yang and his colleagues published a report in Jul, a journal focused on sustainable energy science. There are still obstacles to be solved, but the practical EV dream, which is equivalent to the convenience of a gasoline engine, may be closer than people think.
In homes with a standard 120-volt electrical outlet, a distance of about 2-5 miles per hour is provided, and charging through a more powerful 240-volt outlet allows 10-20 miles per hour. Currently, fast charging stations are much faster, but it can take 20 minutes to provide an additional range of 60-80 miles. Faster charging did not proceed due to damage to the lithium plating (metal lithium formed around the battery anode), which is formed when large amounts of electricity are transferred very quickly.
According to the paper, the key to solving this problem is to quickly heat the battery to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) for 30 seconds and maintain its temperature during the charging cycle. The solution was installed in the form of inexpensive nickel foil on the battery. After only 10 minutes of operation at a higher temperature, no lithium plating is formed.
After installing this system, the team found that even after an amazing 2,500 charge cycles, the battery capacity was still 91.7{7be40b84a6a43fc4fae13304fce9a2695859798abfc41afd127b9f8b21c5f9c5}. This is equivalent to 500,000 miles in mileage with little charging time than it takes to fuel gasoline vehicles.
Nevertheless, obstacles remain before it comes to the general public. First of all, if the battery is set to temperature and stabilized, then environmental problems arise. If the battery gets too hot, it can degrade or rarely explode. But if it is too cold, lithium plating occurs.
Another problem is that new types of fast charging stations are required or existing ones are upgraded. Finally, all battery manufacturers need to standardize nickel foil plating for their design. But given today's rapidly evolving technology, it's reasonable to think that these problems can be solved in a reasonable time.
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