The US Division of Protection has been scouting for higher batteries to energy the electrified soldier of the longer term. They’ve tapped new silicon know-how to ship lighter weight and longer lifespan. Leaving nothing to probability, the DOD additionally simply put down $10 million to assist safe a home provide chain for silicon-based vitality storage.
Onshoring & Scaling Up Silicon Vitality Storage Know-how
The vitality storage agency NanoGraf is the winner of the $10 million, 18-month contract. The cash is earmarked for the development of a brand new manufacturing facility in Chicago. As soon as in operation, it is going to be the primary high-volume manufacturing facility of its variety within the US.
NanoGraf is aiming for an preliminary output of 35 US tons per yr of silicon oxide for battery anodes in direction of a aim of 1,000 tons per yr when totally scaled up.
NanoGraf anticipates that its materials will value about the identical as graphite, which is presently the fabric of selection for the anodes of lithium-ion batteries, however it is going to carry out significantly better.
The corporate got here throughout the CleanTechnica radar final yr, when it introduced a $1.65 million award from the DOD to develop its 18650 battery.
“The grant from the DoD is supposed to develop silicon anode-based lithium-ion know-how that’s suitable with all moveable batteries,” NanoGraf defined. “The aim is to extend tools runtime by 50-100% when in comparison with conventional graphite anode lithium-ion cells, and permit batteries to have a shelf lifetime of greater than two years and function throughout a large temperature vary from -4° F to 131° F.”
That challenge concerned NanoGraf’s moveable 3.8Ah (amp hours) 18650 battery, which went into business manufacturing earlier this yr.
NanoGraf additionally additionally has one other $1 million DOD grant underneath its umbrella to develop a 4.3Ah model.
“In an trade the place efficiency enhancements are sometimes very small, the 4.3Ah will likely be a dramatic enhance in vitality density reaching 870Wh/L,” NanoGraf defined. For that battery, the corporate is taking a look at Q2 of 2024 for prime quantity manufacturing resulting in subject use by the tip of the yr.
Why Silicon?
The silicon battery has been a very long time coming. A small share of silicon by weight can be utilized in graphite batteries, however breaking via to a real silicon battery has been a tricky row to hoe.
Preliminary work on NanoGraf’s silicon anode started greater than 10 years in the past, on the Division of Vitality’s Argonne Nationwide Laboratory and Northwestern College in Illinois. NanoGraf began up in 2012 underneath the identify SiNode Techniques.
The Argonne lab is a part of a silicon battery consortium with the Lawrence Berkeley, Renewable Vitality, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, and Sandia nationwide laboratories to “surmount the boundaries related to improvement of a complicated anode primarily based on silicon-carbon electrodes.”
“Silicon is a really engaging different to graphitic carbon alone attributable to its a lot larger theoretical capability for vitality storage, almost an order of magnitude extra per gram, and relative availability attributable to its use worldwide in varied industries,” Argonne explains. “Nevertheless, in electrodes with bigger quantities of elemental silicon (about 15 %) and thus a lot larger vitality density, a number of issues significantly restrict the calendar life.”
The Pacific Northwest Nationwide Laboratory supplies illustration of the lengthy R&D tail main as much as business improvement of silicon-based vitality storage. CleanTechnica caught up with the lab in December of 2020.
“As early as 2010 PNNL was plotting the demise of the graphite anode for EV batteries, with an help from silicon,” we noticed. “In 2014 a group of PNNL researchers created a silicon “sponge” fortified with carbon to switch graphite.”
A newer breakthrough got here within the spring of 2020, when Argonne introduced enhancements to the sponge-like structure.
Higher Vitality Storage For Electrical Autos
Along with use within the moveable vitality storage space, silicon has additionally caught the attention of EV producers.
Again in 2019, Nanograf gained a $7.5 million award from the US Council for Automotive Analysis consortium, which on the time consisted of Ford, Common Motors, and the Fiat Chrysler Vehicles group. Underneath the new-ish identify of Stellantis, the FCA group of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and FIAT continues to be a part of the consortium.
The US Division of Vitality has additionally been disbursing grants for silicon battery improvement alongside a raft of different applied sciences aimed toward bettering EV battery efficiency.
Final October, GM upped the ante by participating in a first-of-its-kind collaboration with one other US agency, aimed toward bringing silicon nanowire know-how into the auto maker’s Ultium EV battery household.
The Electrified Military Of The Future
The US Military is a good distance off from electrifying its autos, however moveable electronics have been a characteristic of warfare for generations, and the DOD has been on the hunt for brand spanking new applied sciences that lighten the vitality storage load.
One key breakthrough in recent times is a versatile battery pack that may be worn on a vest. The so-named Conformal Wearable Battery can present energy for a number of related units.
The subsequent step is to simplify the battery provide chain for units that aren’t related to the CWB. Silicon batteries will assist resolve a part of the issue, however that also leaves the Military with longstanding interoperability points.
Final yr, the Military drew consideration to the necessity for a extra streamlined method to vitality storage, with a concentrate on weaponry in addition to radios, GPS, and night-vision units.
The trouble is spearheaded by the Military Futures Command, underneath the acronym STUB for Small Tactical Common Battery. The aim is to create a set of eight completely different sizes of batteries, all with the identical interfaces.
“Now’s an opportune time to standardize energy sources because the Military is prioritizing modernization and fielding electronics with better capabilities requiring extra vitality than present programs,” defined Dr. Nathan Sharpes, who’s a analysis mechanical engineer with a department of AFC’s Fight Capabilities Growth Command (DEVCOM).
“The aim is to keep away from the present mannequin of fielding a proprietary battery for every bit of substances as know-how builders have traditionally delivered distinctive batteries for brand spanking new capabilities,” the Military emphasised. “Every battery measurement supplies a distinct quantity of vitality, from which Troopers might select, relying on their mission wants. This interoperable battery system will seamlessly ship the right voltage and energy stage must any system.”
“Presently when a Soldier is on a mission carrying 5 completely different items of substances that every have a novel battery kind issue, together with spares, that’s further weight and gadgets to maintain observe of,” Sharpes added. “With this household of interoperable batteries, Troopers will see advantages cognitively and bodily.”
Along with in-field benefits, the Military anticipates that its procurement and logistics prices will drop. The Military additionally expects that tools producers will have the ability to focus extra time and vitality on bettering the efficiency of their units.
Within the meantime, don’t surrender on EVs for the Military simply but. Final March, the Military Reserve introduced its intention to impress all of its non-tactical autos by the tip of Fiscal Yr 27. The US protection contractor Oshkosh can be pushing the EV envelope, which might imply extra electrical autos are in retailer underneath the corporate’s contract with the US Postal Service.
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Picture: Soldier demonstrates wearable vitality storage, courtesy of US Military.
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