go to top scroll for more

Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/E03649X/1
Title An O2 Electrode for a Rechargeable Lithium Battery
Status Completed
Energy Categories Other Power and Storage Technologies(Energy storage) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 35%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Chemical Engineering) 65%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Professor P Bruce
No email address given
Chemistry
University of St Andrews
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 July 2007
End Date 30 June 2011
Duration 48 months
Total Grant Value £1,571,547
Industrial Sectors Energy
Region Scotland
Programme Energy Research Capacity, Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng, Physical Sciences
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor P Bruce , Chemistry, University of St Andrews (99.998%)
  Other Investigator Professor K Scott , School of Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Professor PJ (Peter ) Hall , Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield (0.001%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Energy storage has an important role to play in addressing global warming. It is vital to develop a number of storage technologies. One of the most promising is the rechargeable lithium battery. Such batteries are the technology of choice for hybrid electrical vehicles (some 30% of CO2 emissions arise from transport) and they can make a critical contribution to the storage of clean energy, including for micro-grid and off-grid applications.Currently rechargeable lithium batteries are composed of a graphite negative electrode, an organic electrolyte and LiCoO2 as the positive electrode. Li is removed from the layered intercalation compound LiCoO2 on charging and re-inserted on discharge.Energy storage is limited by the LiCoO2 electrode (0.5 Li/Co, 130 mAhg-1). All the research taking place worldwide aimed at improving the positive intercalation electrode can only hope to double the energy storage to 1 Li/Tm (300 mAhg-1).We propose a step change in rechargeable lithium batteries by replacing the LiCoO2 electrode with a porous carbon electrode and allowing Li+ and e- in the cell to react with O2 from the air. The capacity to store energy can be raised by 5-10 times compared with LiCoO2, supply of O2 is in-effect infinite and the cost is reduced significantly (LiCoO2 is the most expensive component of current batteries). Our preliminary studies have shown that the O2 cell is rechargeable and can sustain cycling. The proposal addresses a number of the materialsissues necessary to realise this radically new high energy storage battery based on a non-aqueous O2 electrode
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 22/02/07