Lithium batteries for all climates, resistant to heat and cold

New lithium batteries suitable for all types of climates have been designed, resistant to low temperatures and stable at higher temperatures. Optimized materials and equipped with an internal heater allow them to operate in a wide temperature range from -50 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees Celsius. The results are published in the journal Joule by researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the United States.

Lithium batteries, explains study lead author Chao-Yang Wang, were not designed to function in the wide range of applications they support today.

They were originally designed for electronic devices like computers and smartphones that operate at temperatures approaching 25 degrees Celsius or slightly above room temperature. "Now that these batteries have been integrated into electric vehicles, data centers, and large-scale systems that can reach very high temperatures," Wang notes, "this stable operating temperature has become difficult for manufacturers to manage. To continue improving society with large-scale systems powered by lithium batteries, we must address this fundamental design flaw."

To address this issue, Penn State researchers employed a novel approach to optimize battery construction materials to ensure high stability and safety in hot environments, while simultaneously using internal heating to support battery operation in cold environments. Specifically, the internal heating structure the team plans to implement is composed of a thin film of nickel foil, only about 10 thousandths of a millimeter thick (just larger than a red blood cell), which will allow the system to self-regulate temperature without adding weight or bulk to the battery.