Lithium Anode With Open Lattice Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries face challenges with volume changes during storage and release of lithium ions, leading to potential mechanical damage and reduced cycle life due to inhomogeneous distribution of anode active material and limited ionic conduction.
Innovation Solution
A lithium anode with a current conductor layer in the form of an open lattice structure, allowing anode active material to expand or contract selectively without changing the overall volume, and a coating that covers the conductor layer and active material, ensuring homogeneous volume change and ionic conduction through open voids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional multilayer construction with carbon material applied to current conductor layer is used, then the battery can achieve basic lithium ion storage and release functions, but the anode active material exhibits inhomogeneous distribution and limited ionic conduction, leading to mechanical damage and reduced cycle life
Solution Approach 1:
The current conductor layer is designed with a porous structure containing numerous voids that allow anode active material particles to be distributed throughout the layer. This porous configuration enables homogeneous distribution of active material while maintaining excellent ionic conduction pathways, preventing mechanical damage from inhomogeneous stress, and significantly improving cycle life through uniform lithium ion insertion and extraction.
2Quantity of substance
If the anode active material is densely packed to maximize capacity, then the battery capacity increases, but the volume change during lithium ion storage and release causes mechanical damage and reduces cycle stability
Solution Approach 1:
The porous current conductor layer creates local voids and spaces distributed throughout the structure that accommodate volume changes of anode active material particles during lithium ion storage and release. These local voids allow individual particles to expand and contract without transmitting mechanical stress to neighboring particles, maintaining mechanical stability while enabling high capacity through dense packing of active material.
3Strength
If a solid electrolyte or dense coating is used to protect the anode, then mechanical protection is improved, but ionic conduction is limited, reducing battery performance
Solution Approach 1:
The current conductor layer is designed with a porous structure that inherently provides both mechanical integrity and excellent ionic conduction. The interconnected voids and pores allow efficient lithium ion transport throughout the anode structure while the overall layer configuration maintains mechanical protection. This eliminates the need for dense coatings that would impede ionic conduction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration extends the lifetime of lithium cells by preventing global volume changes, ensuring even charge distribution, and enhancing mechanical stability and ionic conduction, thus improving the battery's performance and cycle stability.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid or also solid electrolyte permeating the electrode active material enables lithium ions Li+ to be transported between the electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
A lithium anode for a lithium cell and/or lithium battery comprises: a current conductor layer, an anode active material and a coating, wherein the current conductor layer is embodied in the manner of a lattice with a conductor structure that defines open voids, the anode active material is arranged in the cavities between the conductor structure, and the coating covers the current conductor layer and the anode active material. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a lithium anode.