Lithium Secondary Battery Anode Mix Low-Temperature Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium secondary batteries face challenges in maintaining high-temperature performance and capacity while improving low-temperature power output characteristics, particularly for use in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, where existing solutions either complicate the mass production process or sacrifice high-temperature properties.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating lithium metal oxides or lithium metal sulfides, such as Li4Ti5O12 and LiTiS2, into a carbon-based anode mix in specific weight percentages to enhance low-temperature power output without significantly deteriorating high-temperature performance and capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If conventional anode materials with excellent rate properties are used to improve low-temperature power output, then low-temperature power characteristics are improved, but high-temperature performance and battery capacity decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelow-temperature power outputVSAvoidhigh-temperature performance
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two types of anode materials: carbon-based materials (graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon) that provide high capacity and stable cycling, and metal oxide materials (Li4Ti5O12, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4) that provide excellent low-temperature power output. This merging allows the composite anode to simultaneously achieve both low-temperature power characteristics and high-temperature performance without sacrificing either property.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Power

If surface doping with conductive metal is applied to enhance power output characteristics, then ion and electron migration is facilitated, but mass production becomes difficult due to doping complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower output characteristicsVSAvoidmass production process
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of complex surface doping processes, the patent uses a composite material approach where metal oxide particles are physically mixed and coated onto carbon-based anode materials. This simple mixing and coating method can be easily implemented in mass production while still achieving enhanced power output characteristics through the synergistic effects of the composite structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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

The proposed solution enables lithium secondary batteries to provide superior power output at low temperatures while maintaining battery performance and capacity, as demonstrated by reduced voltage drop during instantaneous operation at low temperatures.

Implementation Method 1

a technology of enhancing power output characteristics by doping a surface of an anode active material with a conductive metal to thereby facilitate migration of ions and electrons

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIon migration: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentUS8110308B2Lithium secondary battery of improved low-temperature power property
Publication Date: 2012.02.07 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD

AI summary

Provided is a lithium secondary battery which has excellent low-temperature power output characteristics by the inclusion of a given amount of a lithium metal oxide and/or a lithium metal sulfide in an anode mix for a lithium secondary battery containing a carbon-based anode active material and is thereby capable of being used as a power source for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that must provide high-power output at low temperatures as well as at room temperature.