Lithium Metal Battery Pressure Control Against Dendrite Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium metal secondary batteries suffer from poor cycle characteristics due to dendritic plating of lithium during charge, which increases the electrode surface area and leads to side reactions with the electrolyte.
Innovation Solution
Applying a predetermined pressure during charge, ranging from 276-689 kPa (40-100 psi), to physically prevent dendritic plating of lithium, while discharging under either a non-pressurized or pressurized state with controlled pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lithium metal secondary battery is charged without pressure application, then charging process is simple, but dendritic plating of lithium occurs causing poor cycle characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure is applied to the battery during charging to prevent dendritic plating of lithium before it can form. This preliminary counter-action (pressure application) stops the harmful dendrite formation process at its inception, thereby improving cycle characteristics without requiring complex post-processing or structural modifications
2Reliability
If pressure is applied during charge to prevent dendritic plating, then cycle characteristics improve, but charge process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The charging process parameters are modified by introducing pressure application during charge. This parameter change (adding pressure control) directly addresses the dendritic plating issue and improves cycle characteristics, while the complexity increase is limited to the pressure control system
3Reliability
If pressure is applied during both charge and discharge, then dendritic plating is prevented, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure application is applied periodically - specifically during the charge phase when dendritic plating occurs - rather than continuously during both charge and discharge. This periodic application maintains reliability improvements while minimizing energy loss by applying pressure only when necessary to prevent dendrite formation
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 method effectively improves the cycle characteristics of lithium metal secondary batteries by preventing dendritic plating and minimizing side reactions, thereby enhancing battery performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
applying a predetermined pressure during charge to prevent dendritic plating of lithium physically
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a lithium metal secondary battery which includes: an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a positive electrode and a separator interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode; a non-aqueous electrolyte with which the electrode assembly is impregnated; and a battery casing in which the electrode assembly and the non-aqueous electrolyte are received, wherein the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a lithium metal layer formed on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector, the charge/discharge condition of the lithium metal secondary battery includes charging the lithium metal secondary battery under a pressurized state and discharging the lithium metal secondary battery under a non-pressurized or pressurized state, and when the lithium secondary battery is discharged under a pressurized state, the pressure applied during discharge is controlled to be smaller than the pressure applied during charge. A battery module including the lithium metal secondary battery is also disclosed.