Solid-State Battery Interface Healing With Pulsed Current
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heterogeneous contact at the anode/solid electrolyte interface in solid-state batteries leads to pore formation, inhomogeneous current density, and increased interfacial resistance, causing battery failure due to contact loss and chemo-mechanical degradations, with existing solutions either increasing system complexity or fabrication costs.
Innovation Solution
Applying a voltage pulse at high current density for a short duration to electrochemically improve interfacial contact by causing electrode material to diffuse into pores in the solid electrolyte, thereby healing the interface and eliminating space charge effects, which can be repeated in-operando to maintain contact and prevent failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high current density voltage pulse is applied to heal pores at the interface, then interfacial contact is improved and cycle life is increased, but excessive current density may cause dendrite formation or electrode damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic voltage pulses with specific duty cycles (pulse duration of 0.1-10 seconds followed by rest periods) to heal interfacial pores. The periodic nature allows sufficient current density during the pulse to fill pores with electrode material, while the rest periods prevent excessive material deposition and dendrite formation, thus resolving the contradiction between effective pore healing and dendrite prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent carefully controls multiple parameters of the voltage pulse including amplitude (1.0-5.0V), duration (0.1-10 seconds), and duty cycle (1-10 pulses per minute) to optimize the healing process. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves effective pore filling without exceeding the threshold that would cause dendrite formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between improving contact and preventing harmful effects
2Productivity
If voltage pulse treatment is applied in-operando to maintain contact, then battery performance is enhanced, but additional control systems and monitoring may be required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the battery system automatically applies voltage pulses based on simple monitoring of basic parameters such as voltage threshold or cycle count. The control system triggers pulses when predetermined conditions are met (e.g., voltage drops below a threshold or after a certain number of charge-discharge cycles), eliminating the need for complex real-time analysis or external intervention, thus enhancing productivity without significantly increasing device complexity
3Duration of action of stationary object
If repeated voltage pulses are applied to heal pores during cycling, then interfacial resistance is reduced and cycle life is extended, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies voltage pulses periodically at low frequency (1-10 pulses per minute) during battery cycling. This low duty cycle approach minimizes the total energy consumed while still achieving effective pore healing over time. The extended intervals between pulses allow the battery to operate normally between treatments, balancing the trade-off between cycle life extension and energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies voltage pulses proactively during early cycling stages or when specific conditions are detected (such as voltage threshold violations), before significant performance degradation occurs. This preliminary action prevents severe contact loss that would require more intensive and energy-consuming remediation later, thus extending cycle life while minimizing total energy consumption
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 increases the cycle life and performance of solid-state batteries by reducing interfacial resistance and preventing contact loss, enhancing the stability and rate capability of the batteries without adding complexity or increasing fabrication costs.
Implementation Method 1
electrode material diffuses into pores formed in the solid electrolyte interface
Implementation Method 2
The resulting pores promote inhomogeneous current density at the interface and increased interfacial resistance, which leads to local mechanical stresses
Data Source
AI summary
A method of improving interfacial contact at an electrode-to-solid-electrolyte interface in a solid-state battery cell is provided. The method includes providing a solid-state battery cell including a solid-state electrolyte and electrodes defining an anode and a cathode. Each of the anode and cathode are adjacent to the solid-state electrolyte at an interface. The method further includes electrochemically increasing interfacial contact between at least one of the electrodes and the solid-state electrolyte by applying a voltage pulse to the cell at a high current density for a short duration, wherein electrode material diffuses into pores formed in the solid electrolyte interface, thereby healing the pores and eliminating an interfacial space charge effect.