• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.699-710
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• 2019

Electric vehicles (EVs) are spreading rapidly and many counties are promoting hybrid and fully EVs through legislation. Therefore, an increasing amount of lithium ion batteries will reach the end of their usable life and will require effective and sustainable end-of-life management plan which include landfill disposal or incineration. The current research focuses on more sustainable methods such as remanufacturing, reuse and recycling in order to prepare for future battery compositions and provide insights to the need recycling methods to be developed to handle large amounts of batteries sustainably in the near future. The two most prominent material recovery techniques are hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy which are explored and assessed on their relative effectiveness, sustainability, and feasibility. Hydrometallurgy is a superior recycling method due to high material recovery and purity, very low emissions, high prevalence of chemical reuse and implementation of environmentally sustainable compounds. Expanding recycling technologies globally should take the research and technologies pioneered by Umicore to establish a sustainable recycling program for end-of-life EVs batteries. Emerging battery technology of Telsa show the most effective designs for high performance batteries includes the use of silicon which is expected to increase capacity of batteries in the future.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2021

The increasing demand for energy storage in mobile electronic devices and electric vehicles has emphasized the importance of electrochemical energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. For reversible Li storage, alternative anode materials are actively being developed. In this study, we designed and fabricated an Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite for use as an anode material in LIBs and hybrid supercapacitors. Nb₂O₅ powders were dissolved into a solution and the precursors were precipitated onto Li₃VO₄ through a simple, low-temperature hydrothermal reaction. The annealing process yielded an Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite that was characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical tests revealed that the Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite electrode demonstrated increased capacities of approximately 350 and 140 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 and 5 C, respectively, were maintained up to 1000 cycles. The reversible capacity and rate capability of the composite electrode were enhanced compared to those of pure Nb₂O₅-based electrodes. These results can be attributed to the microstructure design of the synthesized composite material.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.74-79
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• 2019

The military vehicle produces electric power through an engine-integrated serial hybrid generator that is connected to the engine and does not have a separate generator installation space. However, depending on the mechanical characteristics of the connection between the generator and the engine, iron oxide for internal rusting and lubrication grew scattered. The iron oxide is adhered to the starter to deteriorate the starting performance, and there is a problem that the noise of the leg due to wear of the gear is increased. To solve this problem, the connection spline material and the surface treatment of the engine were improved and the shape was changed to a grease sealing type to prevent the generation of iron oxide inside. As the shape of the generator connector composing the shafting system was changed, the integrity of the structure was confirmed through the torsional endurance test. In addition, through the actual vehicle load test, it was verified that no corrosion occurred during the target life span without internal corrosion. It was confirmed that the anti-scattering structure of the grease effectively suppresses the generation of iron oxide, thereby reducing the noise generated from the generator. In this paper, we propose a fundamental solution to the degradation of the starter and the noise generation by preventing the back corrosion caused by the serial hybrid generator installed between the engine and the transmission.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.683-688
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• 2018

Recently, the demand for electric energy has been increasing due to the spread of hybrid electric vehicles. In this study, to meet this demand, the ANSYS MAXWELL electromagnetic simulation system was used to compare the power generation characteristics of three types of suspension system that can generate electricity using energy harvesting technology. Next, the optimal design was determined for each model by using the commercial PIDO (Process Integration and Design Optimization) tool, PIANO (Process Integration, Automation and Optimization). We selected three design variables and constructed an approximate model based on the experimental design method through electromagnetic analysis for 18 experimental points derived from Orthogonal Arrays among the experimental design methods. Then, we determined the optimal design by applying the Evolutionary Algorithm. Finally, the optimal design results were verified by electromagnetic simulation of the optimum design result model using the same analysis conditions as those of the initial model. After comparing the power generation characteristics for the optimal structure for each linear generator model, the maximum power generation amounts in the 8pole-8slot, 12pole-12slot, and 16pole-16slot structures were 366.5W, 466.7W and 579.7W, respectively, and it was found that as the number of slots and poles increases, the power generation increases.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2022

Spinel LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) and layered LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂ (NCM) are widely used as positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. LMO and NCM positive electrode materials have a complementary properties. LMO has low cost and high safety and NCM materials show a relatively high specific capacity and better cycle life even at elevated temperature. Therefore, the LMO and NCM active materials are blended and used as a positive electrode in large-size batteries for electric vehicles (xEV). In this study, the cycle performance of a blended electrode prepared by simply mixing LMO and NCM and a bi-layer electrode in which two electrode layers aree sequentially coated are compared. The bi-layer electrode prepared by composing the same ratio of both active materials has similar capacity and cycle performance to the blend electrode. However, the LN electrode coated with LMO first and then NCM is the best in the full cell cycle performance at elevated temperature, and the NL electrode, in which NCM is first coated with LMO has a faster capacity degradation than the blended electrode because LMO is mainly located on the top of the electrode adjacent to electrolyte and graphite negative electrode. Also, the LSTA (linear sweep thermmametry) analysis results show that the LN bi-layer electrode in which the LMO is located inside the electrode has good thermal stability.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.44-50
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• 2015

Recycling technologies would be required in consideration of increasing demand in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, the leaching behavior of Ni, Co and Mn is investigated with ammoniacal medium for spent cathode active materials, which are separated from a commercial LIB pack in hybrid electric vehicles. The leaching behavior of each metal is analyzed in the presence of reducing agent and pH buffering agent. The existence of reducing agent is necessary to increase the leaching efficiency of Ni and Co. The leaching of Mn is insignificant even with the existence of reducing agent in contrast to Ni and Co. The most conspicuous difference between acid and ammoniacal leaching would be the selective leaching behavior between Ni/Co and Mn. The ammoniacal leaching can reduce the cost of basic reagent that makes the pH of leachate higher for the precipitation of leached metals in the acid leaching.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.203-218
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• 2009

The development of lithium-ion battery (LIB) technologies and their application in the field of large-scale power sources, such as electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid EVs, and plug-in EVs require enhanced reliability and superior safety. The main components of LIBs should withstand to the inevitable heating of batteries during high current flow. Carbonate solvents that contribute to the dissociation of lithium salts are volatile and potentially combustible and can lead to the thermal runaway of batteries at any abuse conditions. Recently, an interest in nonflammable materials is greatly growing as a means for improving battery safety. In this review paper, novel approaches are described for designing highly safe electrolytes in detail. Non-flammability of liquid electrolytes and battery safety can be achieved by replacing flammable organic solvents with thermally resistive materials such as flame-retardants, fluorinated organic solvents, and ionic liquids.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.433-438
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• 2014

There is an increasing interest in the development of rechargeable batteries suitable for use in both hybrid electric vehicles and energy storage systems that require higher charge & discharge rates, bigger battery sizes and increased safety of the batteries. Spinel-type lithium titanium oxide ($Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$) as a potential anode for lithium ion batteries has many advantages. It is a zero-strain materials and it experiences no structural change during the charge/discharge precess. Thus, it has long cycle life due to its structural integrity. It also offers a stable operation voltage of approximately 1.55 V versus $Li^+/Li$, above the reduction potential of most organic electrolyte. In this study, Ru added $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ composites were synthesized by solid state process. The characteristics of active material were investigated with TGA-DTA, XRD, SEM and charge/discharge test. The capacity was reduced when Ru was added, however, the polarization decreased. The capacity rate of $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ with Ru (3%, 4%) addition was reduced during the charge/discharge precess with 10 C-rate as a high current density.