• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.279-284
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• 2021

The high theoretical specific capacity of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries makes them a more promising energy storage system than conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the slow kinetics of the electrochemical conversion reaction seriously hinders the utilization of Li-S as an active battery material and has prevented the successful application of Li-S cells. Therefore, exploration of alternatives that can overcome the sluggish electrochemical reaction is necessary to increase the performance of Li-S batteries. In this work, an ionic liquid (IL) is proposed as a functional additive to promote the electrochemical reactivity of the Li-S cell. The sluggish electrochemical reaction is mainly caused by precipitation of low-order polysulfide (l-PS) onto the positive electrode, so the IL is adopted as a solubilizer to remove the precipitated l-PS from the positive electrode to promote additional electron transfer reactions. The ILs effectively dissolve l-PS and greatly improve the electrochemical performance by allowing greater utilization of l-PS, which results in a higher initial specific capacity, together with a moderate retention rate. The results presented here confirmed that the use of an IL as an additive is quite effective at enhancing the overall performance of the Li-S cell and this understanding will enable the construction of highly efficient Li-S batteries.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2024

This paper presents applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) energy storage batteries, while showing merits and demerits of several techniques to mitigate their electrochemical challenges. Unmanned aerial vehicles, electric cars, and grid-scale energy storage systems represent main applications of Li-S batteries due to their low cost, high specific capacity, and light weight. However, polysulfide shuttle effects, low conductivities, and low coulombic efficiencies signify key challenges of Li-S batteries, causing high volumetric changes, dendritic growths, and limited cycling performances. Solid-state electrolytes, interfacial interlayers, and electrocatalysts denote promising methods to mitigate such challenges. Moreover, nanomaterials have capability to improve kinetic reactions of Li-S batteries based on several properties of nanoparticles to immobilize sulfur in cathodes, stabilizing lithium in anodes while controlling volumetric growths. Li-S energy storage technologies are able to satisfy requirements of future markets for advanced rechargeable batteries with high-power densities and low costs, considering environmentally friendly systems based on renewable energy sources.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

The possibility of conversion to the RC-MAT propulsion system (gasoline engine → electric motor) was studied. However, as commercial battery capacities are low. it is not possible to change the propulsion system. Nevertheless, development of nex-generation batteries is necessary for high capacity and high energy density. Although Li/S batteries are theoretically suitable as new generation batteries, these batteries are not composed of only Li and S. Hence, ensuring high energy density can be difficult. Moreover, electrolytes are important components in the study of energy density; hence, the battery by Li2S8 Molarity was sorted. There are no studied on its various electrode components. In this study, a Li/S battery was fabricated using an assorted 3D sulfur electrode of high energy density and its electrochemical properties were studied. The Li/S battery has a high energy density of 468 Wh/kg at 1.28 M Li2S8 (A805-1.28). Its capacity rapidly decreased after 1 cycle with more than 1 M Li2S8.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2012

Thermal batteries have excellent mechanical robustness, reliability, and long shelf life. Due to these characteristics as well as their unique activation mechanism, thermal batteries are widely adopted as military power sources. Li(Si)/$FeS_2$ thermal batteries, which are used mostly in these days, use LiCl-KCl and LiBr-LiCl-LiF as molten salt electrolyte. However, it is known that Li(Si)/$FeS_2$ thermal batteries have high internal resistance. Especially, $FeS_2$ cathode accounts for the greater part of internal resistance in unit cell. Many efforts have been put into to decrease the internal resistance of thermal batteries, which result in the development of new electrode material and new electrode manufacturing processes. But the applications of these new materials and processes are in some cases very expensive and need complicated additional processes. In this study, internal resistance study was conducted by adding carbon black and carbon nano-tube, which has high electron conductivity, into the $FeS_2$ cathode. As a results, it was found that the decrease of internal resistance of $FeS_2$ cathode by the addition of carbon black and carbon nano-tube.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.740-746
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• 2011

Thermally activated batteries have good stability, reliability and long shelf life. Due to these characteristics and operational mechanism, thermal batteries are usually applied to military power sources. Especially, Li/$FeS_2$ thermal batteries, which are used mostly in these days, use LiCl-KCl and LiBr-LiCl-LiF as electrolytes. The electrochemistry of thermal batteries have been researched for long time, however, electrochemical study using impedance spectroscopy was not published so much. Through this research, microscopic electrochemical research was investigated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(E.I.S). Electrolyte effects on Li/$FeS_2$ thermal battery was researched changing electrolytes, LiCl-KCl and LiBr-LiCl-LiF. Additionally, the salts, which are added to electrolytes, effects on thermal battery were researched. It is expected that the impedance spectroscopy analysis is applicable to not only thermal battery electrochemical study effectively, but also, thermal battery developments.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.501-513
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• 2017

The fundamental small-signal modeling of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and a parameter evaluation approach are investigated in this study to describe the dynamic behaviors of small signals accurately. The main contributions of the study are as follows. 1) The operational principle of the small signals of Li-ion batteries is revealed to prove that the sinusoidal voltage response of a Li-ion battery is a result of a sinusoidal current stimulation of an AC small signals. 2) Three small-signal measurement conditions, namely stability, causality, and linearity, are proved mathematically proven to ensure the validity of the frequency response of the experimental data. 3) Based on the internal structure and electrochemical operational mechanism of the battery, an AC small-signal model is established to depict its dynamic behaviors. 4) A classical least-squares curve fitting for experimental data, referred as Levy's method, are introduced and developed to identify small-signal model parameters. Experimental and simulation results show that the measured frequency response data fit well within reading accuracy of the simulated results; moreover, the small-signal parameters identified by Levy's method are remarkably close to the measured parameters. Although the fundamental and parameter evaluation approaches are discussed for Li-ion batteries, they are expected to be applicable for other batteries.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.3331-3335
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• 2014

We examine the potential use of disordered mesoporous carbon as a functional additive for confining dissolved Li-polysulfides and improving the cycling performance of Li-S batteries. To promote a better understanding of the correlation between the total pore volume of disordered mesoporous carbon and the cycling performance of Li-S batteries, a series of disordered mesoporous carbons with different total pore volumes are successfully synthesized using a commercial silica template. Based on the electrochemical and structural analyses, we suggest that the total pore volume of disordered mesoporous carbon is a predominant factor in determining its capability for either the absorption or adsorption of Li-polysulfides, which is primarily responsible for enhancing the cycling performance. The addition of disordered mesoporous carbon is also effective in enhancing the homogeneous distribution of active sulfur in the cathode, thereby affecting the cycling performance.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.97-114
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• 2016

Lithium batteries based on elemental sulfur as the cathode-active material capture great attraction due to the high theoretical capacity, easy availability, low cost and non-toxicity of sulfur. Although lithium/sulfur (Li/S) primary cells were known much earlier, the interest in developing Li/S secondary batteries that can deliver high energy and high power was actively pursued since early 1990’s. A lot of technical challenges including the low conductivity of sulfur, dissolution of sulfur-reduction products in the electrolyte leading to their migration away from the cathode, and deposition of solid reaction products on cathode matrix had to be tackled to realize a high and stable performance from rechargeable Li/S cells. This article presents briefly an overview of the studies pertaining to the different aspects of Li/S batteries including those that deal with the sulfur electrode, electrolytes, lithium anode and configuration of the batteries.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2022

Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted considerable attention as a promising candidate for next-generation power sources due to their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and eco-friendliness. However, the poor electrical conductivity of sulfur and its insoluble discharging products (Li₂S₂/Li₂S), large volume changes, severe self-discharge, and dissolution of lithium polysulfide intermediates result in rapid capacity fading, low Coulombic efficiency, and safety risks, hindering Li-S battery commercial development. In this study, a three-dimensionally (3D) connected hierarchical porous carbon framework (HPCF) derived from waste sunflower seed shells was synthesized as a sulfur host for Li-S batteries via a chemical activation method. The natural 3D connected structure of the HPCF, originating from the raw material, can effectively enhance the conductivity and accessibility of the electrolyte, accelerating the Li⁺/electron transfer. Additionally, the generated micropores of the HPCF, originated from the chemical activation process, can prevent polysulfide dissolution due to the limited space, thereby improving the electrochemical performance and cycling stability. The HPCF/S cell shows a superior capacity retention of 540 mA h g^-1 after 70 cycles at 0.1 C, and an excellent cycling stability at 2 C for 700 cycles. This study provides a potential biomass-derived material for low-cost long-life Li-S batteries.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.76-86
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• 2021

Technologies for lithium secondary batteries are now increasingly expanding to simultaneously improve the safety and higher energy and power densities of large-scale battery systems, such as electric vehicles and smart-grid energy storage systems. Next-generation lithium batteries, such as lithium-sulfur (Li-S) and lithium-air (Li-O₂) batteries by adopting solid electrolytes and lithium metal anode, can be a solution for the requirements. In this analysis of battery technology trends, solid electrolytes, including polymer (organic), inorganic (oxides and sulfides), and their hybrid (composite) are focused to describe the electrochemical performance achievable by adopting optimal components and discussing the interfacial behaviors that occurred by the contact of different ingredients for safe and high-energy lithium secondary battery systems. As next-generation rechargeable lithium batteries, Li-S and Li-O₂ battery systems are briefly discussed coupling with the possible use of solid electrolytes. In addition, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institutes achievements in the field of solid electrolytes for lithium rechargeable batteries are finally introduced.