Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Engineering Science

Program

Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Supervisor

Xueliang Sun

Abstract

Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) are a promising green energy storage system with application toward portable electronic devices, electronic vehicles (EVs) and smart grid energy storage. High energy density is one of the most important advantages for LIB, however, improvements toward performance measures, such as energy density, power and rate capability, cycling life, safety and cost, need to meet the different requirements for various applications. It is well known that battery performance is highly dependent on the type of electrode material that is employed. Currently most LIBs are predominantly fabricated using graphite as an anode material. Therefore, finding a qualified candidate of anode material to replace graphite is the key to achieve a higher energy density of LIB. Silicon is a hopeful candidate for use as an anode material due to its super-high specific capacity (4200 mAh/g). However, this material suffers from severe volume change during the lithiation/delithiation process, thereby limiting its practical application in LIB.

In this thesis, three sections of work were made for the practical application of Si anode in LIB. The first section was to develop a novel method to synthesis nanostructured Si anode materials, which is easy to handle, low cost and environmental friendly. The second section is focused on electrode optimization based on an engineering point of view, including electrode mass loading and density, binder selection and optimized cycle mode. The last section pertains to the development of electrolyte, which can further improve battery performance. A better Si-based electrode is presented LIB after this study.

Download

Share

COinS