Research Development on Sodium-Ion Batteries

The status of ambient temperature sodium ion batteries is reviewed in light of recent developments in anode, electrolyte and cathode materials. These devices, although early in their stage of development, are promising for large-scale grid storage applications due to the abundance and very low cost of sodium-containing precursors used to make the components. The engineering knowledge developed recently for highly successful Li ion batteries can be leveraged to ensure rapid progress in this area, although different electrode materials and electrolytes will be required for dual intercalation systems based on sodium. In particular, new anode materials need to be identified, since the graphite anode, commonly used in lithium systems, does not intercalate sodium to any appreciable extent. A wider array of choices is available for cathodes, including high performance layered transition metal oxides and polyanionic compounds. Recent developments in electrodes are encouraging, but a great deal of research is necessary, particularly in new electrolytes, and the understanding of the SEI films. The engineering modeling calculations of Na-ion battery energy density indicate that 210 Wh kg−1 in gravimetric energy is possible for Na-ion batteries compared to existing Li-ion technology if a cathode capacity of 200 mAh g−1 and a 500 mAh g−1 anode can be discovered with an average cell potential of 3.3 V.

Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Energy production and storage have become key issues concerning our welfare in daily life. Present challenges for batteries are twofold. In the first place, the increasing demand for powering systems of portable electronic devices and zero-emission vehicles stimulates research towards high energy and high voltage systems. In the second place, low cost batteries are required in order to advance towards smart electric grids that integrate discontinuous energy flow from renewable sources, optimizing the performance of clean energy sources. Na-ion batteries can be the key for the second point, because of the huge availability of sodium, its low price and the similarity of both Li and Na insertion chemistries. In spite of the lower energy density and voltage of Na-ion based technologies, they can be focused on applications where the weight and footprint requirement is less drastic, such as electrical grid storage. Much work has to be done in the field of Na-ion in order to catch up with Li-ion technology. Cathodic and anodic materials must be optimized, and new electrolytes will be the key point for Na-ion success. This review will gather the up-to-date knowledge about Na-ion battery materials, with the aim of providing a wide view of the systems that have already been explored and a starting point for the new research on this battery technology.

Na-ion batteries, recent advances and present challenges to become low cost energy storage systems

Energy production and storage technologies have attracted a great deal of attention for day-to-day applications. In recent decades, advances in lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology have improved living conditions around the globe. LIBs are used in most mobile electronic devices as well as in zero-emission electronic vehicles. However, there are increasing concerns regarding load leveling of renewable energy sources and the smart grid as well as the sustainability of lithium sources due to their limited availability and consequent expected price increase. Therefore, whether LIBs alone can satisfy the rising demand for small- and/or mid-to-large-format energy storage applications remains unclear. To mitigate these issues, recent research has focused on alternative energy storage systems. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as the best candidate power sources because sodium is widely available and exhibits similar chemistry to that of LIBs; therefore, SIBs are promising next-generation alternatives. Recently, sodiated layer transition metal oxides, phosphates and organic compounds have been introduced as cathode materials for SIBs. Simultaneously, recent developments have been facilitated by the use of select carbonaceous materials, transition metal oxides (or sulfides), and intermetallic and organic compounds as anodes for SIBs. Apart from electrode materials, suitable electrolytes, additives, and binders are equally important for the development of practical SIBs. Despite developments in electrode materials and other components, there remain several challenges, including cell design and electrode balancing, in the application of sodium ion cells. In this article, we summarize and discuss current research on materials and propose future directions for SIBs. This will provide important insights into scientific and practical issues in the development of SIBs.

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Sodium-ion batteries: present and future

Lithium (Li)-ion batteries (LIB) have governed the current worldwide rechargeable battery market due to their outstanding energy and power capability. In particular, the LIB's role in enabling electric vehicles (EVs) has been highlighted to replace the current oil-driven vehicles in order to reduce the usage of oil resources and generation of CO2 gases. Unlike Li, sodium is one of the more abundant elements on Earth and exhibits similar chemical properties to Li, indicating that Na chemistry could be applied to a similar battery system. In the 1970s-80s, both Na-ion and Li-ion electrodes were investigated, but the higher energy density of Li-ion cells made them more applicable to small, portable electronic devices, and research efforts for rechargeable batteries have been mainly concentrated on LIB since then. Recently, research interest in Na-ion batteries (NIB) has been resurrected, driven by new applications with requirements different from those in portable electronics, and to address the concern on Li abundance. In this article, both negative and positive electrode materials in NIB are briefly reviewed. While the voltage is generally lower and the volume change upon Na removal or insertion is larger for Na-intercalation electrodes, compared to their Li equivalents, the power capability can vary depending on the crystal structures. It is concluded that cost-effective NIB can partially replace LIB, but requires further investigation and improvement.

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Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries: Potential Alternatives to Current Lithium-Ion Batteries

Liquid-phase synthesis of highly dispersed NaFeF3 particles and their electrochemical properties for sodium-ion batteries

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing technology for inexpensively manufacturing a positive electrode active material having sufficient charging and discharging capacity.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a positive electrode active material is a method for manufacturing an active material that contains lithium and fluorine as constituent elements and becomes a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The method comprises the step of obtaining the positive electrode active material by dipping a solid object that contains sodium and fluorine as the constituent elements and becomes a precursor of the positive electrode active material into an organic solvent containing an electrolyte which contains lithium. The electrolyte containing lithium, and the organic solvent are used as an electrolytic solution of a nonaqueous electrolyte lithium ion secondary battery.

Positive electrode active material, and method for manufacturing the same

The invention provides an absorbed type refrigeration system which can effectively use the heat supplied to absorbed type refrigerators. The absorbed type refrigeration system (1) has two absorbed type refrigerators (21) which use a cycle period formed by an evaporator (103), an absorber (104), a regenerator (101), and a condenser (102) to obtain cold water used in five indoor units (31); and a system controller (40) which controls the absorbed type refrigerators (21). The system controller (40) compares the heat supplied to the cold water by the five indoor units (31) with the refrigeration capacity of the two absorbed type refrigerators (21), and controls operation number of the two absorbed type refrigerators (21).

absorbed type refrigeration system

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorption type refrigeration system capable of effectively utilizing heat supplied to an absorption type refrigeration machineSOLUTION: An adsorption refrigeration system 1 includes two absorption type refrigeration machines 21 obtaining cold water used in five indoor machines 31 by a circulation cycle with an evaporator, an absorber, a regenerator and a condenser, and a system controller 40 controlling the absorption type refrigeration machines The system controller compares a heat quantity that is imparted to cold water by five indoor machines with the refrigeration capacity of the two absorption type refrigeration machines, and controls the number of machines to be operated out of the two absorption type refrigeration machinesSELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Yosuke Yamada

Papers

Liquid-phase synthesis of highly dispersed NaFeF3 particles and their electrochemical properties for sodium-ion batteries

Positive electrode active material, and method for manufacturing the same

absorbed type refrigeration system

Adsorption type refrigeration system