A new patent issued by Tesla shows that the battery with a life of 1 million miles has been further developed. This patent describes a new type of battery lithiation process that can improve battery quality, extend battery life, and even save costs.
Earlier, we have reported that Tesla's battery research partner Jeff Dahn and the team of Dalhousie University (Dalhousie University) announced the test results of a new type of battery, indicating that the battery life may exceed 1 million miles.
Now, Tesla has submitted a patent called "Method for Synthesizing Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum Electrodes", which outlines a new electrode synthesis method that can be used in battery production. The patent proposes a highly efficient nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) electrode heating process, and indicates that the previous heating method sometimes forms an impurity-lithium substrate L15AIO4. Reducing the lithium content in the battery can reduce pollution, but it will also result in "materials with poor electrochemical performance."
The patent proposes that when the battery reaches a certain high temperature, it will cause single crystal growth. Correcting the ratio of lithium to other metals can limit the formation of impurities during the first heating. Then, when the battery is heated for the second time, the temperature will be lower than that in the first heating cycle. The patent researcher pointed out that the process is helpful for the development of a single crystal NCA without impurities, allowing the battery to charge more than 4,000 cycles.
The patent outlines the heating process: "This method includes the first step of lithiation, in which the ratio of lithium to other metals is less than 1.0 and is sintered at a temperature of 800 to 950 degrees Celsius for 1 to 24 hours. The method also includes In the second step of lithiation, the ratio of lithium to other metals needs to be subtracted from the ratio of lithium to other metals for the first time, ie if the ratio for the first time is "b", the ratio for the second time is 1.0-b, etc., and The electrode material for the first lithiation will be added with impurity LiOHTLO, and then sintered at a temperature of 650 to 760 degrees Celsius for 1 to 24 hours to obtain a second lithiated material. "
In short, the use of NCA electrodes in batteries can achieve single crystal materials without impurities, and the absence of such pollutants may extend the overall life of the battery, helping Tesla produce batteries with a life of 1 million miles for automobiles. Informed sources also said that the new electrode may allow the energy density of the new battery to be similar to or higher than that of NMC (lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide) batteries.
Tesla has been improving its battery technology, and the battery energy density of its electric cars and energy storage systems has also become higher. The economies of scale realized by facilities such as Tesla ’s Nevada Superfactory (Gigafactory) have also helped Tesla to a large extent, allowing the battery price to reach $ 100 per kWh. People think that this kind of price can make the price of electric vehicles equal to that of internal combustion engines.
In addition to applying for battery patents, Tesla also acquired several battery companies, such as Maxwell Technologies and Hibar Systems, both of which are developing technologies that can improve battery quality and reduce production costs. Tesla recently applied for Patents also help achieve the above goals.
The development of Tesla battery technology may enable the service life of its cars to reach 20 to 30 years, far longer than gasoline-powered cars. It seems that the company is still building a product line that can keep in touch with car owners for a longer period of time, thereby eliminating the need for annual maintenance. Coupled with lower prices, it may accelerate the realization of sustainable development of the whole society.