The JCESR partnership that brings together government, academic, and industrial researchers, located at Argonne National Laboratories, has had its first birthday.
JCESR aims to develop completely revolutionary battery technology, ditching the commonly used lithum-ion technology currently in use, preferring to enter uncharted territory and take on new promising opportunities that are being discovered by the world's brightest battery scientists. Their work covers battery design, research prototyping, manufacturing collaboration, and much more.
Different types of research include multivalent research, which is focusing on replacing single-charged lithium ion with double charged magnesium, calcium, or zinc. It is important to find the best metal to use that can survive frequent cycling. They have tested over 1800 different Chevrel phase cathodes. Non-Aqueous Redox Flow is replacing solid electrodes with liquid solutions, which would decrease both weight and cost of batteries.They are attempting to find electrolytes that solvate the ions without harmful side effects.
Their "5-5-5" plan, with the goal of developing batteries with 5 times the capacity, for 1/5th the cost, in 5 years, will accelerate the development of clean tech industries. Electric cars and renewable energy such as solar and wind require better and more reliable batteries if they are to be effectively implemented and market competitive.
They are currently working on two prototypes, one being a rechargable magnesium-ion battery, and the other being a flow battery. Important discoveries are being made, such as an interesting observation that three different Chevrel phase cathodes react differently with the same magnesium.
Their main goals remain to pursue new technology and create a paradigm shift in the ways batteries are implemented and designed.
CET is proud to be a partner in the JCESR program. If you would like to know more about JCESR, check out their post on their first year accomplishments here and look through their informational website: http://www.jcesr.org/jcesr-first-year-accomplishments/
