Search

Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are the key power source for electric vehicles (EVs). Battery thermal management system (BTMS) is essential to ensure safety and extend service life of LIBs. This paper reviews the various refrigeration materials used in the BTMS in EVs, including liquid coolant, phase change material (PCM). The thermal properties of these refrigerant materials are summarized and the innovative ways to improve the cooling efficiency of the BTMS are analyzed. The various ways to enhance the battery’s thermal performance by modifying the materials of the electrode, separator, and electrolyte are also reviewed. Finally, the research prospect in area of BTMS is summarized. This review will inspire new BTMS design and further improvement in battery safety and performance with the aid of advanced intelligent technologies.

Lithium–sulfur batteries have received increasing research interest due to their superior theoretical capacity, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. However, the commercial realization of lithium–sulfur batteries faces critical obstacles, such as the significant volume change of sulfur cathodes over the de/lithiation processes, uncontrollable shuttle effects of polysulfides, and the lithium dendrite issue. On this basis, the lithium–sulfur battery based on solid-state electrolytes was developed to alleviate the previously mentioned problems. This article aims to provide an overview of the recent progress of solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries related to various kinds of solid-state electrolytes, which mainly include three aspects: the fundamentals and current status of lithium–sulfur solid-state batteries and several adopted solid-state electrolytes involving polymer electrolyte, inorganic solid electrolyte, and hybrid electrolyte. Furthermore, the future perspective for lithium–sulfur solid-state batteries is presented. Finally, this article proposed an initiation for new and practical research activities and paved the way for the design of usable lithium–sulfur solid-state batteries.

With the development of electric vehicles, fast-charging is greatly demanded for commercialisation on lithium-ion batteries. The rapid charging process could lead to serious side reactions on the graphite anodes, such as lithium plating and solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film growth, which severely affect the battery performances. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on their contribution ratio to battery performance and the occurrence thresholds. In this work, a P2D model of a lithium-ion battery with the correction of SEI film growth and lithium plating was built. A cyclic charge/discharge experiment was also designed to analyze the changes of SEI film and lithium plating under high charge-rate conditions. It was found that under such conditions, the battery capacity attenuation in the early stage was mainly caused by lithium plating. In the middle and late stages, as the lithium plating tended to be stable, the capacity attenuation was largely caused by the growth of the SEI film. The study provides theoretical support for the improvement of the charge/discharge strategy of lithium-ion batteries.