Pulsed Power: The Next Leap in Lithium-Ion Battery Longevity

 By Nadim Kahwaji


Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in modern technology, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles thanks to their high energy density and fair cycle life. Despite their widespread adoption, these batteries are not without flaws. Key challenges include safety risks, significant costs, limited charging speed, and inevitable aging and degradation. Over time, lithium-ion batteries progressively lose their capacity, a process that is exacerbated by factors such as extreme temperatures, overcharging, and deep discharging. In response, researchers are not only investigating alternative materials and innovative energy storage solutions, such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries, but they are also diligently working to refine existing lithium-ion technologies. These efforts aim to enhance battery life and stability, addressing the increasing demand for more sustainable and resilient energy storage solutions.

Commercially, top lithium-ion batteries use electrodes made from NMC532—a mix of nickel, manganese, and cobalt as the cathode—and graphite as the anode, designed to last up to 8 years. However, constant current (CC) charging can thicken the anode’s solid electrolyte interface (SEI), a protective layer formed from the decomposition of electrolyte components during initial charging. A thickened SEI impedes lithium ion flow, reducing capacity and speeding up energy depletion, while also causing electrode cracking and increasing internal resistance, thereby diminishing battery performance.

To mitigate these issues, researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt University in Berlin developed a pulsed current (PC) charging method. This technique charges the battery in bursts, reducing heat buildup and promoting uniform chemical reactions within the cells. Utilizing Europe’s advanced synchrotron facilities for particle acceleration, BESSY II and PETRA III, they demonstrated that PC charging ensures a more even lithium-ion distribution in the graphite anode, minimizing mechanical stress and preventing cracks, and stabilizes the NMC532 cathode.

Their findings revealed that high-frequency pulsing with square-wave currents could potentially double the battery’s service life while maintaining 80% of its original capacity. Dr. Julia Kowal, a co-author of the study, noted that pulsed charging greatly enhances the stability of electrode materials and their interfaces, significantly extending battery life and suggesting a more sustainable, efficient future for energy storage systems.

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