Why it matters: Lithium-ion batteries have become essential in modern electronics and in efforts to migrate infrastructure to renewable energy sources. Through rigorous testing, researchers recently discovered a relatively simple technique that can significantly boost a battery’s longevity and speed up manufacturing, thus decreasing costs. Scientists propose method to extend lithium-ion battery life while lowering costs
Producing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and many other devices is complex and time-consuming. Manufacturers are trying to find quicker methods without compromising quality, but the nature of the process severely complicates efforts to study the relationship between various manufacturing approaches and performance.
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According to a recently published paper, charging a lithium-ion battery with higher-than-normal currents upon initial manufacture can increase its lifespan by 50 percent. Additionally, high-current initial charges can significantly shorten manufacturing time.
The researchers admit that the many factors involved in production usually make testing each one prohibitively slow. However, incorporating machine learning into the study helped them discover a simple trick for increasing battery life while potentially decreasing costs.Scientists propose method to extend lithium-ion battery life while lowering costs
The experiment tested 186 batteries rated with the same aging cycle using 62 production strategies. The scientists discovered that deliberately sacrificing a small amount of lithium, and thus charge, enabled batteries to retain more charge in the long term.
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