TSLA fire promotes the accelerated development of Nickel Hydride Batteries technology

Tesla Model S is the new darling of the electric vehicle industry, but it has recently experienced three consecutive fire incidents (including 60 kWh and 85 kWh Nickel Hydride Batteries versions), and the detailed cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Thanks to the application of new technology and lightweight materials, the Nickel Hydride Batteries pack in Model S allows it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Also due to the active nature of these materials, the lithium-ion batteries in the car must have complete protection measures. The lithium-ion Nickel Hydride Batteries pack in the car weighs 500 pounds. It is located in the chassis of the vehicle, the same width as the wheelbase, and slightly shorter than the wheelbase. The actual physical dimensions of the Nickel Hydride Batteries pack are: 2.7 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and 0.1 meters to 0.18 meters thick. The thicker part of 0.18 meters is caused by the superposition of two Nickel Hydride Batteries modules. This physical size refers to the overall size of the Nickel Hydride Batteries pack, including the upper and lower, left and right, front and back wrapping panels. The structure of this Nickel Hydride Batteries pack is a universal design. In addition to the 18650 model Nickel Hydride Batteries, other qualified batteries can also be installed. In addition, the Nickel Hydride Batteries pack is sealed and isolated from the air, and most of the materials are aluminum or aluminum alloy. It can be said that the Nickel Hydride Batteries is not only an energy center, but also a part of the Model S chassis. Its sturdy shell can provide good support for the vehicle.

But even so, it still caught fire, which is why researchers want to speed up the development of the next generation of electric vehicle Nickel Hydride Batteries technology.

This summer, the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency ApRA-E invested $36 million to help researchers lay a solid foundation for the development of the next generation of Nickel Hydride Batteries designs. This includes 22 technical projects, all of which aim to make electric vehicles more efficient and less expensive.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries: from hybrid vehicles to pure electric vehicles

Michael Fetcenko, a chemical engineer at BASF, is one of many Nickel Hydride Batteries researchers who, with the funding of ApRA-E, is trying to expand the application of nickel-metal hydride Nickel Hydride Batteries technology originally used in hybrid vehicles to pure electric vehicles.

Generally speaking, the energy density of nickel-metal hydride batteries is 1 kWh/kg. If it is to be used in pure electric vehicles, BASF must increase the energy density of nickel-metal hydride batteries to 30-50 kWh/kg. The key to the success of this application is whether the energy density of nickel-metal hydride batteries can be increased to the required value and the cost can be reduced.

One possible way to achieve this goal is to replace the rare earth elements required in the Nickel Hydride Batteries. Rare earth elements are a general term for a group of 17 elements. The reason why they are called rare earth elements is not because of their small reserves, but because they are mainly found in mines and will cost a lot of money to develop. In traditional nickel-metal hydride batteries, more than 50% of the energy is generated by the reaction of rare earth elements. However, the storage performance of such elements is poor.

To solve this problem, BASF tried to use low-cost metal hydride alloys. Professor Fetcenko believes that this material can improve the chemical properties of nickel-metal hydride batteries and reduce their costs. However, for pure electric vehicles, improving the chemical properties of nickel-metal hydride batteries alone is not enough to replace lithium-ion batteries, because lithium-ion batteries also have a crucial characteristic - light weight, or low density.

Zinc-air batteries: from hearing aids to cars

A company called EnZinc in California, USA, believes that zinc-air batteries will lead the next generation of electric vehicle Nickel Hydride Batteries technology. Michael Burz, head of the company's research team, said that the next generation of electric vehicle batteries should have three elements: high performance, safety, and low cost. He and his team are trying to change the design mode/architecture of the Nickel Hydride Batteries to achieve these three points.

He pointed out that the Nickel Hydride Batteries architecture has not changed for more than 100 years, and people still cannot break out of the mindset. The so-called Nickel Hydride Batteries architecture includes three elements: positive electrode, negative electrode, and electrolyte. The positive electrode releases electrons and the negative electrode receives electrons. The positive and negative electrodes are separated by an electrolyte, which serves as a medium for the free flow of ions.

In lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions move from the lithium oxide positive electrode to the carbon-based compound negative electrode, and an organic electrolyte is used. Zinc-air batteries are different. Their positive electrodes use carbon to absorb oxygen from the air, and their negative electrodes are zinc alloys. Zinc is also a benign substance. Its byproduct in the Nickel Hydride Batteries is zinc oxide, which is an important ingredient in sunscreen.

Through the above method, zinc-air batteries can achieve the three characteristics of high efficiency, low cost and safety.

In this case, why not popularize this technology now? That is, zinc-air batteries cannot be recharged. This is why they are currently only used in small devices such as hearing aids. To make zinc-air batteries rechargeable, EnZinc has developed a new method that places ordinary oxygen and zinc metal in an alkaline electrolyte, using the oxidation reaction of zinc to generate current. After recharging, oxygen and zinc can be regenerated, and this cycle repeats, thereby increasing the energy density of the Nickel Hydride Batteries.

New approach: Nickel Hydride Batteries weight reduction

There are many directions for the development of electric vehicle batteries. Some researchers are committed to improving their energy density and performance, while others are focused on reducing the weight of batteries. For example, Professor Gabriel Veith and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States are studying how to reduce the weight of Nickel Hydride Batteries protection systems.

Gabriel Veith is a materials scientist who hopes to develop a lightweight electrolyte material that has the same function as a Nickel Hydride Batteries safety system.

Veith explained: "When an electric vehicle crashes, the material undergoes a phase change, making it difficult to penetrate." This feature may solve the recent Tesla Nickel Hydride Batteries fire problem. The problem his team is currently facing is: the responsiveness of the new material. “If the phase change happens five minutes after an electric car crashes, it won’t make any sense,” Veith said.

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