UT researchers looking for solutions to extend EV charging problems

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As the auto industry continues its transition away from internal combustion engines towards electric vehicles, there are two major problems that must be addressed as soon as possible: limited battery range and slow recharging once a battery is low on charge.

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Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin think an electrode can facilitate twice the range with one charge, compared to an EV with a battery that has commercially available electrodes. Researchers used magnets to create a unique alignment in a lithium-ion battery with thicker electrodes.

Early stages of research from UT Austin engineers are specific to a single type of battery electrode but offers a promising look towards the future. Ideally, the methodology may one day be consolidated so different types of electrodes can be made using different materials, so more EV makers and parts providers can adopt the strategy.

As noted by Guihua Yu, professor at the UT Austin Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute, in a press statement:

"Two-dimensional materials are commonly believed as a promising candidate for high-rate energy storage applications because it only needs to be several nanometers thick for rapid charge transport. However, for thick-electrode-design-based next-generation, high-energy batteries, the restacking of nanosheets as building blocks can cause significant bottlenecks in charge transport, leading to difficulty in achieving both high energy and fast charging."

The thin two-dimensional materials were stacked in a vertical alignment for thickness and a magnetic field was used to manipulate their orientation. Researchers developed a horizonal electrode, so they were able to compare the recharge times - the vertical thick electrode charged to 50% in just 30 minutes, while the horizontal electrode took around 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach the same charge level.

Their research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

EV battery range and recharging time are two critical issues, despite the US government funding projects to have more EV chargers installed along major highways.