BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES
Batteries and supercapacitors are among the most efficient, practical and, increasingly cost-effective forms of short- term energy storage. To support increased uptake of battery technology, industry requires batteries that are low cost, have high energy and power densities (particularly for transport applications), are safe, and can be well managed, both during operation and at the end of their useful life.
HIGH ENERGY BATTERIES WITH BETTER SAFETY AND LOWER COST
Several promising rechargeable battery technologies offer high energy density, better safety and lower cost than current state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries, including lithium–air, lithium–sulphur, sodium-ion and solid-state batteries. However, these technologies present a number of technical challenges, including lithium dendrite growth, sluggish lithium oxide electrocatalysis, dissolution of sulphides, and slow ionic conduction in solid state electrolytes. Importantly, large scale manufacture of these battery types requires the adoption of entirely different configurations compared to current state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. Building on research into materials and electrolytes from UTS, UNSW and Deakin University, the team will translate these research findings into a new generation of batteries with targeted energy densities for small- to large-scale applications that are more affordable, safer and more reliable.
PROF. GUOXIU WANG
Theme Leader
Professor Guoxiu Wang is the Director of the Centre for Clean Energy Technology and a Distinguished Professor at University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia.