Toyota makes breakthrough in battery technology

2017_Toyota_Prius_Prime_12_7DF62247FD502A2CAA87BDFD559ED7ED3BA65799

Toyota’s new breakthrough in observing lithium ion deviation can potentially improve the range and battery life of electric vehicles by 15%, according to Automotive News. The company developed a world-first method to monitor this behaviour, one of the causes of performance deviation in batteries, in real time.

“The lithium-ion battery is a key technology for electrifying cars, and there is a clear need, going forward, for improving this technology and its performance even more,” said Toyota battery technology researcher Hisao Yamashige.

With methods developed by Toyota Central R&D Labs in collaboration with Nippon Soken and four universities in Japan, Toyota’s engineers are now better able to see in real time how lithium ions moved within electrodes.

It is believed that lithium ion deviation, which occurs in electrodes and the electrolyte as a result of charging and discharging, limits the usage area of batteries and reduces the area in which the battery’s maximum performance can be achieved. However, confirming the behaviour of these ions under the same environment and conditions as when they are being used in related products was not possible using existing methods.

Toyota’s method uses a specially developed beamline in the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility – which generates the world’s highest-performance synchrotron radiation – to produce high-intensity X-rays around one billion times more powerful than those generated by commercial X-ray equipment.

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As such, the system is capable of producing high-definition images of 0.65 micron per pixel and high-speed measurements of 100 milliseconds per frame. Meanwhile, the usual phosphorus-containing electrolyte is replaced with one with heavy metals, which transmit less X-rays and show up darker in images – enabling researchers to better observe deviation behaviour of lithium ions which bind with them in the electrolyte.

Toyota will use the method to observe the behaviour of ions caused by differences in the materials and structures of cathodes, anodes, separators and electrolytes, as well as differences in battery control. This analysis is set to lead to research and development meant to help improve the performance and durability of batteries.

This development in observations should lead to new designs which help prevent lithium ions from clumping together and moving unevenly inside electrodes, disrupting ion flow and thus limiting range and battery life. The improvements in battery technology which result from this could aid in gaining wider acceptance of EVs, as the increased range should alleviate concerns such as range anxiety.

For a long time, Toyota has foregone pure EVs in favour of petrol-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for its long-term vision, though that stance saw an about-turn last month when the Japanese automaker was reportedly planning the mass production of long range EVs around 2020.

Toyota has also set up a small, fast-track venture company for the development of EVs, in order to allow unconventional work processes for quicker project progress and thus, faster-to-market products. A virtual organisation consisting of four persons, one each from Toyota Industries Corp, Aisin Seiki Co Ltd, Denso Corp and TMC, will be independent of internal organisations.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • karam singh on Nov 28, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    I do not understand a single word in this article. But high respect for Toyota for being the world leader. Bravos!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 3
  • Pressed on Nov 28, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    The future is electric. Petronas workers need to brush up their CVs.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 6
    • Gegar vaganza on Nov 28, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Please tell me how u got electricity? Hydroelectric? Burning coal? Wind generated elevtric? You need to burn something dude…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 4
      • This article explains on how the battery performance is optimized dude.. meaning to enhance the usage by studying the ions behaviour.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • Stay Pressed on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:14 am

        What is your point? Do you think the advent of electric vehicles will not directly damage the oil and gas industry? Really?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
        • Not an expert on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:28 pm

          Electric motor more efficent compare to standart combustion engine brooo

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Didn’t they just set up a small company the other day….. Wahh got breakthrough ady….
    Dayyum, those japs works fast…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • Low2215 on Nov 28, 2016 at 4:06 pm

      I think it is more like they know they have the break through thus they went full force into EV. I suspect they may have already utilized what they have done in the article and achieve something bigger.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • thepolygonal on Nov 28, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    It’s about time this mega car maker push into EV… to push the price down for the rest to follow.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • alldisc on Nov 29, 2016 at 10:37 am

      the reason toyota created prius in 1997 as a hybrid was because at that time EV technology only existed at golf clubs as buggies and did not have a very long driving range. after 20 years though, the technology had evolved to include range extender hybrid and also fuel cell, among others

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • not samloo on Nov 28, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    This is the time for our proud “CEng” guy to come in and explain what was stated in the article above….come on Mr “CEng”…your time has come lets put it to good use!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • transformer on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:33 pm

    No no no…. LOL

    Lithium ion(NiMh) after old tech like nickel cadium(NiCad)…. Computer industries has been using NiMh for decades….

    What Toyota does is just increase its density and indirectly will also increase weight.

    Imho, the next big thing in rechargeable battery tech would be Li-Po(Polymer) which Hyundai(see Ref.) been heavily invested to research…. Li-Po is the future because it max storage volume and minimum weight.

    Ref: http://paultan.org/2009/03/26/13918/

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
    • Not an expert on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:31 pm

      The future is lithium air

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • They are not increasing the density…they are trying to reduce inefficiency in energy lost and charge within the battery unit….in the same time observing and learn how to improve the technology….NiMh is just playing one of the role in their scientific breakthrough…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Annoyed by wannabes on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:46 pm

      Lithium ion is LiOn. NiMh is nickel metal hydride.

      Also, lithium polymer is just a different packaging of lithium ion, but the underlying electro chemistry is the same.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • confused ??? on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    I dont really understand what is this all about. But i remember I read Ioniq is using Lithium Ion battery. Then how come Toyota is make breakthrough??? Im really confuse… Damn.. someone please explain to me…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • ex-VGM staff on Nov 29, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      toyota says i found out a way to maximise lithium ion battery performance by 15%.

      means, if the battery can run for 1 hour, it can go another 15 minutes. if other lithium ion can 100km, toyota can 115km.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Jimmy on Nov 28, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    They must have taken into consideration ambient temparatures.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • wahed on Nov 29, 2016 at 9:27 am

    Checked twice, either I am reading Paultan.org or some Science-freak website
    @.@

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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