Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Power Batteries

Guangjin Zhao

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781119321859
• eBook ISBN: 9781119321873
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Renewable Power Resources
• Index: Technology & Engineering

A comprehensive guide to the reuse and recycling of lithium-ion power batteries—fundamental concepts, relevant technologies, and business models

Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Power Batteries explores ways in which retired lithium ion batteries (LIBs) can create long-term, stable profits within a well-designed business operation. Based on a large volume of experimental data collected in the author's lab, it demonstrates how LIBs reuse can effectively cut the cost of Electric Vehicles (EVs) by extending the service lifetime of the batteries. In addition to the cost benefits, Dr. Guangjin Zhao discusses how recycling and reuse can significantly reduce environmental and safety hazards, thus complying with the core principles of environment protection: recycle, reuse and reduce.

Offering coverage of both the fundamental theory and applied technologies involved in LIB reuse and recycling, the book's contents are based on the simulated and experimental results of a hybrid micro-grid demonstration project and recycling system. In the opening section on battery reuse, Dr. Zhao introduces key concepts, including battery dismantling, sorting, second life prediction, re-packing, system integration and relevant technologies. He then builds on that foundation to explore advanced topics, such as resource recovery, harmless treatment, secondary pollution control, and zero emissions technologies.

Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Power Batteries:

• Provides timely, in-depth coverage of both the reuse and recycling aspects of lithium-ion batteries

• Is based on extensive simulation and experimental research performed by the author, as well as an extensive review of the current literature on the subject

• Discusses the full range of critical issues, from battery dismantling and sorting to secondary pollution control and zero emissions technologies

• Includes business models and strategies for secondary use and recycling of power lithium-ion batteries

Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Power Batteries is an indispensable resource for researchers, engineers, and business professionals who work in industries involved in energy storage systems and battery recycling, especially with the manufacture and use (and reuse) of lithium-ion batteries. It is also a valuable supplementary text for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students studying energy storage, battery recycling, and battery management.

1
General Development of Electric Vehicles and Power Batteries

1.1 Brief History of Electric Vehicle Development

Fuel vehicle ownership in the world continues to increase, thereby causing a shortage of fossil‐fuel energy. In addition, vehicle emissions cause air pollution, which is harmful to human health. As a result, researching and using new‐energy vehicles, mainly electric vehicles (EVs), have become important developments for vehicle industries in all countries [1].

EVs rely mainly on electricity for their use, which turns the decentralized and inefficient use of fossil energy into centralized and high‐efficient use. Furthermore, in the process of motor energy conversion, useless consumption of energy is reduced to a minimum, which reduces resource consumption to the uttermost as well. Meanwhile, pollution treatment is more centralized, and this forms a scale advantage and reduces environmental pollution. With the development of new technologies, power generated by new energies such as solar power that can be used to generate electricity for EVs will become reliant in the future, and by then EVs will be clean vehicles in a true sense.

1.1.1 Early Development of Electric Vehicles

EVs are not new; their history is actually much longer than that of internal combustion engine vehicles. Early in 1834, US inventor Thomas Davenport (1802–1851) made the world’s first direct‐current EV with a set of non‐rechargeable storage batteries in glass packaging (see Figure 1.1). Although his EV could only travel for a very short distance, he had started the history of EVs [2].

Figure 1.1 The first direct‐current electric vehicle (EV).

In 1837, Scottish inventor Robert Davidson (1804–1894) invented the world’s first EV that was available for practical use. This invention was nearly half a century earlier than the gasoline engine vehicle invented in 1886 German inventors Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) and Karl Benz (1844–1929) [3]. The EV invented by Davidson was a truck that was 4800 mm in length and 1800 mm in width. It adopted a primary battery, which used an alloy of iron, zinc, and mercury to react with sulfuric acid. This EV, then, was severely restricted in its practicability. Subsequently, in 1881, French inventor Gustave Trouvé adopted a lead acid battery (secondary battery) to make an EV for the first time (see Figure 1.2). Since then, the era of EVs that applied charging and discharging secondary batteries as energy started, and EVs really entered the stage of practical application.

Figure 1.2 A secondary battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the early days.

The development from a primary battery to secondary battery was a major technological reform for EVs at that time, and thus the demand for EVs was greatly improved. In the second half of the nineteenth century, EVs became important products for transportation, which was great progress for them.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as the United States and Europe ushered in economic prosperity, people’s incomes grew rapidly, vehicles became more and more popular, and EVs entered the commercial stage (see Figure 1.3). From 1890 to 1900, the sales volume of EVs was far greater than that of vehicles powered by other energy sources.

Figure 1.3 Commercialized electric vehicle applying a nickel–iron battery at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In that time, EVs had a very distinct advantage compared to vehicles powered by other energies: they had no vibration, unpleasant gas, or loud noises from a gasoline engine. Shifting gears was required when driving gasoline engine vehicles, which made them more complicated to control, but EVs were not the same. Although shifting gears was not required for steam engine vehicles either, it took up to 45 minutes for them to warm up. In addition, the driving mileage of steam engine vehicles with each water feeding was shorter than that of EVs with each charging. As only roads in cities were in very good condition at that time, vehicles could only be used locally most of the time; thus, the short driving mileage of EVs was not an obstacle to their development.

The development of EVs was quite mature then, as seen in the United States. The price of a basic EV was below $1000. In addition, luxury EVs were designed: they had a luxurious appearance and a spacious cockpit made with very expensive advanced materials. In 1910, 33,842 EVs were being used in the United States. During that period, 40% of the vehicles adopted steam engine, 38% were powered by electricity, and 22% were powered by gasoline and diesel. Electric vehicles were a great success in the 1910s, and their sales peaked in 1912 [4].

From the beginning of the 1920s, the internal combustion engine vehicle gradually took the place of EVs and steam vehicles. EVs soon lost growth momentum after their initial success in the early twentieth century. Since then, EVs gradually withdrew from the stage of history. Today, the internal combustion engine vehicle has replaced EVs and become the main mean of transportation worldwide.

1.1.2 Current Development Status of Electric Vehicles

However, from the late 1970s, due to the development of new technologies and the third industrial revolution, EVs soon ushered in their “spring” of development again [5]. Countries all over the world increased their investments to promote the research and application of EVs.

Research and development (R&D) on EVs in the United States were relatively early and standardized. A certain scale of industry has formed due to the support from enterprises, government funding, and scientific research. Three main US automakers signed an agreement in 1991 to collaboratively research advanced batteries for EVs and to set up the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). In July of the same year, the United States’ Electric Power Research Institute joined the USABC. In 1992, the Electric Power Research Institute, Chrysler Corporation, and Southern California Edison Company jointly developed 50 electric trucks. According to statistics, the United States had 190 EV manufacturers by 1995, there were more than 2000 EVs in total, and large‐scale automobile enterprises played a leading role among all the automobile enterprises.

Ford Motor Company invested $150,000,000 in developing EVs and succeeded in 1993. The EVs were driven within the United States for test drives. 480 units of sodium–sulfur batteries were adopted in new EVs to replace the original lead acid batteries. Furthermore, Ford Motor Company invested $35,000,000 in Germany to establish the European Research Centre for R&D of environmentally friendly vehicles. The fuel cell car P2000 designed by Ford was a hydrogen‐fueled electric car that applied a proton exchange membrane as a fuel cel...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1 General Development of Electric Vehicles and Power Batteries
• 2 Assessment Technology Platform and Its Application for Reuse of Power Batteries
• 3 Examples for Reuse of Power Batteries
• 4 Resource Utilization and Harmless Treatment of Power Batteries
• 5 Reuse of Power Batteries, and Common Safety Problems with Recovery Processes
• 6 Market Development of Reuse and Recycling of Power Batteries
• Index
• End User License Agreement