Overview

Due to the depletion of the fossil energy reserves as well as alarming level of greenhouse gas emission triggered to look out for alternative clean energy sources, especially for automotive sector. The key challenge for electric vehicles is to get suitable battery to store the required amount of energy in a given volume for long driving range and speed. Lithium-ion battery (LIB) has been proven to be next generation technology to alleviate these problems. However, currently there are no manufacturers of these batteries in India. ARCI has undertaken a major task to developed LIB technology for electric vehicles by setting up a pilot plant facility for manufacturing of Lithium-ion cells and battery packs for automotive application. The objective is to establish the LIB technology using standard materials and demonstrate off-line/on-board vehicle testing. In addition high voltage/new materials will be developed indigenously. The promising materials will be optimized and scale-up for process technology.

Key Features

  • ARCI has successfully fabricated prismatic/cylindrical cells (up to 20 Ah) and LIB module up to 48V, 1 kWh
  • A fast cell formation protocol (6h) was developed and patented which is anticipated to reduce the cell production cost
  • On-road test trails have been conducted with e-cycle (~30 km/charge) and e-scooter (~52 km/charge) using the LIB modules
  • ARCI is developing several cathodes, anodes, and binder materials that could increase the performance and lifetime of LIBs for EVs. The cathode materials include LFP, NMC, NCA, LMO, LNMO, FeF3 whereas high energy/power density anodes include Si, Sn, MoO3, WO3, SnO2, Fe3O4, graphene, carbon nanohorns/nanotubes.
  • Development of aqueous binders such as PVA, SA, CCD, guar gum for green and cost-efficient electrode production is underway
  • Scaled up LiFePO4 by FSP process and scale-up of carbon coating technology up to 1.5 kg
  • Lithium titanate was successfully synthesized and up-scaled by cost-effective high energy milling method and showed promising electrochemical performance in terms of capacity, rate capability and cyclic stability in comparison with commercial LTO.
  • ARCI has signed several NDA and MOUs with potential cell manufacturers, automotive and raw materials manufacturing industries to produce Made-in-India LIBs. 

Potential Applications

  • Two, three and four wheeler electric vehicles
  • Stationary energy storage applications
  • UPS

Status

  • Cells have been fabricated and electrochemical performance has been tested
  • Assembly and testing of large format battery module/pack carried out with e-cycle and e-scooter under on-road conditions.

Intellectual Property Development Index (IPDI)

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Description Basic concepts and understanding of underlying scientific principles Shortlisting possible applications Research to prove technical feasibility for targeted application Coupon level testing in simulated conditions Check repeatability/consistency Prototype testing in real-life conditions Check repeatability/consistency Reassessing feasibility (IP, competition technology, commercial) Initiate technology transfer Support in stabilizing production
Status

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  • S.R. Sahu, V.R. Rikka, P. Haridoss, A. Chatterjee, R. Gopalan and R. Prakash, " A Novel α-MoO3/Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorns Composite as High-Performance Anode Material for Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Battery", Advanced Energy Materials, Vol 10, p 2001627, 2020
  • S. R. Sahu, V.R. Rikka, P. Haridoss, R. Gopalan and R. Prakash, “Superior cycling and rate performance of micron-sized tin using aqueous-based binder as a sustainable anode for lithium-ion batteries”, Energy Technology, Vol. 7(11), Article No. 1900849, 2019
  • V.R. Rikka, S.R. Sahu, A. Roy, S.N. Jana, D. Sivaprahasam, R.Prakash, R. Gopalan, and G. Sundararajan, “Tailoring micro resistance spot welding parameters for joining nickel tab to inner aluminium casing in a cylindrical lithium ion cell and its influence on the electrochemical performance”, Journal of Manufacturing Processes, Vol. 49, p 463-471, 2020.
  • V. Rao Rikka, S. R, Sahu, R. Tadepalli, R. Bathe, T. Mohan, R. Prakash, G. Padmanabham and R. Gopalan, "Microstructure and mechanical properties of pulse laser welded SS and Al Alloys for lithium-Ion cell casings", Journal of Materials Science and Engineering B, 6, 2016, 218-225.
  • R. Vallabha Rao, S.R. Sahu, P.V. Satyam, R. Prakash, M.S. Ramachandra Rao , R. Gopalan and G. Sundararajan, "In Situ/ex Situ Investigations on the Formation of the Mosaic Solid Electrolyte Interface Layer on Graphite Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries", Journal of Physical Chemistry C Vol.122 (50), p 28717-28726 , 2018
  • S.R. Sahu, V.R. Rikka, M. Jagannatham, P. Haridoss, A. Chatterjee, R. Gopalan and R. Prakash, "Synthesis of Graphene Sheets from Single Walled Carbon Nanohorns: Novel Conversion from Cone to Sheet Morphology", Materials Research Express, Vol. 4(3), Article No. 035008, 2017.
  • S. Bhubaneswari, UV Varadaraju, R. Gopalan and R. Prakash “Sc-doping induced cation-disorder in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 spinel leading to improved electrochemical performance as cathode in lithium ion batteries”, Electrochimica Acta, Vol.327, Article No. 135008, 2019.
  • S. Bhuvaneswari, U.V.Varadaraju, R.Gopalan and RajuPrakash, "Structural stability and superior electrochemical performance of Sc-doped LiMn2O4 spinel as cathode for lithium ion batteries", Electrochimica Acta, Vol. 301, p 342-351, 2019.
  • Comprehensive effort on electrode slurry preparation for better electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 battery Kumari Konda, Sahana B. Moodakare, P. Logesh Kumar, Manjusha Battabyal, Jyoti R. Seth, Vinay A. Juvekar, Raghavan Gopalan, Journal of power sources, 480 (2020) 228837
  • V. V. N. Phanikumar, Vallabha Rao Rikka, Bijoy Das, Raghavan Gopalan, B. V. Appa Rao and Raju Prakash, "Investigation on polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate as aqueous binders for lithium-titanium oxide anode in lithium-ion batteries, Ionics, 2019, Volume 25, Issue 6, pp 2549–2561.
  • V. V. N. Phanikumar, B. V. A. Rao, K. V. Gobi, R. Gopalan and R. Prakash, “A sustainable tamarind kernel powder based aqueous binder for graphite anode in lithium-ion batteries”, vol 5, p 1199-1208, 2020
  • Concentration Gradient-Driven Aluminum Diffusion in a Single-Step Coprecipitation of a Compositionally Graded Precursor for LiNi0.8Co0.135Al0.065O2 with Mitigated Irreversibility of H2 ↔ H3 Phase Transition, Sasikala Natarajan, Sahana B. Moodakare, Prathap Haridoss and Raghavan Gopalan, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 31, 34959–34970
  • S. Vasu, Moodakare B. Sahana, Chandran Sudakar, R. Gopalan, G. Sundararajan, "In-situ carbon encapsulation of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 using pillared ethylene glycol trapped in the metal hydroxide interlayers for enhanced cyclic stability," Electrochimica Acta 251, 363-377.
  • Sasikala Natarajan, Sahana B. Moodakare, Vasu Shanmugam, Prathap Haridoss, and Raghavan Gopalan, "Infrared Spectroscopic signatures of Aluminium segregation and Partial Oxygen substitution by Sulphur in LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2", ACS Appl. Energy Materials, Vol. 1(6), p 2536-2545, 2018.
  • S. R. Sahu, D. Parimala Devi, V. V. N. Phanikumar, T. Ramesh, N. Rajalakshmi, G. Praveena, R. Prakash, B. Das, R. Gopalan, "Tamarind seed skin derived fibre-like carbon nanostructures as novel anode material for lithium-ion battery", Ionics , volume 24, Issue 11, pp 3413–3421.