Electro-Thermal Physics in NexGen Fast Charging Batteries: Re-evaluate Heat Evolution and Thermally Safe Operation temperature

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Fast charging for lithium batteries still faces challenging issues like fast heat generation, uneven electrochemical stress and side reactions like dendrites growth and solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) evolution. While considering How fast can we charge, another key concern is, How much we lose on capacity and Is it safe? Industry has primarily focused on improving the energy density of batteries, such as enhancing fast charging capacity—key electrochemical metrics. However, thermal metrics have received less attention, raising concerns about heat accumulation and uneven heat distribution, which exacerbate side reactions. Thermal management of LIBs is key to solving these problems, and it is widely believed that battery thermal management systems (BTMs) should maintain a constant battery temperature around room temperature for optimal performance. However, with the advancement of LIBs towards higher energy densities and faster charge rates, this assumption is being challenged. The root cause of the mismatch between demand and design lies in the research gap between thermal energy science and electrochemical science which is likely to cause over-engineer. The ambition of this project is to optimize the design of next-generation high-energy-density battery design by balancing the trade-offs between heat generation and energy density, while also fostering the development of reliable BTMs. This project will decouple the impact of different electrochemical reactions on the resistance R change and the heat generation variation induced by fast charging. The proposed research will outline three critical balancing issues: the trade-off between charging speed with (a) intrinsic safety (b) battery health and (c) heat generation. Ultimately, this project will help the industry make next-generation batteries safer and more cost-effective by drawing on comprehensive multidisciplinary knowledge from academic pre-design research, with the potential to inspire future innovati