Search Results (154)

An integrated model is presented to estimate the energy consumption of a Formula SAE–type electric vehicle by combining MATLAB/Simulink simulations with real operational data from the Cotopaxi kart circuit. The implemented subsystem incorporates vehicle dynamics, speed, and grade profiles, and it enables the calculation of tractive energy across different competition scenarios. The L3 cycle (maximum speed 90.91 km/h, distance 16.67 km) proved the most demanding, with a tractive energy consumption of 1389.10 Wh, mechanical losses of 630.89 Wh, and a useful net energy of 758.21 Wh. Rolling resistance and inertia accounted for 21.33% and 56.29% of the consumption, respectively, highlighting the influence of acceleration/deceleration dynamics. All cycles were dominated by active phases, with 0% stops and cruising time < 0.21%, validating the model for high-demand conditions. The technical feasibility of second-life Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cells for the battery pack was also confirmed: a 30s2p configuration using 100 Ah cells meets the peak energy demand of 18.30 kWh while maintaining adequate operational margin and a safe discharge C-rate. Structural simulation in ANSYS enabled optimization of mass and stiffness, reducing overall energy demand. This multidisciplinary approach provides a quantitative basis for battery sizing and energy management strategies in competitive electric vehicle applications. Full article

With the widespread application of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, degradation diagnosis has attracted increasing attention. In practical operating scenarios, however, path-dependent degradation induced by the alternating effects of calendar aging and cycling aging can significantly influence the diagnosis of battery degradation. Existing methods often identify degradation under these two aging conditions in isolation, making it difficult to quantify their coupled impact. To address this issue, this study applies a physically constrained half-cell OCP reconstruction framework to quantify electrode-level degradation under coupled aging conditions. Specifically, degradation parameters are identified by fitting full-cell pseudo-open-circuit voltage (pOCV) curves with half-cell open-circuit potential (OCP) profiles, and the corresponding degradation modes are further quantified. The results show that the proposed model can reconstruct full-cell pOCV under different aging conditions with an RMSE maintained below 10.5 mV. The loss of active material in the anode is highly sensitive to continuous cycling, whereas the divergence of loss of lithium inventory under alternating aging conditions is relatively weak but shows pronounced differences under distinct single-aging conditions. This method enables electrode-level diagnosis of path-dependent degradation under alternating aging conditions and provides a foundation for reliable degradation diagnosis under complex operating scenarios. Full article

With the rapid development of recycling and secondary utilization of end-of-life battery materials, it is crucial to clarify the impact of full-lifecycle degradation on the thermal safety limits of lithium-ion batteries. This study focuses on a 16 Ah NCM613|graphite pouch battery. First, it analyzes the evolution of capacity decay, thickness expansion, and internal resistance during cycling at room temperature (25 °C) and high temperature (45 °C). Furthermore, an adiabatic accelerated calorimeter (ARC) is employed to investigate the influence of different states of health (SOH) levels (95% and 85%) on the battery’s thermal runaway characteristics. The findings indicate that, macroscopically, batteries in all states follow similar voltage–temperature failure pathways, with mass loss rates confined to a narrow range of approximately 16%, emphasizing the low catastrophic potential of mid-nickel chemistry. However, the microscopic kinetic mechanisms exhibit significant anisotropy: although thickness and internal resistance display no apparent abrupt increase during the late stage of room temperature aging, the capacity exhibits a highly nonlinear plunge behavior. The severe internal lithium plating side reaction triggered by this phenomenon causes the self-heating onset temperature to drop rapidly from 130.0 °C in the fresh state to 79.7 °C. Concurrently, the activation energy of the exothermic side reaction, fitted using a simplified Arrhenius equation, exhibits a non-monotonic variation with aging progress. In the early stages of aging at 95% SOH, due to high temperatures promoting more significant growth of the interfacial film or moderate film formation at room temperature enhancing interfacial thermal stability, the activation energies for both aged batteries increase, and the energy barrier at high temperatures is slightly higher than at room temperature; however, during the deep aging stage at 85% SOH, due to the degradation of active material components and the emergence of lithium plating characteristics, the energy barrier significantly decreases, with high-temperature-aged batteries exhibiting a greater reduction, highlighting the cumulative negative impact of prolonged high-temperature exposure on thermal safety. The research provides a core scientific basis for establishing a battery safety early warning and dynamic health management system covering the entire lifecycle. Full article

Chemotherapy is a treatment designed to contain or eradicate neoplastic cells; however, patients may experience various treatment-related adverse effects. Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), clinically referred to as “chemobrain,” is a frequent complication with a duration ranging from months to years, affecting between 17% and 70% of cancer patients. These cognitive deficits not only impair social, educational, and occupational functioning but may also impact survival outcomes, possibly by interfering with medication adherence and health-related behaviors. Emerging evidence has converged on an integrative cascade in which chemotherapy-induced systemic inflammation, intestinal dysbiosis, blood–brain barrier disruption, microglial/astroglial activation, and impaired hippocampal neurogenesis act in sequence rather than as independent pathways. Underlying pathophysiological mechanisms include neuroinflammation, reduced neurogenesis, loss of dendritic spines, oxidative stress, hormonal changes, epigenetic modifications, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In contrast, repair mechanisms involve complex glial responses, particularly those of astrocytes and microglia. Emerging studies suggest a link between changes in the microbiome and cognitive decline, demonstrating the importance of bidirectional communication in the gut–brain axis. Current research seeks to determine appropriate tests to identify chemobrain. Therefore, several biomarkers, such as GFAP, S100β, and isoprostanes, have been proposed to assess chemobrain, alongside screening tools such as MoCA, MMSE, and CAB-CF, to evaluate cognitive impairment and enable early detection. Pharmacological candidates—including lithium, fluoxetine, methylphenidate, modafinil, metformin, agomelatine, and melatonin—as well as nutritional and lifestyle interventions such as physical exercise, omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, probiotics, and traditional Chinese medicine formulations—have been investigated, predominantly in animal models. These remain candidate, not validated, therapies; clinical evidence in CRCI populations is limited, heterogeneous, or absent, and well-powered randomized controlled trials are required before any recommendation can be issued. However, optimal strategies for symptom improvement remain unclear, as various approaches have yielded mixed outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of chemobrain, focusing on its molecular mechanisms, interactions with the gut–brain axis, and potential therapeutic targets to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors. Full article

Ti₃C₂T_x MXene is an attractive conductive scaffold for lithium-ion battery anodes owing to its two-dimensional structure, hydrophilic surface chemistry, and tunable interlayer spacing; however, pristine MXene generally exhibits moderate lithium-storage capacity and suffers from restacking-induced loss of accessible active sites. In this study, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene@ZnO composites were prepared by growing ZnO on Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets with controlled growth times of 1, 2, and 3 h. The materials were characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, and N₂ adsorption–desorption measurements, and their electrochemical performance was evaluated in CR2032-type half-cells. Structural analyses showed that MZ-2h exhibited a more uniform distribution of ZnO particles, increased MXene interlayer spacing, and the highest BET surface area (42.77 m² g⁻¹) and total pore volume (0.1027 cm³ g⁻¹), whereas excessive ZnO growth for 3 h caused particle aggregation and reduced pore accessibility. Electrochemical measurements showed that MZ-2h delivered the best rate capability, maintaining 182.4 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2 C and 48.0 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C, together with the highest second-cycle Coulombic efficiency of 88.4%. These results demonstrate that controlling ZnO growth time is an effective strategy for balancing ZnO-derived lithium-storage contribution, particle dispersion, pore accessibility, and the MXene-based framework in Ti₃C₂T_x MXene-based hybrid anodes. Full article

High lithium and manganese oxides (HLMs), also known as lithium- and manganese-rich oxides (LMR), are an alternative to the state-of-the-art (SoA) cathode materials for Li-ion battery cells due to their high specific capacity, working potential, and potential elimination of cobalt from their composition. Nevertheless, they are claimed to undergo accelerated capacity and potential fade. In this work, an extensive electrochemical characterization is conducted while revisiting the most relevant literature on HLM. The classical galvanostatic cycling is used to conduct differential voltage and incremental capacity analyses, while impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic intermittent titration techniques are applied to complement this test. The results are complemented with online electrochemical mass spectrometry and postmortem characterization. Loss of anode active material is identified as the main degradation mechanism, aggravated by potential slippage. Moreover, the hypotheses on degradation mechanisms are further confirmed by changing the voltage cutoffs of the cells, limiting the Li₂MnO₃ activation. The results are benchmarked with SoA LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂-based cells with a promising balance for HLM in some cases. This work serves as a guide to assist in the interpretation (and avoid misinterpretation) of the results with Li-ion batteries consisting of HLM electrodes. Full article

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) has emerged as a promising platform for compact, low-loss phase modulators. The extant LNOI studies evaluate device performance almost exclusively through the Pockels effect, treating piezoelectric–photoelastic strain and thermo-optic drift as decoupled channels. Crucially, both mechanisms directly perturb the phase bias of a fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG), rendering them indispensable in sensing-oriented design. This work establishes a unified multiphysics model of an X-cut TFLN ridge phase modulator that self-consistently couples the electro-optic, piezoelectric–photoelastic, thermo-optic, and pyroelectric channels. The contributions of the four mechanisms are quantitatively decomposed under realistic FOG operating conditions, and the slab thickness, ridge-top width, and electrode gap are systematically optimized to balance modulation efficiency against environmental robustness. The co-optimization of the ridge geometry and electrode gap design maintains the EO overlap factor near 0.55, while reducing the half-wave voltage requirement. This results in a half-wave voltage length of V_πL = 1.65 V·cm at a 4.4 μm electrode gap. The optimized geometry and electrode gap (4.4 μm) are essentially temperature-independent: extracted from the Pockels modulation slope, V_πL remains stable at ≈1.65 V·cm (push–pull single-pass; within ~0.3%) across 25~85 °C. Furthermore, an externally imposed substrate temperature rise of 60 K (the upper end of the 25~85 °C FOG operating range) induces a mode-field-weighted thermal residual corresponding to approximately 27% of the Pockels modulation depth at an applied voltage of 5 V. The present study demonstrates that the DC-coupled operation of TFLN sensor-grade modulators is viable across the full FOG temperature range, without dedicated active temperature stabilization, and the residual thermal-bias offset is absorbed by the FOG’s standard closed-loop servo electronics. The results of the study provide quantitative design guidelines for high-performance, environmentally stable TFLN phase modulators in compact FOG systems. Full article

The performance and durability of lithium metal solid-state batteries are governed by the dynamic evolution of the lithium/solid-electrolyte (Li/SSE) interface, where electrochemical reactions, mass transport, and mechanical constraints are intrinsically coupled. This review presents an integrated electro-chemo-mechanical framework that links interfacial stripping dynamics to distinct degradation regimes controlled by current density, stack pressure, and thermal activation. We show that stable cycling emerges only within a narrow flux-balance window in which lithium creep and vacancy diffusion compensate stripping-induced volume loss without triggering electrolyte fracture or filament penetration. By synthesizing recent experimental, modeling, and materials engineering advances, the review maps the transitions between void-dominated instability, pressure-assisted stabilization, and stress-limited failure. Particular emphasis is placed on adaptive pressure strategies, compliant interlayer design, and microstructural interface engineering as pathways to expand the operational stability window. The analysis highlights that interfacial stability is not solely a materials property but a systems-level outcome arising from coupled electro-mechanical boundary conditions and temperature-dependent transport processes. This perspective provides design principles for developing next-generation solid-state batteries capable of stable high-rate cycling and long-term reliability. Full article

Lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and long cycle life have been widely used as secondary batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. With the growing demand for high energy density in lithium-ion batteries, silicon-based materials, which possess a high theoretical specific capacity (4200 mAh g⁻¹), are regarded as core candidates for anode materials. However, Si-based materials undergo severe volume expansion (up to 300%), which leads to the collapse of the electrode structure, inducing pulverization of the active material and capacity loss, thereby hindering the commercial application of silicon-based materials. To address these issues, scholars from various countries have developed many silicon-based materials with different compositions and three-dimensional structures, and have made some research progress. This review first elaborates on the lithium storage mechanisms and advantages of diverse silicon-based anode materials by taking Si, SiO_x, SiN_x, and SiP_x as representative examples with distinct characteristics. Subsequently, from the two aspects of dimensional design (0D, 1D, 2D and 3D) and architecture design (core–shell, sandwich-like and network structure), the design strategies for various silicon-based anode structures and their enhancement on electrochemical performance are analyzed. Finally, this review elucidated the challenges faced by silicon-based anodes from the perspectives of mechanism elucidation, structural customization, industrialization, and full-cell applications. It also proposed future development directions for silicon anodes by combining actual challenges and focusing on aspects such as structure optimization, machine learning, advanced characterization techniques, and mechanistic analysis. Full article

High-nickel NCA/Si–C 21700 cells exhibit strongly condition-dependent degradation, but the coupled influence of temperature and rate on electrochemical, thermal, and structural evolution remains insufficiently resolved. Here, Samsung INR21700-50E cells were aged under a 3 × 3 matrix of ambient temperatures (0, 23, and 40 °C) and C-rates (0.5C, 1C, and 2C). Periodic reference performance tests were used to track capacity, 10 s direct-current internal resistance, electrochemical impedance, pseudo-open-circuit voltage, differential voltage/incremental capacity behavior, heat generation, and post-mortem morphology. Guided by the hypothesis that temperature and rate history change not only the speed but also the dominant pathway of aging, the results show that both ambient temperature and the charge/discharge rate program govern the aging trajectory. Low-temperature cycling accelerates capacity loss and resistance growth through severe polarization and lithium plating, indicating dominant loss of lithium inventory. High-temperature operation promotes interfacial side reactions, impedance rise, and cathode structural degradation, leading to stronger loss of active material at later stages. An increasing C-rate amplifies these effects by raising overpotential and thermal load. Heat generation power increases markedly with aging and depends strongly on temperature–rate history. Scanning electron microscopy confirms cathode cracking, anode surface film thickening, and separator degradation under severe conditions. These experimental indicators are integrated into a mechanism-aware diagnostic framework that maps capacity retention, DCIR/EIS parameters, ICA/DVA indices, and heat generation metrics to dominant aging modes, supporting BMS state-of-health estimation, lifetime prediction, thermal management, and second-life screening of high-nickel NCA cells. The condition-averaged trajectories are further converted into a semi-empirical aging law that links capacity loss, resistance growth, and heat generation increase for BMS-oriented lifetime prediction. Full article

This study presents an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-based methodology for the optimal placement of lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in radial electrical distribution networks. The proposed framework integrates base-case power-flow assessment, critical-bus identification, discrete BESS siting, technical–economic objective evaluation, and post-optimization validation. The methodology is applied to the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution test system, where the initial operating condition is characterized in terms of nodal voltage profile, voltage deviation, voltage-stability index, active-power losses, and annual loss cost. The optimization process identifies buses 13 and 31 as the most suitable locations for two identical BESS units, with the reported validation case evaluating each unit at upper admissible capacity limits of $1000\mathrm{kW}$ and $4000\mathrm{kWh}$. The obtained results show that the optimized BESS allocation increases the minimum voltage profile to values above $0.94\mathrm{p}.\mathrm{u}.$, raises the voltage-stability index to more than 0.88, reduces active-power losses to approximately $0.0166\mathrm{p}.\mathrm{u}.$, and decreases the annual cost associated with active-power losses by more than $66\%$ relative to the base case. Additional validation through sensitivity analysis, repeated stochastic runs, operating-mode evaluation, and comparison against a genetic algorithm confirms the consistency and robustness of the proposed ACO-based methodology. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework provides a technically consistent and computationally accessible solution for improving voltage regulation, reducing feeder losses, and lowering loss-related operating costs in radial distribution systems. Full article

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are emerging as a transformative alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) by replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with solid-state materials. Compared with current LIB systems delivering approximately 160–300 Wh/kg at the pack level, SSBs are projected to achieve 400–800 Wh/kg, enabling improvements in driving range of nearly 50–100% while simultaneously reducing battery pack mass by 10–30%. These improvements directly enhance vehicle-level energy efficiency by lowering energy consumption from typical values of 150–180 Wh/km in present EVs to projected levels of 110–140 Wh/km in optimized SSB-based architectures. Furthermore, reduced internal resistance and improved electrochemical stability can increase round-trip efficiency from approximately 85–95% in conventional LIBs to values approaching 95–98% under optimized solid-state configurations. The enhanced thermal stability of solid electrolytes significantly reduces the need for active cooling systems, decreasing parasitic thermal-management energy consumption from 10–30% of total vehicle energy demand to below 5–15% in advanced SSB systems. Fast-charging capability is also substantially improved, with projected charging times decreasing from 20–40 min to approximately 10–15 min for 10–80% state-of-charge operation, while maintaining improved safety and reduced risk of thermal runaway. In addition, SSBs demonstrate projected cycle lifetimes exceeding 3000–5000 cycles, compared with 1000–2000 cycles for conventional LIBs, thereby lowering battery replacement frequency and lifecycle energy losses. This paper examines the electrochemical fundamentals, thermal behavior, charging/discharging efficiency, and vehicle-level implications of SSB technology for EV applications. Comparative analyses demonstrate that replacing LIBs with SSBs can increase EV driving range from approximately 400 km to 700–800+ km under equivalent battery mass conditions, while also improving coulombic efficiency beyond 99.5% and reducing self-discharge rates to below 1–2% per month. Current industrial case studies from Toyota, Factorial Energy, Mercedes-Benz, CATL, BYD, QuantumScape, and Samsung SDI further confirm accelerating commercialization pathways toward 2027–2030. Overall, the study demonstrates that SSBs are not merely incremental battery improvements but represent a system-level efficiency technology capable of simultaneously enhancing energy density, reducing thermal and electrical losses, extending vehicle range, accelerating charging, and improving long-term sustainability. Despite persistent challenges related to manufacturing scalability, interfacial resistance, and cost, SSBs are positioned to become a critical enabler of highly efficient, long-range, and safer electric mobility systems beyond 2030. Full article

Electric vehicles are becoming more common daily because countries are moving towards net-zero emissions. Different generations of NMC battery cells are used for EV applications. This work investigates the degradation behavior of high-energy 75 Ah prismatic NMC631 lithium-ion cells using a combined incremental capacity analysis (ICA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) framework under different conditions. Cells are cycled at an identical C-rates and depths of discharge (DoD), and at different temperatures to systematically evaluate the impact of temperature on electrochemical aging. ICA results revealed that cells cycled at low temperatures maintain stable peaks and a high SoH (>90%) after completing 1600 full equivalent cycles (FECs). EIS analysis confirms the distinct impedance evolution patterns. Degradation mode analysis is performed using the ICA, and EIS highlights the combined evolution of conductivity loss, loss of lithium inventory, and loss of active material. It also highlights different degradation path trajectories under identical operating conditions stem from the progressive amplification of internal cell heterogeneities during aging. The results demonstrate that combining ICA and EIS provides complementary insights into degradation evolution and enables clear differentiation between gradual aging and sudden failure pathways in high-energy NMC cells. Full article

Although halide solid electrolytes (HSEs) demonstrate a higher voltage window and superior interfacial stability toward Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) compared to sulfide systems, HSE-based all-solid-state lithium batteries (HSE-ASSLBs) still face a fundamental trade-off between achieving high capacity and maintaining cycling stability. To resolve this issue, a rational adjustment of the depth-of-discharge (DOD) via discharge cut-off voltage control is proposed. Analysis of dQ/dV profiles and post-cycled electrodes indicates that excessive DOD (lower cut-off voltages) aggravates structural degradation and interfacial side reactions, whereas insufficient DOD (higher cut-off voltage) fails to fully utilize the compensatory capacity from low-voltage redox couples. Notably, an optimized cut-off voltage of 2.6 V activates a stable low-voltage redox reaction centered around 2.85 V, which effectively offsets high-voltage capacity loss while suppressing unfavorable interfacial evolution. As a result, the ASSLB configured with a Li_1.2Ni_0.13Mn_0.54Co_0.13O₂ cathode and a Li_2.75In_0.75Zr_0.25Cl₆ HSE delivers an initial discharge capacity of 281.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 1C and achieves significantly improved capacity retention from 71.8% to 86.1% over 300 cycles. This study confirms that DOD regulation offers a simple and effective electrochemical protocol for enabling durable high-capacity output in LLO-based ASSLBs. Full article

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) may experience thermal runaway (TR) under thermal abuse conditions, posing significant safety risks to energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and portable electronics. To ensure the safety of LIB-powered applications, developing an effective TR early warning method is crucial. This study employs polyimide-coated femtosecond fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors to investigate TR characteristics in 18,650 LIBs (LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂/graphite), including TR onset temperature determination and the evolution of temperature and radial strain at different states of charge (SOCs). Compared with existing studies, the polyimide-coated femtosecond FBGs employed here offer superior breakage resistance and high-temperature tolerance, enabling more precise temperature and strain measurements. For radial strain monitoring obtained during high-temperature-induced LIBs thermal runaway experiments, temperature compensation was achieved using polyimide-coated femtosecond FBG temperature sensors, yielding higher-accuracy strain evolution profiles. Experimental results demonstrate that the higher-SOC LIBs exhibit more severe TR eruptions, with 1.76× higher peak temperatures and 1.3× greater mass loss than low-SOC LIBs. The proposed scheme pioneers an new approach to effective active safety warning of LIBs thermal runaway. Full article