Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) represent a multibillion-dollar industry. Marketwise, banking on LIB breakthroughs is mandatory. Many of the recent efforts to improve lithium-ion batteries have focused on developing anode or cathode materials that can hold
more charge in a given volume, leading to higher energy densities. To meet this goal, a diverse mix of disciplines, including chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, physics, engineering, and manufacturing is required. Transforming basic discovery science to battery design to research prototyping to product is essential for rapid improvements in performance and cost.
The Lithium-Ion Development & Commercialization: Delivering Higher Performance at Lower Cost conference spans the continuum from cells to packs, covering basic materials research and electrochemical engineering to scale-up processes ultimately utilized
by industry.
Final Agenda
Wednesday, March 22
11:10 am Conference Registration Open
11:10 Luncheon Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
12:40 pm Opening Remarks
12:45 Battery Innovator Award
12:55 Gigafactory Material Sourcing and Cell Production
Kurt Kelty, Senior Director, Cell Supply Chain & Business Development, Tesla Motors
This presentation will examine the status on material sourcing and sustainable material sourcing for the Gigafactory. In addition, the production of cells for energy products manufactured at the Gigafactory including the Powerwall and Powerpack will be
discussed.
1:25 Surprising Chemistry in Li-Ion Cells
Jeff Dahn, Ph.D., FRSC, Professor of Physics and Atmospheric Science, NSERC/Tesla Canada Industrial Research Chair, and Canada
Research Chair, Dalhousie University
It is important to increase the operating voltage of NMC Li-ion cells to obtain higher energy density. However, the electrolyte reacts with the positive electrode at high voltage. Using simple experiments involving only pouch bags, we show that the products
of these reactions are extremely harmful to the positive electrode. This talk demonstrates how these harmful reactions at the positive electrode can be virtually stopped, leading to superb NMC Li-ion cells that can operate at high potential.
1:55 Advances within the BYD EDV Program and Its Technology
Xi Shen, Ph.D., Senior Director and General Manager, BYD EDV Batteries, China
WenFeng Jiang, Ph.D., R&D General Manager, BYD EDV Batteries, China
The high demand EDV for transportation worldwide has created significant market opportunities for BYD. Since the earlier F3DM and E6, BYD has broadly expanded its EDV business and technology to various fields including public transportation (e6 and
E-bus), private transportation (Qin, Tang, etc.) and special transportation (forklift, city logistics vehicle, city cleaning vehicle, etc.) This talk shares the progress of the EDV program.
2:25 Charging Forward: Explosive Global Growth in the Battery Industry – Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Ph.D., CEO, Founder, Chairman, Cadenza Innovation, LLC;
Founder, Boston Power
This talk will highlight insights on the emerging global ecosystem that is rapidly developing complex systems and opening doors to innovators who are teaming up with established battery and non–battery players. The presentation will inspire
the audience to stay true to data and yet push the design envelope for high performance, low cost, safe energy storage solutions.
2:55 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
3:40 Organizer’s Opening Remarks
Mary Ann Brown, Executive Director, Conferences, Cambridge EnerTech
3:45 Chairperson’s Remarks
Boryann Liaw, Ph.D., Department Manager, Energy Storage and Advanced Vehicles, Clean Energy & Transportation Division, Idaho National Laboratory
3:50 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Storage at the Threshold: Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond
George Crabtree, Ph.D., Director, Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), Argonne National Laboratory
and University of Illinois at Chicago
High-energy, low-cost lithium-ion batteries have created a revolution in personal electronics. We are at the threshold of similar transformations in transportation to electric cars and in the electricity grid to renewable generation, smart grids and
distributed energy resources. These transformations require new levels of energy storage performance and cost beyond the reach of Li-ion batteries. Next-generation beyond Li-ion batteries and their potential to meet these performance and cost
thresholds will be analyzed.
4:20 Flexible Protected Li Metal Electrode for Next-Generation Transportation Batteries
Steven J. Visco, Ph.D., CEO and CTO, PolyPlus Battery Company
The difficulties associated with lithium metal electrodes are well known: stripping and plating of Li metal in liquid and gel polymer electrolytes is highly inefficient and leads to an increase in lithium surface area (“mossy lithium”),
formation of dendrites, and electrolyte depletion. Efforts to improve Li cycling by moving to solid-state structures based on polycrystalline ceramics have met with limited success due to initiation and propagation of dendrites along grain boundaries
or voids. After careful analysis of data from the literature and our own experimental results, we came to the conclusion that the critical difference in thin-film batteries is that in these structures, the lithium electrode is bonded to a glass
surface, leading to a highly uniform current distribution. Accordingly, PolyPlus is developing thin and flexible protected Li metal electrodes based on highly scalable conductive glass solid electrolytes. This approach should lead to rechargeable
Li metal batteries with energy densities in excess of 1000 Wh/l and 400 Wh/kg.
4:50 Controlling the Surface Chemistry of Cathode Materials for Manufacturing High-Energy Rechargeable Batteries
Feng Lin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech
Chemical evolution and structural transformations at the surface of an electrode material influence greatly the key performance metrics of lithium batteries, including energy density, power capability, safety and cycle life. This presentation discusses
how we bridge the design principles of surface chemistry in electrode materials with advanced characterization tools, in pursuit of safer and durable lithium batteries.
5:20 High Performance Binders for NMP-free Cathode Manufacturing of Lithium Ion Batteries
Stuart Hellring, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Research & Development, Automotive Coatings, PPG
PPG has developed new binders for cathode coatings that are formulated without NMP solvent. PPG cathode slurry performance advantages over conventional binders include short mixing times and high formulation solids. PPG binders demonstrate battery
performance that is equal or better than cathodes prepared with conventional PVDF binders.
5:35 Networking Reception in Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
6:30 Close of Day
Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure | Speaker Biographies
Thursday, March 23
7:45 am Registration Open
7:45 Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups with Continental Breakfast
Participants choose a specific breakout discussion group to join. Each group has a moderator to ensure focused discussions around key issues within the topic. This format allows participants to meet potential collaborators, share examples from
their work, vet ideas with peers, and be part of a group problem-solving endeavor. The discussions provide an informal exchange of ideas and are not meant to be a corporate or specific product discussion.
TABLE 1: Getting Great Technology to Market: Licensing Business Models and Strategies
Dan Abraham, Ph.D., Vice President, Science and Business Strategy, MPEG LA
TABLE 2: Development of North American Supply of Low-Cost Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Edward R. Buiel, Ph.D., President and CEO, Coulometrics, LLC
TABLE 3: Fast Charging of Lithium-Ion Battery and Its Impact on Safety and Life
Wenquan Lu, Ph.D., Principal Chemical Engineer, Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory
TABLE 4: Addressing Li-Ion Cell-Level Safety and Performance Requirements for EV Applications as Commercially Available Energy Densities Approach 300 Wh/kg
Derek C. Johnson, Ph.D., Vice President, Global R&D, A123 Systems, LLC
TABLE 5: Lessons Learned from the Samsung Galaxy Note7 Battery Safety Events
Shmuel De-Leon, CEO, Shmuel De-Leon Energy, Ltd.
TABLE 6: Li-Ion Battery Safety: Prediction, Prevention, Levels and Legalities
John Zhang, Ph.D., Senior Technology Executive Officer, Asahi Kensai Group, Japan
TABLE 7: Conductive Additives for High Rate LIB Performance
Rob Privette, Vice President, Energy Markets, XG Sciences
TABLE 8: Battery Modeling and Simulation
Khosrow (Nema) Nematollahi, Ph.D., Chairman and CTO, Renewable Energy, Advanced
Renewable Power LLC
TABLE 9: Lessons Learned in Commercialization of New Battery Technologies
Colin Wessells, Ph.D., CEO, Alveo Energy
TABLE 10: Battery Charging, What Features Will Be Required in the Future?
Naoki Matsumura, Senior Technologist, Intel Corporation
8:45 Session Break
9:00 Chairperson’s Remarks
George Crabtree, Ph.D., Director, Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois at Chicago
9:05 Reviving of Lithium Metal Anode through Materials Design
Dingchang Lin, Yi Cui Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University
9:35 High-Rate Lithium-Ion Battery Development
Wenquan Lu, Ph.D., Principal Chemical Engineer, Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory
The state-of-art carbon black was developed to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries. The electronic conductivity of electrode was systematically investigated. The correlation between the cell performance and electrode
composition was determined in this study. This work will guide the cell manufacturers to tailor their products to meet the customer’s requirements.
10:05 Graphite Blends that Increase Capacity, Electrode Density, and Power
Edward R. Buiel, Ph.D., President and CEO, Coulometrics, LLC
High-quality blended synthetic/natural graphite has been developed using a new environmentally friendly process that is suitable for production in the U.S. This graphite material has been coated, assembled in 18650 and tested using HPC, and
compared with Japanese commercial graphite materials. Blends that increase capacity, electrode density, and power will be discussed.
10:35 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
11:20 A123’s Advanced Material Development for Vehicle Electrification: Low and High Voltage Application Approaches
Patrick Hurley, Ph.D., CTO, A123 Systems, LLC
To produce safe, high-energy density cells, A123 is implementing the same crystal level doping and surface coating approach that has been effective for low-voltage material development. We discuss the high power material development that has
resulted in LiSBs with cold crank capabilities that surpass lead-acid batteries and high-energy advancements at the material and cell level to achieve energy densities approaching 300 Wh/kg and 600 Wh/L for EV applications.
11:50 Accelerating Development of Advanced Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Dee Strand, Ph.D., CSO, Wildcat Discovery Technologies
Over the last decade, many governments have implemented more stringent regulations on vehicle fuel economy and CO2 emissions. For example, European targets for new passenger cars reduce emissions from 2015 levels of 123g CO2/km to 95g CO2/km
by 2021. This presentation focuses on the multiple approaches necessary to improve and develop advanced cathode materials to meet the required performance targets. The key learnings from this presentation focus on the importance of multivariate
solutions that improve performance of high-energy cathodes.
12:20
pm Advanced Instrumentation to Study Electrode and Electrochemistry Processes at Different Scales and Frequencies
Manuel Kasper, Research Scientist, Keysight Labs, Keysight Technologies
A Source/Measure Unit (SMU) is used for electrochemical 3-electrode measurements including cyclic-voltammetry (C-V) and chrono-amperometry, and applied to various redox systems including Li-ion cells. In comparison to the conventional potentiostat-based
setup, the SMU has very sensitive current and voltage measurements. Furthermore, bulk redox measurements are compared to nanoscale electrode AFM C-V imaging.
12:35 Presentation to be Announced
12:50 Session Break
1:00 Networking Luncheon (All Are Welcome)
2:00 Dessert Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
2:30 Chairperson’s Remarks
David L. Wood, III, Ph.D., Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing Team Lead & Fuel Cell Technologies Program Manager, Energy & Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
2:35 Battery Materials Scale-Up and Manufacturing Research
Gregory K. Krumdick, Principal Systems Engineer, Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory
3:05 Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Heng Pan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Li-ion batteries have dominated the power supply market for electronics. However, the high cost has hindered wider adoption for large devices. The conventional slurry-based electrode manufacturing is a time-consuming, energy-intensive and
complex process, which increases the manufacturing cost. To reduce manufacturing cost, a solvent-free Li-ion battery manufacturing process has been developed. This talk presents the process characteristics, device performance and scale-up
of the solvent-free manufacturing process.
3:35 High-Performance Li-Ion Capacitor Laminate Cells
Ben Cao, Ph.D., Director & Principal Investigator, R&D, General Capacitor LLC
High-performance Li-ion capacitor (LIC) laminate cells have been fabricated with activated carbon positive electrodes (PEs) and hard carbon/lithium stripes negative electrodes (NEs). Their specific energy and energy density are 14 Wh kg-1
and 28 Wh L-1 with maximum specific power of 6 kW kg-1. The DC life of such LIC cells has passed 2000 h at maximum operation voltage 3.8 V and 65 °C. Such LIC can remain 89% of the original discharge capacitance after 100,000 cycles
under 50C rate charge-discharge.
4:05 Networking Refreshment Break
4:15 Manufacturing R&D for Low-Cost, High-Energy Density Lithium-Ion Batteries for Transportation Applications
David L. Wood, III, Ph.D., Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing Team Lead & Fuel Cell Technologies Program Manager,
Energy & Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Li-ion battery pack costs have dropped from ~$500-600/kWh to $275-325/kWh due to economies of scale, improvements in electrode and cell quality control, and more efficient production methods. However, more development on electrode processing
cost reduction, coating deposition quality control, and cell assembly methods must occur to meet DOE ultimate pack cost of $125/kWh for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Cell energy densities must still be increased 150-180 Wh/kg to 350
Wh/kg for sufficient BEV driving range. We cover ORNL’s major research activities contributing to cost reduction and energy density improvements in Li-ion cells.
4:45 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: How to Significantly Increase Energy Density of Lithium-Ion Batteries without Changing Chemistry
Rachid Yazami, Ph.D., Professor and Principal Scientist, Energy Research Institute (ERIAN), Nanyang Technological
University
Efforts to increase energy density of LIBs have been for the most part focused on developing anode and cathode materials with higher lithium storage capabilities and, for the cathode, higher operating voltages. This approach, however, may
alter cycle life and safety. Here we disclose a new approach consisting on optimized utilization of full storage capability of anode and cathode. In fact, using thermodynamics measurements and analytical methods we found that in most commercial
LIBs anode and cathode are used within a limited lithium composition range 20 to 40% below what is achieved in half cells. A strategy to enhance electrode utilization rate and, therefore, energy density by over 20% will be presented and
discussed.
5:45 Close of Conference