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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Recent progress in lithium/iron sulfide battery development

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6434586

A joint effort by Argonne National Laboratory ANL and industrial subcontractors aimed at the development of high-temperature lithium/iron sulfide batteries for electric-vehicle propulsion and stationary energy storage is described. The battery cells have lithium-alloy (Li-Al or Li-Si) negative electrodes, iron sulfides (FeS or FeS/sub 2/) positive electrodes, and molten LiCl-KCl electrolyte. A 40 kW-hr electric vehicle battery, designated as Mark IA, was fabricated in 1979. During startup heating prior to electrical testing, a short circuit developed in one of the modules, causing a progressive failure of all the cells in the module. In the subsequent Mark II program, various improvements are being made in the cells and battery hardware to eliminate the potential failure mechanisms. In the cell development effort, multiplate cells having as many as three positive and four negative electrodes have been fabricated and tested successfully. In the battery development area, work is in progress on thin, high-efficiency thermal insulation to be used in the battery containment vessel. A charger-equilizer concept was developed, in which the major portion of the charge is added to the battery as a whole, and then the individual cells are charged to a predetermined cutoff voltage. A charging system that incorporates this concept has been tested.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6434586
Report Number(s):
CONF-800806-46; ON: DE81023127
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English