Innovative Electrolyte Enhances Drone Battery LifespanDrone Batteries Repurposed After High-Stress Use

The experience of flight places significant demands on the lithium-ion batteries that energize drones, potentially leading to damage and reducing the lifespan of these devices. Research published in ACS Energy Letters reveals opportunities for enhancing the batteries used in drones that perform vertical takeoffs and landings. The researchers have created a novel electrolyte formulation that could mitigate these issues, suggesting that batteries subjected to high stress might find new uses.

The widespread adoption of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is largely due to their compact, lightweight design capable of holding substantial power. However, they face challenges, particularly when required to deliver a large amount of power quickly.

Drones, for instance, exert considerable pressure on their batteries at the moment of takeoff. Although hobbyist drones usually opt for lithium-ion polymer batteries, LiBs, with their superior energy density, are preferred for more demanding tasks like delivering supplies to isolated areas. The study, conducted by Ilias Belharouak, Marm Dixit, and their team, focused on how LiBs perform under such intense demands by testing a group of these batteries under stress.

To explore this, the team developed LiB cells equipped with an electrolyte designed for rapid charging and discharging. They then subjected these cells to a discharge rate 15 times their normal capacity for 45 seconds, mimicking the intense power consumption needed for vertical lift-off.

Following this intense discharge phase, the batteries were slowly drained at a standard rate before being recharged. The findings revealed that the batteries could not endure more than 100 cycles of this extreme stress, with a noticeable decline in performance after about 85 cycles.

Once the batteries were subjected to these stress tests, the team then tested them under less severe conditions. They found that while the batteries could maintain their capacity to some extent under these gentler conditions, they quickly deteriorated when faced with high-demand scenarios once again.

This suggests that while LiBs used in drones may not be suitable for prolonged, high-stress situations, they could potentially be repurposed for less demanding roles, such as in power supply backups or for energy storage in the power grid. However, the researchers note that further development is needed to create battery technologies that can better handle the requirements of vertical takeoff and other high-demand scenarios.

Alton Shaffer
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