Safer Batteries, Reliable Power: Guiding Research for Next-Generation Energy Storage – NREL (.gov)

Report on Next-Generation Battery Safety and its Role in Sustainable Development

The escalating demand for energy storage solutions, driven by the proliferation of consumer electronics and critical infrastructure, has intensified research into next-generation battery technologies. Innovations focusing on alkali metal anodes, solid electrolytes, and Earth-abundant cathode materials are central to this effort. However, ensuring the safety of these new systems is paramount for their successful deployment and for advancing global sustainability objectives. This report outlines the current landscape of battery safety research, its inherent challenges, and the strategic approaches being developed to support a safe transition to higher-performing energy storage, with a significant focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Contribution to Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Advanced and safe energy storage is a foundational technology for achieving several key SDGs. The development of next-generation batteries directly supports progress in the following areas:

• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): High-performance batteries are essential for storing energy from intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind, thereby increasing the availability and reliability of clean energy for all.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Research into safer battery designs represents a critical innovation that strengthens energy infrastructure, making it more resilient and sustainable.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Reliable battery storage underpins the development of sustainable urban systems, including electric public transportation and stable power grids necessary for modern cities.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): By enabling a large-scale shift away from fossil fuels, improved energy storage technologies are indispensable tools in the global effort to mitigate climate change.

Safety Challenges in Next-Generation Battery Technologies

While the failure mechanisms of conventional lithium-ion batteries are well-documented, the behavior of next-generation systems presents new and poorly understood risks. A strategic approach is required to address these emerging safety concerns.

Key Areas of Investigation

Research indicates significant differences between conventional and next-generation batteries that require dedicated safety protocols. These include:

• Kinetics: The speed and nature of thermal and chemical reactions during failure events.
• Toxicity: The composition and hazardous nature of gases and byproducts released during a failure.
• Mechanical Robustness: The physical integrity of new materials and cell designs under stress.
• Fire Suppression: The effectiveness of existing fire-suppression strategies on new chemical systems.

A Strategic Framework for Battery Safety Evaluation

A holistic and rigorous process is necessary to evaluate the safety of new battery designs from the material level to the full pack level. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) proposes a strategic approach that integrates advanced characterization, modeling, and machine learning to de-risk new technologies.

Core Components of the Research Process

1. Multiscale Characterization: Employing a holistic methodology to analyze cells and materials, understanding their response to various abuse conditions throughout their operational lifetime.
2. Standardized Hazard Quantification: Applying established methods for measuring hazards to next-generation cells to create benchmark data for comparison and improvement.
3. Advanced Modeling and AI: Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate the research timeline, which can traditionally take years to scale from materials to pack-level testing.

Parameters for Safety Evaluation

The evaluation process must consider battery behavior under a wide range of conditions to ensure comprehensive safety analysis. Key variables include:

• Limiting oxygen index
• Various physical and electrical abuse conditions
• State of charge at the time of failure
• Cycle history and age of the battery

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Accelerating Safe Deployment

Recent breakthroughs in modeling and artificial intelligence are critical for expediting the understanding of new battery materials and designs. These advanced computational techniques bridge the gap between material-level safety data and the behavior of large, commercial-format batteries.

Contributions of AI and Modeling

• Predictive Analysis: AI models can rapidly predict how new battery designs will behave under different real-world scenarios and abuse conditions.
• Cross-Scale Insights: These tools enable researchers to evaluate data across multiple scales, from microscopic material samples to full-size cells, explaining how size and form factor influence safety outcomes.
• Informed Design: Insights gained from predictive modeling are crucial for refining cell designs, establishing safe operating parameters, and developing standardized protocols for first responders.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on next-generation battery safety research connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on the development of safer, more reliable, and sustainable energy storage solutions. These solutions are fundamental to advancing modern energy systems, infrastructure, and industrial innovation.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article’s central theme is improving energy storage technology. Advanced batteries are critical for ensuring a stable and reliable supply of energy, particularly for integrating intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind into the grid. Safer and higher-performing batteries contribute directly to a more resilient and modern energy system.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The text explicitly details the research and innovation efforts at NREL to develop “next-generation” battery technologies. It highlights the importance of this research for “strengthening America’s energy infrastructure” and bringing new technologies to market. The use of advanced machine learning and multiscale modeling represents a significant push in scientific and technological innovation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The emphasis on battery safety is directly linked to making infrastructure more resilient and communities safer. Battery failures can lead to fires and the release of toxic materials, posing risks in dense urban environments where they are used in everything from consumer electronics to grid-scale storage. Improving safety helps mitigate these technological hazards.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The article mentions the exploration of “Earth-abundant cathode materials.” This points towards a shift to more sustainable production patterns by reducing reliance on scarce or conflict-prone materials, thereby promoting the sustainable management of natural resources.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 7.b (under SDG 7): “By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all…” The development of next-generation energy storage is a crucial technological upgrade for modernizing energy infrastructure and supporting sustainable energy services. The article states that safer batteries “increase energy availability.”
2. Target 9.4 (under SDG 9): “…upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable… with greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies…” The research into safer, higher-performing batteries represents the development and adoption of a cleaner and more environmentally sound technology essential for modernizing energy and transportation infrastructure.
3. Target 9.5 (under SDG 9): “Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation…” The entire article is a case study of this target in action, detailing NREL’s cutting-edge research, use of artificial intelligence, and collaboration with industry to overcome challenges and “advance our understanding of new materials.”
4. Target 11.5 (under SDG 11): “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses… caused by disasters, including… technological disasters…” The research aims to understand and prevent battery failures, which can be considered technological disasters. The article notes the need to manage risks like “rapid gas release, toxic byproducts, and extreme thermal reactions,” thereby reducing potential harm and economic loss.
5. Target 12.2 (under SDG 12): “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.” The mention of developing batteries with “Earth-abundant cathode materials” directly supports this target by promoting the use of more sustainable and widely available resources in manufacturing.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide quantitative data but implies several qualitative and process-based indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicator for Target 7.b: The “successful deployment of these [next-generation] systems” and the resulting “increase [in] energy availability” serve as key indicators of progress in upgrading energy technology and infrastructure.
• Indicators for Targets 9.4 and 9.5:
  • The development and implementation of a “strategic approach to evaluating battery safety at the electrode, pack, and cell level.”
  • Advancements and breakthroughs in “modeling and artificial intelligence” that “accelerate the process” of battery research and safety prediction.
  • The establishment of “standardized practices to guide first responders in handling battery hazards,” indicating an upgrade in technological capabilities and safety protocols.
• Indicator for Target 11.5: An implied indicator is the reduction in the frequency and severity of battery failure incidents. Progress can be measured by the ability to “quantify hazards” and develop “fire-suppression strategies for new materials” to prevent technological disasters.
• Indicator for Target 12.2: The successful development and market adoption of batteries utilizing “Earth-abundant cathode materials” would be a direct measure of progress towards more sustainable resource management in the energy storage industry.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nrel.gov