Startup to commercialise fast charging lithium sulfur battery
An Australian startup is commercialising a lightweight, fast charging lithium sulfur battery developed at Monash University.
With rapid charging times, the lightweight Li-S batteries could soon power drones, with electric aircraft a future possibility. Researchers at Monash aim to demonstrate the technology in commercial drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) within a year.
The technology is being commercialised by a Monash spin-off called Ghove Energy which is currently raising pre-seed funding.
Several startups have tried to develop fast charging LiS batteries for aviation as the chemistry is safer and lighter than lithium ion.
The LiS battery chemistry developed at Monash uses a iodine ions in a complex network of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The PVP-iodine-polysulfide complex is used in pouch cells with energy densities of 215 and 156 Wh/kg at charging rates of 0.1C and 0.3C, respectively and is aiming for 400Wh/kg.
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LiS cells have an advantage over lithium ion as there is less inherent risk of short circuits and thermal runaway that need additional protection in the cell, resulting in a heavier battery.
“This represents a major breakthrough toward making Li-S a feasible option not just for long-haul EVs but particularly in industries like aviation and maritime that require rapid, reliable power that is crucially light-weighted,” said Monash researcher Dr Petar Jovanović.
“We’ve leveraged sulfur’s unique chemistry to make a battery that’s both safer and more efficient. With our new catalyst, we’ve overcome one of the last remaining barriers to commercialisation – charging speed,” said Said Prof Mainak Majumder, Director of the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials at Monash.
“Our catalyst has significantly enhanced the C-rate performance of Li-S batteries, demonstrated in early proof-of-concept prototype cells. With commercial scaling and larger cell production, this technology could deliver energy densities up to 400 Wh/kg.”
“This makes it well-suited for applications requiring dynamic performance, such as aviation, where batteries must handle high C-rates during take-off and efficiently switch to low C-rates during cruising.”
Lithium sulfur battery cells are also a more sustainable alternative to the materials used in traditional Li-ion batteries, which rely on limited and often environmentally harmful resources like cobalt.
Professor Majumder said the research was supported by the US Air Force Office of Sponsored Research.
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