Solid-state Li-ion batteries (SSLBs) represent the ultimate in battery safety, eliminating the flammable organic electrolyte. The SSLB would find potential uses in industries where battery safety is paramount, such as the automotive industry (in cars, e-bikes and buses) and also in smaller applications where the elimination of the liquid electrolyte results in more ready compatibility with other devices, e.g., a battery on a chip or sensor. These batteries can compete with traditional lithium ion batteries in terms of volumetric energy density but they suffer from low power density. Very recently several viable inorganic solid Li-ion conducting electrolytes been identified with conductivities approaching those of liquids, which motivates this research proposal. Strategies for lowering interfacial resistances, particularly between the electrolyte and electrodes, and for building inherently scaleable devices that can be cycled multiple times, without mechanical failure, are now urgently required to produce practical devices. This multi-institutional project brings together experienced, world-leading researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and Imperial College with distinct but complementary expertise to attack a number of challenging critical issues in this field. Two classes of these solid electrolytes, oxide garnets and sulphide glass ceramics, have been found to have very high room-temperature ionic conductivities. A number of characteristics have been identified that may provide either relative benefits or disadvantages: higher-modulus materials may cycle more stably in batteries; tougher materials may be more easily brought into industrial practice; polycrystalline character may limit apparent bulk-transport rates, lowering power efficiency; interfaces may be chemically unstable, affecting long-term state of health; etc. We propose to implement fundamental studies that shed light on the relative benefits and disadvantages of the oxide and sulphide ion-conductor paradigms, using the Li6.55Ga0.15*0.3La3Zr2O12 (* = vacancy) (LLZO) garnet and the P2S5-Li2S (PSLS) glass ceramic as model materials. The project centres around three experimental work packages that focus on 1) quantifying bulk properties and making them reproducible; specifically, issues of moisture and carbon-dioxide sensitivity of the electrolytes will be addressed to produce films with reduced resistances at the interfaces between particles. LLZO and PSLS films will be contrasted, and transport through them will be investigated via a number of in operando (in situ) metrologies, e.g., 6Li tracer and NMR studies in close concert with theoretical studies of ionic transport. 2) illustrating chemistry of the solid-electrolyte/Li two-dimensional interface and probing its morphological stability over time; we seek to identify the critical parameters needed to mitigate Li-metal dendrite formation and growth, and which allow smooth Li-plating on the electrolyte surface. 3) producing tailored, cohesive three-dimensional interfaces with complex morphologies that do not crack on extensive cycling. The development of materials with much larger electrode/electrolyte contact areas will increase Li+ exchange between phases within the electrode, increasing rate performance. A multiscale modelling effort cuts across the 3 work packages, aiming to produce fundamental physical insight, synthesize experimental outputs, and guide experimental design. The goals for the theory portion are unique in the sense that the models will aim for true 'multiscale' character, integrating atomistic and continuum perspectives. Overall, the project aims to provide new new strategies to improve the performance of SSLBs but will also result in new electrolyte designs that are suitable for to protect Li metal in other so-called "beyond Li-ion" batteries such as Li-air and Li-S and smaller batteries for internet communications technologies.

Energy Storage (ES) has a key role to play as a part of whole UK and global energy systems, by providing flexibility, enhancing affordability, security and resilience against supply uncertainties, and addressing the huge challenges related to the climate change. Following UKRI investment over the last decade, the UK is in a strong position internationally in ES research and innovation. Although areas of UK expertise are world leading, there is little interaction between these areas and interplaying disciplines e.g. artificial intelligence, data and social sciences. This fragmentation limits the community's ability to deliver significant societal impact and threatens the continuity of delivering research excellence, missing opportunities as a result. Consequently, there is now an urgent need for the ES community to connect, convene and communicate more effectively. The proposed Supergen Storage Network Plus 2019 project (ES-Network+) responds to this need by bringing together 19 leading academics at different career stages across 12 UK institutions, with complementary energy storage (ES) related expertise and the necessary multidisciplinary balance to deliver the proposed programme. The aim of the ES-Network+ is to create a dynamic, forward-looking and sustainable platform, connecting and serving people from diverse backgrounds across the whole ES value chain including industry, academia and policymakers. As a focal point for the ES community, we will create, exchange and disseminate ES knowledge with our stakeholders. We will nurture early career researchers (ECR) in ES and establish ambitious, measurable goals for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). We will complement existing activities (e.g. Faraday Institution, UKERC, Energy Systems Catapult, CREDS, other Supergen Hubs) to serve the UK's needs, delivering impact nationally and internationally. The ES-Network+ will convene and support the ES community to deliver societal impact through technological breakthroughs, generating further value from the UKRI ES portfolio. It will be a secure and inclusive eco-system for researchers in ES & related fields to access, innovate, build and grow their UK and international networks. It is distinctive from the current Supergen Storage Hub: We have a PI with non-electrochemical background, an expanded investigator team with complementary expertise in energy network integration, mechanical and inter-seasonal thermal ES, hybrid storage with digital knowledge, cold storage, transport with ES integration, ES materials measurement & imaging and social science with policy implications. Early career researchers will hold key positions within the ES-Network+ and we will underpin all of our work with EDI values. We will develop an authoritative whitepaper for steering ES related decision-making, giving an overview of the ES community and a technical view on how ES research should be steered going forward. The team is extremely well-connected to the ES industry and the wider energy community and has secured 57 supporting organisations, including energy production, transmission, distribution & network operation, specialist aggregators of heat & power, storage technology developers and integrators; ES related manufacturers, ES related recycling; and research institutes/centres/hubs/networks/associations both nationally and internationally. The supporting organisations also bring in a significant amount of extra resources to ensure a successful delivery of the ES-Network+.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The UK electricity system faces challenges of unprecedented proportions. It is expected that 35 to 40% of the UK electricity demand will be met by renewable generation by 2020, an order of magnitude increase from the present levels. In the context of the targets proposed by the UK Climate Change Committee it is expected that the electricity sector would be almost entirely decarbonised by 2030 with significantly increased levels of electricity production and demand driven by the incorporation of heat and transport sectors into the electricity system. The key concerns are associated with system integration costs driven by radical changes on both the supply and the demand side of the UK low-carbon system. Our analysis to date suggests that a low-carbon electricity future would lead to a massive reduction in the utilisation of conventional electricity generation, transmission and distribution assets. The large-scale deployment of energy storage could mitigate this reduction in utilisation, producing significant savings. In this context, the proposed research aims at (i) developing novel approaches for evaluating the economic and environmental benefits of a range of energy storage technologies that could enhance efficiency of system operation and increase asset utilization; and (ii) innovation around 4 storage technologies; Na-ion, redox flow batteries (RFB), supercapacitors, and thermal energy storage (TES). These have been selected because of their relevance to grid-scale storage applications, their potential for transformative research, our strong and world-leading research track record on these topics and UK opportunities for exploitation of the innovations arising. At the heart of our proposal is a whole systems approach, recognising the need for electrical network experts to work with experts in control, converters and storage, to develop optimum solutions and options for a range of future energy scenarios. This is essential if we are to properly take into account constraints imposed by the network on the storage technologies, and in return limitations imposed by the storage technologies on the network. Our work places emphasis on future energy scenarios relevant to the UK, but the tools, methods and technologies we develop will have wide application. Our work will provide strategic insights and direction to a wide range of stakeholders regarding the development and integration of energy storage technologies in future low carbon electricity grids, and is inspired by both (i) limitations in current grid regulation, market operation, grid investment and control practices that prevent the role of energy storage being understood and its economic and environmental value quantified, and (ii) existing barriers to the development and deployment of cost effective energy storage solutions for grid application. Key outputs from this programme will be; a roadmap for the development of grid scale storage suited to application in the UK; an analysis of policy options that would appropriately support the deployment of storage in the UK; a blueprint for the control of storage in UK distribution networks; patents and high impact papers relating to breakthrough innovations in energy storage technologies; new tools and techniques to analyse the integration of storage into low carbon electrical networks; and a cohort of researchers and PhD students with the correct skills and experience needed to support the future research, development and deployment in this area.

Electrical energy storage can contribute to meeting the UK's binding greenhouse emission targets by enabling low carbon transport through electric vehicles (EVs) in the expanding electric automotive industry. However, challenges persist in terms of performance, safety, durability and costs of the energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Although there has been research in developing new chemistry and advanced materials that has significantly improved electrical energy storage performance, the structure of the electrodes and LIBs and their manufacturing methods have not been changed since the 1980s. The current manufacturing methods do not allow control over the structures at the electrode and device levels, which leads to restricted ion transport during cycling. The approach of this research is to develop a complete materials-manufacture-characterisation chain for LIBs, solid-state LIBs (SSLIBs) and next generation of batteries. Novel structures at the electrode and device levels will be designed to promote fast directional ion transport, increase energy and power densities, improve safety and cycling performance and reduce costs. New, scalable manufacturing techniques will be developed to realise making the designed structures and reduce interfacial resistance in SSLIBs. Finally, state-of-the-art physical and chemical characterisation techniques including a suite of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and electrochemical testing will be used to understand the underlining charge storage mechanism, interfacial phenomena and how electrochemical performance is influenced by structural changes of the energy storage devices. The results will subsequently be used to guide iterations of the structure design. The fabricated batteries will be packaged into pouch cells and rigorously tested by EV protocols through close collaborations with industry to ensure flexible adaptability to the current industry match to create near-term high impact in industry. The commercialisation strategy is to license developed intellectual property (IP) to material and battery manufacturers.