One of the most promising routes for decarbonising the transport sector is the use of electrochemical power and storage technologies (e.g. fuel cells, supercapacitors and batteries). However, challenges persist in terms of performance, durability, cost, integration together within vehicles (hybridisation) and interfacing with the electricity grid. This project will deliver a technology innovation chain that adopts a material-to-system approach. We will identify, optimise and scale-up new materials into devices, develop novel diagnostic techniques in the lab and for on-board monitoring and control, and validate the technologies in a hybrid vehicle. The objectives will be met by five interconnected work packages (WPs): Hierarchical Structured Electrodes (WP1) will combine the nano-micro scale structuring of lithium ion battery (LIB) materials with meso-scale electrode structuring to create novel hierarchical structured electrodes. The target will be to produce a range of new high power and high energy density combinations, achieved through a rational design approach based on arrangements of porosities and materials. Critical to this work will be close interaction with WP2 where meso-structure will be characterized by X-ray tomography. These 3D data will show to what extent manufacturing designs are realized (WP3), help to rationalize electrochemical performance, and guide subsequent iterations of design-make-test in a way not previously possible. Diagnostics and Correlative Metrology (WP2) will develop new methods of analysis to provide an unparalleled level of information about the internal working of batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors and provide a mechanism for improving device design and materials formulation through a tightly integrated programme with WP1 on materials and WP3 on devices. System Level Integration and Evaluation (WP3), sits in a central position between materials and analysis in WP1 and 2 and grid and vehicle interfacing in WP4 and 5. This WP will integrate new materials into functioning devices and develop understanding of their performance and degradation characteristics. To examine on-board performance, real-time, system-level diagnostics and prognostics (to include, system models, state estimators and data management) will be developed to ensure safety, enable fault detection and extend system life. In WP4, Optimised Design of High-Rate Grid Interface, the interface of vehicle with the grid will be considered, with a particular focus on high-rate charging of electric vehicles (EV), whilst also minimising the grid impact of such high power chargers. This is envisaged via use of local off-vehicle energy storage at the charging station, to permit rapid recharge of EVs to the new high capacity on-vehicle energy stores (e.g. from WP1). This WP will study the optimal off-vehicle energy storage technology (e.g. supercapacitors, batteries, flow cells), characterise and diagnose the energy store performance at high rates and perform laboratory scale testing of a rapid charger. Finally, in WP5, In-Vehicle Aspects, Validation Platform and Impact, the newly-evolved electrochemical energy storage packages developed in earlier WPs will be validated in a hybrid vehicle. The data generated and derived equivalent circuits will be fed back into the design and innovation cycle, leading to better materials and devices. Findings will be delivered to project partners, and ultimately back to UK industry. The cross-disciplinary nature of the work and collaborative approach is ingrained in the work-plan, where, as well as having individual responsibility for a specific aspect of the work, each partner will contribute to at least two work-packages. We have strong industry support and will form an Industrial Advisory Committee to provide industry perspective and help us navigate the most relevant and impactful course through the project.

High-performance batteries had disruptive impact in the electronics sector, are pivotal in electrifying transport, and will play a crucial role in grid-scale storage solutions. In particular, Li-Ion and Na-Ion batteries are set to facilitate greater and more efficient use of renewable energy. Application demand for highest possible energy density and power, however, necessitates volatile chemistries and careful consideration of safety aspects as a number of high-profile battery accidents have made strikingly clear in recent years. The most catastrophic failure of Li-ion battery systems is a cascading thermal runaway. Thermal runaway can occur due to thermal, electrical, or mechanical abuse. It can result in the venting of toxic and highly flammable gases and the release of significant heat, potentially leading to explosions and severe damage to the battery, surrounding equipment and/or people. This project will provide materials technologies to physically safeguard Li-Ion and Na-Ion batteries against thermal runaway and thermally accelerated degradation, superseding existing external safety measures. Rather than changing the active material on the positive side, we will replace conductivity additives, an otherwise passive component of the electrodes, with smart materials. Electrical resistivity of the smart additives will increase by orders of magnitude at or above temperatures where it would otherwise be unsafe to operate the battery. As a consequence, uncontrolled electrochemical reactions, the initial heat source in a thermal runaway event, will cease, making electrochemically initiated thermal runaway impossible. The approach has several advantages: (1) it provides a drop-in solution, applicable to all active material chemistries in Li-Ion and Na-Ion batteries; (2) it is transferable to other battery technologies (e.g, Al-Ion); (3) it safeguards against a full range of abuse scenarios triggering thermal runaway; and (4) the protection mechanisms will be reversible with lifetime benefits of batteries under real-world situations. Smart additives will be developed utilising rational materials design driven by close integration between simulations at the atomistic and micro-scale with a comprehensive synthesis and characterisation program including a full array of in operando advanced electrochemical/spectroscopic techniques and x-ray tomography, complemented by state-of-the-art ex situ materials characterisation. Relevant abuse protocols will be developed and utilised to test batteries comprising electrodes with the smart additives at the cell and pack level. Further, we will exploit secondary characteristics of the smart additives to realise and demonstrate high-fidelity, non-invasive diagnostics and battery management to add an active safety layer for superior longevity. Alignment with ISCF objectives: Bringing together a complete value chain including SMIs (REAPsystems, Denchi), tier 1+2 suppliers (Johnson Matthey, Faradion, Yuasa), and larger OEMs (QinetiQ, Lloyd's, Dstl) with leading academics from engineering and chemistry (objectives 3+4), this project will innovate to deliver safer battery technologies and associated IP for automotive and other applications, increasing the UKs attractiveness for inward investment (objective 5) from global automotive OEMs and suppliers. Leveraged with over £150k support from industry, the program will increase the UKs R&D capacity/capability in battery research and deliver a world-leading, multi-disciplinary research program (objective 1) that is perfectly aligned with the 'Faraday Challenge' objectives, a UK flagship investment to develop and manufacture batteries for the electrification of vehicles (objective 2).

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.

Transition to low-carbon is one of the key goals for this century to ensure the effects of man-made climate change are limited, and perhaps, mitigated. Through the electrification of transport, polluting fossil fuels and the harmful emissions generated by their consumption can be significantly reduced. The E-transport paradigm is challenging due to the introduction of large energy demands on the electricity supply grid, requirement for the installation of a national charging infrastructure, limited battery capacity leading to range anxiety, uncertainties around cost and user experience, including the expectation that vehicle fuels can be replenished within just a few minutes, to name but a few. These issues span the whole of society and have wide reaching implications: if the Electric Vehicle (EV) experience is not "satisfactory" then consumers will be reluctant to make the switch. To address this challenge, an EV charging solution that can deliver fully grid-independent, renewably powered charging is required. This solution should stand to: (i) facilitate the deployment of new renewable generating capacity for the purposes of EV charging; and (ii) overcome existing national grid capacity constraints for growth in the EV charging-load. Such a solution could also underpin the creation of localised smart grids, that can flexibly support energy demand in communities under-served by the current infrastructure, further alleviating pressure on the existing electricity grid. Through the "FEVER concept" devised in this programme grant, the investigators will design, develop and demonstrate such an EV charging solution. FEVER will use renewable generation, within an innovative off-vehicle energy storage (OVES) system, to offer a secure, year-round, grid-independent charging for EVs. Moving beyond the state-of-the-art technologies a cost-effective and socially-acceptable 'hybrid' OVES will be developed, that is suitable for both urban and rural deployment and use. This interdisciplinary project unites a diverse team of academic scientists and engineers (mechanical, electronics and electrical, computer science) and social scientists (psychology, economics and management) across three research-led UK universities: Southampton, Sheffield and Surrey. The expertise embodied by this team reflects the fact that it is a combination of technological viability, financial cost and social acceptance (including socio-political, market/end-user, and community acceptance) that typically determines the operational and commercial success of a given innovation. Only utilising a platform like the programme grant scheme, can this wide range of expertise and backgrounds be brought together with key industrial partners from the sector (including Shell, Cenex, Siemens, Hive Energy, Wood Clean Energy and Yuasa) to address such a complex problem and provide an integrated research and innovation solution. Through the programme, the team aims to: (1) Understanding the problem context by investigating the current barriers and drivers affecting the development of fully grid-independent, renewables powered OVES based EV charging stations. (2) Design, develop and trial viable, low-cost, and socially-endorsed solutions to this problem via the novel combination of energy storage technologies (including different battery technologies, and supercapacitors). (3) Construct two functioning demonstrations of an optimised OVES concept (i.e. FEVER), to verify and validate its real-world performance as an EV charging solution, and to explore opportunities to use the technology to support wider local demand for electricity from homes, industry and business (via the creation of local 'smart-grids'). (4) Investigate key factors affecting social approval of the FEVER concept and specific demonstrators among key groups and individuals likely to affect the commercial success of the technology (e.g. policy makers, the public).

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.