From CERN to more efficient car batteries

In the coming years, the demand for electric transportation is set to rise, driven by global efforts to cut carbon emissions. This trend highlights an urgent need to advance battery technology, focusing on improving safety, durability, and charging speed.

Neutron diffractometry, a technique used for investigating the atomic structure of a material, can play a crucial role in this endeavour. The penetrating nature of neutron radiation offers a unique window into lithium batteries, which are essential for electric vehicles, by allowing scientists to describe the crystal structure of the battery components during the charge-discharge cycle - all without having to take the battery apart. This insight is vital for enhancing battery performance, aiming to make them safer, last longer, and recharge more quickly.

The application of neutron science on a wider scale faces significant challenges due to the shortage of specialised industrial facilities. To tackle this issue, a new collaboration between CERN and its industrial partner, DAES, has been initiated in an innovative project called VULCAN (Versatile Ultra Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron source). VULCAN’s mission is to develop a compact, affordable facility that uses neutrons to directly optimise the geometries and material compositions of batteries and fuel cells. This aims to combat the effects of ageing and can also be applied to understand and reduce the residual stresses that occur in materials due to manufacturing, usage, and repair processes.

The project leverages on the advanced technology from the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) studies, a proposed future linear particle accelerator that would supersede the LHC.

Our collaboration with CERN is possible thanks to the CERN Innovation Programme for Environmental Applications (CIPEA). It allows us to test and refine an innovative technology crucial for ageing measurements in sectors such as lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. This collaboration is invaluable for three main reasons: it offers an ideal testing ground for our systems, facilitates knowledge exchange with experts in fields where we have less experience, and gives us access to CERN's extensive expertise in accelerator technology. This knowledge is essential for our project, which relies heavily on advanced accelerator design.

– Francois Plewinski, DAES Innovation Director and Founder