Research into battery safety to aid transition to net-zero
A project to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries led by UCL researchers will receive new funding as part of a £22.6m investment from the Faraday Institution. SafeBatt, led by Professor Paul Shearing (UCL Chemical Engineering), is one of five projects - which all involve UCL - to receive funding. The investment of £22.6m in the projects is part of the Faraday Institution's commitment to building momentum in four key research challenges that offer the most potential to deliver commercial impact for the UK: extending battery life, recycling and reuse, battery modelling and solid-state batteries. Better-functioning batteries are seen as a key part of society's transition to net-zero emissions as they are needed to power electric vehicles and to store energy from renewables. Professor Paul Shearing (UCL Chemical Engineering) said: " SafeBatt will take an integrated approach to understanding the science behind lithium-ion battery safety at multiple scales, integrating safety considerations through the lifetime of the battery. "The team will work to improve understanding of the root causes of battery cell failure and the underlying physics around failures that can lead to fires. It will also investigate the environmental consequences of fires involving lithium-ion batteries and explore the interplay between battery ageing and battery safety.
