Advances in Characterization, Analysis, Theory and Modeling of Basic Processes

The performance of current electrical energy storage (EES) systems falls well short of requirements for using electrical energy efficiently in transportation, smart grid, commercial, and residential applications. Although batteries have been available for over 150 years there are still many fundamental gaps in understanding the atomic- and molecular level processes that determine and govern their function, operation, performance limitations and failure. Fundamental knowledge is critically needed to uncover the underlying principles that control these complex and interrelated processes. With this underpinning knowledge, wholly new concepts in materials design can be developed for producing electrodes and battery cells that are capable of storing higher energy densities and have long cycle lifetimes.

The ability to address fundamental questions related to advanced electrochemical energy storage devices relies critically on the development and application of novel characterization tools with increased spatial, energy, and temporal resolution. The development of analytical tools that have high sensitivity, selectivity and specificity and cover the wide time scales of processes associated with the battery system operation modes has the potential to revolutionize the field. Theoretical fundamental models that can provide fundamental understanding of electron and charge transfer processes and mechanisms by which ions interact with electrode materials and the nature of interfacial phenomena are of great interest.

A new paradigm is required to design new stable anode and cathode materials to provide electrochemical cells with high energy, high power, long lifetime and adequate safety at a competitive manufacturing cost. Current battery design is a highly empirical process and the optimum solution is often compromised by greatly overdesigning the battery cell. Therefore, coordinated efforts in fundamental research and advanced engineering are needed to combine effectively new materials, electrode architectures and manufacturing technologies to achieve substantial improvements in energy and power densities of EES systems. The design of new materials with tailored architectures will be catalyzed by new computational and analytical tools that can provide the needed foundation for the rational design of these multifunctional materials.

The goal of this Conference is to foster these new efforts to elucidate fundamental chemical, transport, electrical, and physical processes that can help build and verify improved models to predict battery performance, for both the state-of the-art EES devices and for entirely new kinds of rechargeable systems.