Lithium-Ion Battery Power Performance Assessment for the Climb Step of an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Application

• Published in: ACS energy letters Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 934 - 940
• Main Authors: Dixit, Marm, Bisht, Anuj, Essehli, Rachid, Amin, Ruhul, Kweon, Chol-Bum M., Belharouak, Ilias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 08.03.2024
• Subjects: batteries; electrochemical cells; electrodes; Letter; polarization; power
• ISSN: 2380-8195; 2380-8195
• DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c02385

High power is a critical requirement of lithium-ion batteries designed to satisfy the load profiles of advanced air mobility. Here, we simulate the initial takeoff step of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles powered by a lithium-ion battery that is subjected to an intense 15C discharge pulse at the beginning of the discharge cycle followed by a subsequent low-rate discharge. We conducted extensive electrochemical testing to assess the long-term stability of a lithium-ion battery under these high-strain conditions. The main finding is that despite the performance recovery observed at low rates, the reapplication of high rates leads to drastic cell failure. While the results highlight the eVTOL battery longevity challenge, the findings also emphasize the need for tailored battery chemistry designs for eVTOL applications to address both anode plating and cathode instability. In addition, innovative second-use strategies would be paramount upon completion of the eVTOL services.