Power Japan Plus has revealed a novel battery chemistry, with both anode and cathode made of carbon.
The new cell, known as the Ryden Dual-Carbon Battery, promises energy density equal to current lithium-ion cells, but less capacity loss over time and far greater safety, it’s developers claim.
It is also almost entirely recyclable, with less energy input over its lifetime and none of the rare or heavy metals required in various lithium-ion cell chemistries.
Dual-carbon cells have been described in theory since at least 1978, but years of development were required to make them reliable, cost-effective, and suitable for mass production in high volumes, Power Japan Plus CEO Dou Kani reportedly said.
Chief technology officer Kaname Takeya and Dr. Tatsumi Ishihara of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan partnered with the company to develop the cell for commercial applications. Takeya explained that the chemistry requires specific and proprietary changes to the nanostructure of the carbon crystals.
Kani has also said that Power Japan Plus will announce a partner in August that will build battery packs and add a battery-management system.
He said: “The Ryden dual-carbon battery is the energy storage breakthrough needed to bring green technology like electric vehicles to [the] mass market.”
The company claims that its Ryden dual-carbon chemistry can both recharge up to 20 times as fast as Li-ion and with a similar energy density.
In testing, the cell has completed more than 3000 charge/discharge cycles with virtually no performance degradation, meaning that it could conceivably last the lifetime of a car.
Power Japan also says its Ryden cell “experiences minimal thermal change” thus reducing the risk of thermal runaway that can lead to fires.
Furthermore, the new dual-carbon anode and cathode can both be produced by existing cell manufacturing processes.
Power Japan Plus says it will start production of Ryden cells in the 18650 “commodity cell” format later this year at its small production facility in Okinawa, Japan.
