Lithium-ion batteries: Difference between revisions
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So, besides needing '''far more''' cobalt than we could ever mine from the earth{{x|well, technically maybe we'd find more cobalt reserves, but don't count on it}}, there would also be major environmental damage and [[cobalt#child labor|child labor]] if we tried. | So, besides needing '''far more''' cobalt than we could ever mine from the earth{{x|well, technically maybe we'd find more cobalt reserves, but don't count on it}}, there would also be major environmental damage and [[cobalt#child labor|child labor]] if we tried. | ||
There are some efforts to reduce the amount of cobalt in the batteries, but this has its limits, as cobalt is needed for stability (i.e. preventing the batteries from bursting into flames too easily). {{en}} | |||
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TODO: make multiple tabs for more calculations: cobalt resources (instead of reserves), and cobalt resources if we strip-mined the ocean floor (not recommended; write that) | TODO: make multiple tabs for more calculations: cobalt resources (instead of reserves), and cobalt resources if we strip-mined the ocean floor (not recommended; write that) |
Revision as of 01:37, 5 November 2023
- This page is about NMC-type lithium-ion batteries (nickel-manganese-cobalt). For cobalt-free lithium-based batteries, see also: LFP batteries.
Lithium-ion (or li-ion for short) is one of the most common types of rechargeable batteries used today
Cobalt
Suppose all vehicles ran on lithium-ion batteries:
https://ev-database.org/cheatsheet/useable-battery-capacity-electric-car
https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2021/06/how-many-cars-are-there-in-the-world/
https://www.fluxpower.com/blog/what-is-the-energy-density-of-a-lithium-ion-battery
It's 3.6 volts for the "cobalt type" of lithium-ion battery. Other types might have a very slightly different voltage.
The article says lithium per amp hour. We convert this to lithium per watt hour (energy), by including the cell voltage.
Added up all the countries: 9,200,000 + 4,700,000 + 1,900,000 + 1,500,000 + 750,000 + 220,000 + 95,000 + 60,000 = 18,425,000 metric tons
So, besides needing far more cobalt than we could ever mine from the earth (calculation loading)
There are some efforts to reduce the amount of cobalt in the batteries, but this has its limits, as cobalt is needed for stability (i.e. preventing the batteries from bursting into flames too easily). [ELABORATION needed]
Lithium
Consider a similar calculation for lithium: At least it's viable - although there would still probably be a big environmental footprint.[QUANTIFICATION needed] We'd have to make sure that all EV batteries eventually get recycled. (calculation loading)
Note: this still doesn't include the additional energy storage we'd need on the power grid if solar and wind were major energy sources. This is less than what's needed for vehicles, but in total we'd probably slightly exceed global lithium reserves.
Nickel
This section has not been filled in yet.
Manganese
This section has not been filled in yet.
Energy in manufacturing
Averaged over the lifespan of the vehicle:
"Based on public data on two different Li-ion battery manufacturing facilities, and adjusted results from a previous study, the most reasonable assumptions for the energy usage for manufacturing Li-ion battery cells appears to be 50–65 kWh of electricity per kWh of battery capacity."
Source:
Energy use for GWh-scale lithium-ion battery production
Institute of Physics - IOP Publishing
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ab5e1e
(calculation loading)
Compared to how much energy you'd expect to consume by using the vehicle:
https://www.api.org/news-policy-and-issues/blog/2022/05/26/top-numbers-driving-americas-gasoline-demand
ecocostsavings.com/average-electric-car-kwh-per-mile
Data originally from epa.gov/fueleconomy
from wikipedia; haven't found original source yet
(calculation loading)
From this perspective, it seems that the energy in manufacturing the battery is reasonable enough.
Note: This doesn't include the energy involved in mining for the minerals to make the battery.
Similar calculations could be done for non-vehicle energy storage.
Recyclability
This section has not been filled in yet.
See also
- Sodium-ion batteries - possibly a more scalable energy storage solution, but it isn't on the market yet.