Research on Precision Manufacturing Process of Power Battery Electrode Based on Selective Laser Melting

Abstract

This work proposes an in-depth analysis of the implementation of selective laser melting (SLM) technology in the precision manufacturing of power battery electrodes, which responds to the needs of state-of-the-art energy storage systems for electric vehicles and grid applications. Innovative process control and optimisation strategies led to unparalleled outcomes pertaining to control of microstructure within the electrodes and their electrochemical performance. The research was conducted with an SLM system that has a customised design, incorporating a 200W fibre laser source with a wavelength of 1064nm. It was also paired with an advanced closed-loop control system which relies on thermal imaging on a real-time basis. As part of the experimental framework, a multi-objective optimisation problem was defined and solved using response surface methodology to determine the important relationships between the defining process parameters and the process outputs. Analysis of the data demonstrated electrode performance improvements such as 85% specific capacity retention at 2C rate alongside better electron transfer kinetics due to modification of the pore structure and particle distribution achieved by SLM processing. The system was capable of maintaining stability of material phases during thermal cycles while controlling the pores and surfaces with high accuracy. This investigation presents SLM as a potential means for quality electrode production which can be beneficial for manufacturing batteries on an industrial scale. The results improve energy storage devices with a new accurate and economical method of manufacturing advanced battery electrodes that can be used in electric vehicles and grid storage systems.