October 16, 2018

Chemical Formula, Pricing for New Soryu Sub's Lithium-ion Batteries

Following Submarines Matters articles of October 5, 2018 and October 9, 2018 comes Anonymous comment of October 16, 2018. That comment, further translated, is:

New data has emerged on the price of Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) on the newly launched Soryu Mark 2 submarine 27SS, and also effecting future Soryus 28SS and 29SS

The total price of the 672 LIB modules fluctuates every year, but the average price is US$78 million  for 672 LIB modules. This is except for the first year [2016?] when there were additional costs? US$9.8million (for jigs, measurement equipment, etc) needed to start production

One reason the price of LIBs (and also traditional lead-acid batteries (LABs)) fluctuates each year is the changing cost of raw materials in batteries. For example in the 27SS's LIBs this includes changing costs of Lithium, Nickel and Cobalt.

A (rare submarine use only) LIB module is 4.5 times more expensive than a LAB module. Meanwhile a commercially available LIB may be four times more expensive than a LAB.

LIBs for 27SS, 28SS and 29SS are made of Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide (see red words in Table below). Chemically these LIBs for Soryu submarine are LiNiCoAlO2 and their shorter title are "NCA". See NCA's chart of qualities by scrolling a quarter-way down this Battery university website.

The maker of NCA LIBs is GS Yuasa which constructed a new manufacturing plant for LIBs for Japanese submarines in 2016. That plant has made sufficient LIBs for the Japanese Navy's (JMSDF's) medium term needs. The plant will restart production of submarine LIBs once it makes a profitable return on investment. See GS Yuasa's Reporting At a Glance on Fiscal Year 2017, page 32 at http://www.gs-yuasa.com/en/ir/pdf/GS_Yuasa_Report_2018e_10.pdf where it states "We have established a framework and started mass production of lithium-ion batteries for submarines,"

[TABLE OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES FOR SUBMARINE BY GENERATION

Anonymous created the following table on March 28 2017 at Submarine Matters site https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2017/03/south-korea-to-be-2nd-country-to.html


Name
Composition or abbreviation
Energy density [kW/kg]
(theoretical)
Note
First Generation
LIB
Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide
LiNiCoAlO2 or NCA
260
for Soryus 27SS & 28SS.
NCAs built by Japan's GS Yuasa
Lithium Cobalt Oxide
LiCoO2 or LCO
200 (1014)
Shinkai 6500
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide
LiNiMnCoO2 or NMC
200

Lithium Manganese Oxide
LiMn2O4 or LMO
140 (410)
Proto-type by JMSDF
Lithium Iron Phosphate
LiFePO4 or LFP
120 (575)
LFYP (China) is family of LFP
Lithium titanate
Li4Ti5O12 or LTO
80
CEP- Japan
LAB
LAB

40

LSB
LSB

(ca.2500)

Second
Generation LIB
Lithium Ion Silicate
Li2FeSiO4
(1584)
High Safety, low cycle performance

Lithium Manganese Silicate
Li2MnSiO4
(1485)
High Safety, low cycle performance

Anonymous commented: 

Two routes of advanced LIBs development may be as follows:

Route 1  LABs --- First Gen LIBs --- Second Gen LIBs --- LSBs

OR

Route 2  LABs--- First Gen LIBs --- LSBs

Second Generation LIBs (Lithium Ion Silicate or Lithium Manganese Silicate) show excellent properties such as very high energy density and safety. Their main drawback may be low cycle performance (ie. they cannot be recharged as many hundred times as First Generations LIBs). Studies to overcome this issue are being conducted. Battery University remarks "Manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify the life of Li-ion in most consumer products as being between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles."]

Anonymous and Pete

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Pete (part I)

On the important peripheral technologies of LIBs

For application of LSB, placing on market and ablishment of safety sfety in practical use for LSB, and return of invesitiment and acquisition of enough profit for LIB are needed. Also, the important peripheral technologies (diesels, propulsion motor, snorkel system, etc) should be established for LIBs, or excellent performance is not exhibited.

As charge rate of LIBs is much higher than LABs, the indiscretion ratio (IR, the ratio of the time spent charging the submarine batteries) is controlled by charge rate of batteries and output of generators for LIB and LAB, respectively. Most of current diesel generaters which assumed for use in LABs, shows relatively low output, and in this case, IR value of LIBs remains in the level of LABs. High power diesel generator is needed to achieve lower IR for LIBs.

Even in high power diesel generator, unless snorkel system has enough exhaust capacity, the generator can not generate enough electricity. Also, quiet operation is needed.

To improve power performance of submarine by LIBs, high power but silent propulsion motor is needed.


Regards

Anonymous said...

Hi Pete (Part II)

On LSBs

For the application of LSBs in subamrine, putting on market and eshablishment of safety in practical use for LSBs, and establishment of the said peripheral technologies and return of investment for LIBs are needed.


On LTO

As unit price of large capacity LIB is nearly same level and output of LTO (80-100kWh) is 40-50% of NCA [1], price of LTO module is expected 40-50% of NCA and 200-250% of LAB. Total cost (T) of batteries (480module, operation period submarine is as follows.

LAB (unit price 26700USD; battery exchange cycle 3years = 8 times exchange) [2]
T=26700 x 480 x (1+8) = 115 million USD

ITO (unit price 26700USD x 2.5; battery exchange 10 years = 2 times or 0) [3]
T=26700 x 2.5 x 480 x (1+2) = 96 million USD or 32 million USD

ITO (unit price 26700USD x 4.5; battery exchange cycle 6years= 4times exchange) [4]
T=26700 x 4.5 x 480 x (1+4) = 288 million USD

Though ITO is relatively low power as LIB, whose excellent stability prove significant cost reduction cheaper than LAB. ITO is suitable for countries who have enough maintenance budget. Lack of maintenance budget cause serious result such as the tragedy of submarine San Juan and the dysfunction of German submarine fleet.

[1] “Battery Strategy” Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, July/2012, page 11
[2] Comment by MoD in Administration Review: “LABs are exchanged every 3 years”
[3] Toshiba Home Page: Cycle life of ITO is 20,000 and 10 year
[4] Battery University

Regards