Decarbonization of the U.S. energy sector is bringing new applied sciences to the forefront, together with an array of latest battery varieties for vitality storage, electrical autos (EVs), and extra.
Lyten, a San Jose, California-based superior supplies producer identified for its Lyten 3D Graphene know-how platform, together with different decarbonization supplies, is shifting ahead with a number of tasks. That features manufacturing of the corporate’s lithium-sulfur batteries for EVs, and producing light-weight composites and different superior types of chemical, resonant, and organic sensing options for transportation, aerospace, industrial, vitality, and protection clients.
Keith Norman, who earlier this yr took over as Lyten’s chief sustainability officer, talked about his firm’s efforts within the vitality house throughout POWER’s Distributed Power Convention in Savannah, Georgia, this previous August. He not too long ago offered POWER with extra perception into Lyten’s know-how, merchandise, and companies.
Norman joined Lyten after serving as Amazon Net Providers’ world head of know-how partnerships for vitality and utilities, the place he led the corporate’s efforts to decarbonize. He additionally was a longtime govt at ExxonMobil, and continues to be an energetic investor and advisor for decarbonization startup teams.
POWER: What differentiates Lyten’s 3D Graphene know-how platform from different superior supplies methods?
Norman: We don’t spend a lot time fascinated by supplies, however they affect primarily each side of our lives 24/7/365. Transportation, aviation, building, digital know-how, meals, vitality, clothes and a lot extra are made attainable by the distinctive properties of supplies like metal, concrete, silicon, copper, hydrocarbons, cotton and lithium. These identical supplies are additionally the limiting components in pushing merchandise we use on a regular basis additional. Every materials has limitations that outline how gentle they are often or how a lot vitality they will retailer, for instance. That is the place Lyten’s 3D Graphene supplies are available. Our materials is designed to push the boundaries of current supplies, particularly the place weight, energy, and conductivity actually matter.
Graphene was found in 2004 and the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 2010 for its discovery due to the dimensions of the potential affect of an ultra-high performing materials. Graphene is commonly described as ultra-high energy, extremely light-weight, and extremely conductive, amongst a number of different superlatives. Since that point, scaling product growth from the lab into business purposes has been difficult for 3 main causes. (1) The manufacturing price of graphene is excessive. (2) By definition, graphene is a two-dimensional planar sheet of bonded carbon atoms. Give it some thought like a sheet of paper. The one approach to chemically work together with the graphene is alongside the perimeters of that sheet, so the fabric doesn’t work together or combine with different components or supplies. (3) The 2D graphene sheet can’t be simply personalized or tuned to ship the proper properties for a selected utility. Basically, you must design your utility across the capabilities of 2D graphene, typically coming within the type of carbon nanotubes (i.e. roll your sheet of paper right into a tube).
Lyten 3D Graphene addresses these limitations. Think about taking that sheet of paper and crumpling it up and twisting it. That’s 3D Graphene. As an alternative of solely with the ability to bond with the fabric on the perimeters, now you can bond at each fold and crease, rising its skill to work together with different components on the periodic desk by orders of magnitude. This implies you’ll be able to put 3D Graphene into many purposes to extend energy, cut back weight, enhance conductivity, and acquire many further capabilities. Second, 3D Graphene might be crumpled and twisted in an infinite variety of methods, which suggests we will tune the construction to exhibit the properties wanted for an utility. An extremely distinctive way forward for 3D Graphene is the fabric might be tuned to exhibit a number of properties (like energy and conductivity) in the identical materials. Because of this we name it a supermaterial. This tunability now means we will design the 3D Graphene materials to suit the wants of the appliance.
POWER: How is 3D Graphene engineered, and may it’s used to decarbonize the facility era sector?
Norman: 3D Graphene is definitely the results of a carbon seize course of. We’re in a position to take methane, a greenhouse fuel, and thru our proprietary reactor know-how we break aside the carbon and hydrogen atoms. The result’s pure carbon, within the type of 3D Graphene, and the bi-product is clear hydrogen, which clearly has many potential purposes in a decarbonized vitality system.
This course of is powered by clear vitality, and as we scale will enable us to fabricate 3D Graphene as a carbon impartial materials and probably carbon adverse relying on our sourcing of the methane feedstock.
As to its affect on decarbonizing the facility era sector, there’s a in the present day reply and a possible future state reply. In the present day, we’re utilizing 3D Graphene to develop and construct a lithium-sulfur battery that may ship some disruptive traits vs. li-ion batteries, and the impacts will likely be important. We at the moment are focusing on a battery that has better than twice the vitality density of lithium-ion and will likely be greater than 40% lighter weight. Moreover, we will take away most of the mined minerals present in lithium-ion. Lithium-sulfur is not going to require nickel, cobalt, manganese, or graphite, all closely mined minerals in brief provide and with their very own environmental and humanitarian affect. This dramatically simplifies the supplies required and can in the end enable the lithium-sulfur battery to be fully sourced and manufactured domestically within the U.S. and Europe. Including all this collectively means a battery that may have >60% decrease carbon footprint to fabricate in comparison with lithium-ion in the present day and a transparent pathway to a good decrease footprint sooner or later.
We describe lithium-sulfur because the “electrify every thing” battery, as it’s going to break by worth and weight limitations, enabling electrification to be way more viable for each industries the place weight issues (aviation, aerospace, trucking, and so forth) and mass market adoption the place worth is a barrier. And particularly for the facility sector, we see security as a rising subject as we electrify extra of our infrastructure. The lithium-sulfur chemistry has a decrease threat of thermal runaway than lithium-ion.
We’re actively working further purposes using the 3D Graphene materials and are bringing gentle weighted composite and sensing applied sciences to the market in sectors like automotive, aviation, and provide chain. For instance, we’re growing a battery security sensor that’s extremely delicate to adjustments in off-gassing from battery cells, probably offering a primary warning for degrading cell efficiency and a possibility to keep away from thermal runaway occasions. The subsequent section of alternatives for purposes utilizing 3D Graphene is an current one for Lyten.
POWER: How is Lyten at the moment engaged with the vitality sector in the case of the corporate’s services?
Norman: We’re partaking carefully with the vitality sector in two utterly alternative ways. First, as a person, which as was described above our lithium-sulfur batteries will ship distinctive, disruptive vitality storage properties. We don’t consider there may be one battery chemistry for the longer term. Reasonably, we see a future the place the proper chemistry is used for the proper job. Our lithium-sulfur chemistry is extremely helpful when excessive vitality density and light-weight weighting actually matter. So, we’re beginning within the mobility sector the place weight is paramount to profitable electrification. As we scale, we’ll look to develop into extra stationary purposes, once more leaning on use circumstances the place our vitality density actually shines.
We additionally see robust demand from a variety of shoppers, together with vitality pursuits, who need to diversify their vitality storage provide chain. As a result of we take away nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite, we can fully supply and manufacture our lithium-sulfur batteries domestically within the U.S. or Europe, which is a stark distinction to lithium-ion, the place the overwhelming majority of batteries have a provide chain going by Asia and particularly China. This provide chain diversification has confirmed to be a requirement driver.
The second means we’re partaking with the vitality sector is thru sourcing the crucial feedstocks for our batteries. First, we make the most of methane and are more and more seeking to construct a provide of bio-methane from renewable sources like landfills and farms. Second, we’re working to construct all the 3D Graphene and battery manufacturing utilizing clear energy. This makes Lyten a fantastic accomplice as a long-term offtaker of fresh energy sources, that are crucial to get clear energy era infrastructure funded and constructed. We’re at the moment reviewing areas for our scaled-up manufacturing services within the U.S. and sourcing renewable pure fuel and clear energy are crucial determination standards.
POWER: How is Lyten working towards decarbonization throughout varied different sectors, from automotive to aerospace to building?
Norman: So it is a subject we might speak about for hours. Core to Lyten’s mission is to make use of our 3D Graphene materials to construct purposes that allow the most important emitting sectors on the planet to realize internet zero. We strongly consider that clients don’t purchase merchandise as a result of they’re cleaner; they purchase higher merchandise. This implies higher performing, decrease priced, and cleaner. That is squarely the place we focus … higher performing, higher worth vs. efficiency, and decarbonizing. If we will obtain all three, then we all know we’ve got a fantastic product.
Our lithium-sulfur battery is a superb instance of this: we’re constructing the next vitality density, lighter-weight battery, with a invoice of supplies approaching half the price, and we estimate that the battery might be constructed with a carbon footprint >60% decrease than lithium-ion. Stellantis is an investor in Lyten and fascinated about making use of our batteries to the automotive sector. FedEx is one other investor and fascinated about electrification of their provide chain and supply fleet. And we’re working carefully with aviation, drone, eVTOL, and satellite tv for pc purposes.
With our {industry} companions, we’re exploring the usage of 3D Graphene to light-weight the composites which are crucial to the buildout of a variety of infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, vehicles, plane, and so forth). In every of those industries, weight equals extra vitality and minerals and that equals an even bigger carbon footprint. So each pound we will pull out instantly reduces the footprint of not simply establishing infrastructure, but in addition utilizing infrastructure. For instance, a lighter weight automobile requires fewer supplies and fewer vitality to construct it, however then over its 15-20 years of use, lighter autos are additionally utilizing much less gasoline every day. The decarbonization affect provides up rapidly.
We’re at the moment centered on composite plastic techniques, the place we’ve got confirmed a capability to scale back supplies required and weight by as much as 50%, relying on the appliance, whereas sustaining crucial efficiency parameters. We glance to take this functionality into the automotive, aerospace, building, and provide chain sectors and are working in direction of our first utility out there in early 2024.
POWER: Lyten manufactures lithium-sulfur batteries—what are the benefits of that know-how, and the way does it differ from lithium-ion?
Norman: In a earlier reply, I shared the benefits of lithium-sulfur vs. lithium-ion, however let me share a bit extra on the way it differs.
Li-ion has been the incumbent chemistry to make EVs and vitality storage attainable, however that chemistry has limitations that put some actual limitations in place if we need to obtain mass scale electrification throughout the planet. These limitations fall into the classes of price, vitality density, heavy reliance on mined minerals, and security. In brief, we’re pushing towards the boundaries of what the lithium-ion chemistry can present and if we need to make massive jumps, we have to change the chemistry.
Lithium-sulfur battery chemistry has been often called a gorgeous different to lithium-ion for many years as a result of sulfur permits you to retailer extra vitality than lithium-ion. In different phrases, for a similar weight, a sulfur-based battery can take you a lot additional. Historically, if you would like larger vitality density batteries, it’s essential to add mined minerals like nickel and cobalt to offer that density increase, however which means heavy reliance on ramping up mining and the related prices. Decrease price lithium-ion batteries like LFP (lithium iron phosphate) resolve a few of the provide chain and value challenges, however in return you hand over vitality density. So the massive differentiator for lithium-sulfur is {that a} sulfur cathode is far larger vitality density, fabricated from broadly accessible sulfur and due to this fact makes use of decrease price supplies.
The problem with lithium-sulfur has been that sulfur cells have historically displayed a low cycle life; in different phrases, the battery has a restricted variety of occasions it may be recharged.
That is the place our modern supplies know-how, Lyten 3D Graphene, is available in. We’re tuning the fabric to ship two capabilities for batteries. First, we’re designing the fabric to behave like a scaffolding for the sulfur, primarily holding the sulfur atoms in place contained in the battery so that they don’t transfer freely, an impact referred to as polysulfide shuttling. Second, the Lyten 3D Graphene is electrically conductive, serving to the vitality transfer out and in of the sulfur and throughout the cathode extra effectively. With these enhancements, we’re producing lithium-sulfur batteries from our pilot line in the present day in San Jose, California, and will likely be delivering to early, non-automotive clients early in 2024.
POWER: How can lithium-sulfur batteries affect the electrical automobile {industry}?
Norman: This has been addressed above, however in abstract, mass-scale EV adoption throughout the developed and growing world requires a basically totally different battery price and efficiency profile than what we’ve got in the present day with lithium-ion. Lithium-sulfur batteries promise a 40%+ lighter weight battery and a supplies price that’s half that of a lithium-ion. These are efficiency parameters which are merely crucial for mass-scale EV adoption. As a working example, Stellantis has not too long ago been discussing publicly the significance of constructing a 50% lighter-weight EV automobile by 2030.
POWER: You’ve labored for a number of main world corporations, together with Amazon Net Providers and ExxonMobil. What are you seeing from these kinds of corporations in the present day, by way of actions for sustainability and decarbonization?
Norman: Possibly probably the most hanging factor about each these corporations, which I consider is constant throughout most massive corporations, is that their actions in the present day centered on decarbonization are orders of magnitude extra superior than the place they had been simply 5 years in the past. It is a rising wave and momentum continues to be simply beginning to construct. However, every of their journeys look utterly totally different and is perhaps emblematic of two totally different pathways that giant, world, infrastructure heavy organizations can take.
Amazon and AWS actually leaned in early, and stated we’re going to present the world what it takes to be a net-zero firm. We’re going to set an formidable, industry-leading goal after which inspire our gifted workforce to determine how you can make it a actuality.
That entails a sure kind of threat tolerance and willingness to attempt (and fail) that’s distinctive to Amazon’s tradition and ethos. They’re additionally leaning very closely on full affect throughout Scope 1, 2 and three emissions, which suggests they’re pushing their suppliers very laborious to affix into the journey towards internet zero. The fervour towards making Amazon a net-zero firm is felt in every single place.
I had the chance to guide ExxonMobil’s Security, Well being, and Environmental group for the upstream, which spanned operations in 25+ international locations. ExxonMobil has actually taken an method of determining what they know they will accomplish, because of deep engineering work, and solely then committing to these decarbonization targets.
In the long run, each are ramping big efforts towards decarbonization and are making actual affect in proving the scalability of decarbonizing applied sciences, however every are doing it in a means that matches their distinctive cultures and organizational talent units.
At Lyten, we’ve got seen robust assist from massive multinational firms, like our traders Stellantis, FedEx, and Honeywell. Every of those corporations could be very totally different, however every has been very clear that their clients will demand higher performing merchandise, higher priced merchandise, and merchandise with decrease carbon footprints. Clients need higher merchandise, not simply cleaner merchandise. Decrease carbon footprint alone is not going to scale. Their enthusiasm in working with Lyten is constant in what I’m seeing throughout all industries proper now. Assist them make higher merchandise which are additionally decarbonizing and the door is enthusiastically open. Simply include a know-how that may decarbonize and it is going to be laborious to achieve inner traction.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior affiliate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
