Review— A Review on the Anode and Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Improved Subzero Temperature Performance

Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have been widely used in a variety of applications, however they still suffer from low capacity retention, large capacity fade ratio or inability to charge efficiently at low temperatures, especially below -20 oC. The reasons behind these drawbacks originate from the nature of active materials such as the anode and the cathode, along with the composition of electrolyte solutions. In particular, from the perspective of active materials, it has been reported that the most common problems arise from the dramatic increase in the resistances, especially charge transfer resistance, and the decrease of lithium-ion diffusivity, by more than one order of magnitude. In this report, we review the most recent strategies in the development of anode and cathode materials and composites, focusing on enhanced electronic and ionic conductivities for improved low-temperature electrochemical performance. Our overview aims to provide a comprehensive comparative study of the proposed methods to overcome the low-temperature challenges in order to develop high energy-density LiBs with enhanced capacity retention, cycling stability and high-rate capability under extreme conditions.

Fracture Morphology Analysis of Frozen Red Sandstone under Impact

The deformation and failure characteristics of red sandstone under subzero temperature were studied by the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) dynamic impact test. The effects of different subzero temperatures on rock strength properties, fractal dimension, and dissipated energy were analyzed combined with microfracture morphology. The reasons for rock dynamic mechanical property deterioration under lower subzero temperatures were revealed. The research shows that low subzero temperature will cause “frostbite” of red sandstone. Under high strain rate loading, the rock will quickly lose its bearing capacity, and its dynamic mechanical strength will drop sharply. The dissipated energy W L of the frozen rock specimen is positively correlated with the fractal dimension D and closely related to the macroscopic failure characteristics. It could be concluded that greater dissipation energy leads to more serious damage of rock and accordingly results in a larger fractal dimension. Fracture morphology analysis shows that the lower subzero temperature generated remarkable cracks in the material interface of the red sandstone. The damage of the red sandstone could be explained by the fact that the crack tip had low plastic deformation ability under high strain rate loading and the composition of cement was vulnerable to the subzero temperature effect.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Temperature Development of Ohmic Heating Cured Nonmass Concrete under Subzero Temperature

In this paper, carbon fiber/carbon nanofiber strengthening nonmass concrete slab was designed, and ohmic heating (OH) curing was used to promote the strength formation of the slab under −20°C. COMSOL multiphysical field coupling program has been used to simulate the heating process of nonmass concrete slabs under different conditions. COMSOL analysis results showed that the optimal loading power density of OH cured sample under −20°C was 1000 W/m2∼1200 W/m2. Moreover, numerical analysis results were experimentally validated by the multipoint temperature measurement method. Furthermore, the mechanical properties showed that the compressive strength of the sample cured by 2 days OH curing at −20°C reached up to 48.2 MPa. SEM analysis exhibited that OH curing could improve the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the fiber and the matrix, leading to a denser microstructure. This study proved that COMSOL program could provide good theoretical guidance for OH cured nonmass cement concrete under subzero temperature. This work establishes an accurate guideline for electric power supplementation, laying a solid foundation of winter construction with high efficiency and low energy consumption.

Calculation of the temperature fields spread at subzero temperature in a monolithic beam

Monolithic construction in winter is faced with problems of concrete strength gain at subzero ambient temperatures. In order to ensure the necessary temperature conditions for hardening and hardening of concrete, various methods of heating structures are used. The relevance of this article is due to the climatic conditions of construction in most of the Russian territory and lack of a unified calculation method. The existing calculation methods are either easy to use, but give approximate answers, or exact solutions, but cumbersome and inconvenient in daily use. This paper presents group analysis method of differential equations used to predict temperature regimes for concreted structures. Solving the nonlinear differential equation of thermal conductivity by group analysis made it possible to derive, using nonlinear submodels, simple and convenient for practical application calculation formulas for modeling the temperature fields of heated structures. Experimental verification of the two proposed solutions of the nonlinear equation was carried out on the basis of the monolithic girder model, subjected to heat treatment at different powers.

Improvement in Bituminous Surface Course Using Waste Plastic in Snow Bound Areas

Transportation is an essential component for the infrastructure of all the countries. The economy and economic status of any country is determined by its network of roads, railways, waterways, airways, pipes and ports. . In the northern areas of our country, roads are the most important source of connectivity. Due to cold weather conditions which include factors like snow, rain, frost, and these roads suffer excessive damage and thus hamper the movement of people as well as goods across these parts of the country. To improve the conditions of the road connectivity in such areas huge amount of money is being invested, but the end results don’t come as satisfactory as they should come. To prevent the damage to these roads by such factors no particular method has been developed. Use of plastic in bituminous mixes can be of importance in curbing the excess damage to roads in cold weather conditions. Waste plastic roads have been used in some parts of the country with a varying degree of success. Waste plastic roads have various advantages over normal roads which can be of great importance in these parts of the country. Keywords: Subzero Temperature, roads, design, waste plastic, bitumen.