Battery analytics software developer Twaice has introduced an aging model for sodium-ion batteries, the first battery aging model compatible with non-lithium batteries. This expansion will give battery operators a valuable tool in understanding how to best deploy emerging sodium-ion batteries.
In making their proven simulation software compatible with sodium-ion batteries, TWAICE provides a valuable tool to help customers prepare for the future. As energy storage operators look to lithium alternatives, sodium-ion is becoming a promising option for battery storage. Sodium-ion technology operates on similar principles to lithium-ion batteries, where energy is stored through the intercalation of ions in the electrodes.
Compared to lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries are made of more accessible, affordable and environmentally friendly materials. Their lifetime, safety and performance at low temperatures are also better than those of lithium-ion batteries, depending on system design.
At 90-150 Wh/kg, the energy density is currently lower than that of modern lithium-ion batteries, whereby a density of up to 200 Wh/kg is expected in the future. Overall, sodium-ion batteries offer many of the advantages of lithium-ion batteries and score with superior environmental compatibility and abundant supply of raw materials.
Just as TWAICE’s analytics software currently helps storage operators maximize the reliability and longevity of lithium batteries, the new models for sodium-ion will eventually provide the same benefits for the alternative batteries. TWAICE’s new model enables researchers and engineers to delve deeper into the intricacies of sodium-ion batteries, facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of their properties and aging behavior. As sodium-ion batteries grow more common, TWAICE’s expansion of its simulation models will enable a deeper understanding and more effective utilization of sodium-ion batteries, supporting the development of lithium-ion battery alternatives.
The company’s new model for sodium-ion batteries is based on measurements in the TWAICE battery research center and modeled using the company’s proprietary and standardized approach. With this new model type, engineers can gain insights into this new technology and research various aspects such as comparing the behavior of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
“As the demand for energy storage continues to surge, innovative new options like sodium-ion are attracting the attention of battery operators, and we’re keen to help them better understand how to best deploy these new batteries. While lithium-ion batteries are a proven quantity and we’ll continue innovating our simulation and analytics software to get the most out of lithium storage, we also want to be sure we’re meeting a demand for alternative batteries and stay at the forefront of technology. We look forward to working with our customers in applying our new simulation models to sodium-ion battery storage.”
Michael Baumann, CEO of Twaice
