Controlling dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries through forced advection

Instabilities during metal electrodeposition create dendrites on the plating surfaces. In high energy density lithium metal batteries (LMBs) dendrite growth causes safety issues and accelerated aging. In this paper, analytical models predict that dendrite growth can be controlled and potentially eliminated by small advective flows normal to the surface of lithium metal electrode. Electrolyte flow towards the Li metal electrode lowers the dendrite growth rate, overpotential, and impedance. Flow in the opposite direction, however, enhances the dendrite growth. For every current density, there exists a critical velocity above which dendrite growth can be totally eliminated. The critical velocity increases almost linearly with increasing current density. For typical current densities and inter-electrode separation, the critical velocity is very small, indicating the potential for practical application.