Featured Article Advanced Batteries

Perspectives on Future Technologies

Hiroko Ida, Weather Forecaster and Newscaster

Aiming for a Breakthrough in the Transition to a Low-Carbon Society

Advanced BatteriesFeatured Article

Interview with NEDO Chairman Hiroaki IshizukaSpecial Interview

69

Reporting on Today and Tomorrow's Energy, Environmental and Industrial Technologies

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

MUZA Kawasaki Central Tower, 1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai-kuKawasaki City, Kanagawa 212-8554 JapanTel: +81-44-520-5100 Fax: +81-44-520-5103URL: http://www.nedo.go.jp/english/index.html November 2018（1st Edition）

● Head OfficeMUZA Kawasaki Central Tower, 16F-20F1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai-kuKawasaki City, Kanagawa 212-8554 JapanTel: +81-44-520-5100Fax: +81-44-520-5103

● Kansai Branch Office9th Floor, Knowledge Capital Tower C Grand Front Osaka, 3-1 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011 JapanTel: +81-6-4965-2130Fax: +81-6-4965-2131

● Washington, D.C1717 H Street, NW, Suite 815Washington, D.C. 20006, U.S.A.Tel: +1-202-822-9298Fax: +1-202-733-3533

● Silicon Valley3945 Freedom Circle, Suite 790 Santa Clara, CA 95054 U.S.A.Tel: +1-408-567-8033Fax: +1-408-567-9831

Domestic Offices

Overseas Offices

● Europe10, rue de la Paix 75002Paris, FranceTel: +33-1-4450-1828Fax: +33-1-4450-1829

● New Delhi15th Floor, Hindustan Times House,18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110 001, IndiaTel: +91-11-4351-0101Fax: +91-11-4351-0102

● Beijing2001 Chang Fu Gong Office Building Jia-26, Jian Guo Men Wai Street Beijing 100022, P.R. ChinaTel: +86-10-6526-3510Fax: +86-10-6526-3513

● Bangkok8th Floor, Sindhorn Building Tower 2 130-132 Wittayu Road, Lumphini PathumwanBangkok 10330, ThailandTel: +66-2-256-6725Fax: +66-2-256-6727

0302 Focus NEDO 2018 No.69

All of us must pay close attention to the weather and

temperature information when deciding what to do every day.

Human beings are very sensitive and what we want constantly

changes depending on the temperature. For example, we may

want warm or cold food depending on a change in

temperature of just 1°C or 2°C. Given this, a temperature rise

of as little as 1°C is said to have an economic impact equal to

100 million yen.

When someone says that the average global temperature

will rise by 1°C over the next 100 years, many people may

think "Just 1°C?" However, this 1°C actually refers to the

average temperature of the whole earth, including the North

and South Poles and the warm and cold regions. If you look at

the issue in more detail, you can see abnormal climate and

weather disasters everywhere.

Drought, heavy rain, and other weather disasters caused

by abnormal climate conditions may lead to food shortages or

medical problems such as infectious diseases, which in turn

may develop into conflicts or other such issues that have a

directly impact on people's lives. However, it is difficult to

regard long-term climate change on a global level and

abnormal climate conditions in other areas as our own

problems. As a weather reporter who broadcasts daily

weather forecasts for my own community, I also report on

global warming with experts who analyze the climate and

global warming over the long term.

In recent years, I have seen an increasing number of cases

where people have been forced to live without water or

electricity due to an earthquake or weather disaster. In light

of this, I feel particularly strongly that we must rethink our

attitude toward energy. We have to choose energy rather than

just receive it. I hope that recyclable energies, which help to

reduce CO2 emissions, will become more commonly used as

a more convenient option.

To reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that

have accumulated in the several hundred years since the

Industrial Revolution, I think that we will need roughly the

same amount of time. Therefore, I look at the generations that

will come after my child has grown up rather than thinking

about the immediate results and instead report on global

warming as a link to the future.

Weather information is produced by making full use of the

technical capabilities available to us, such as using computers

to analyze the data received from Japan's Himawari climate

satellite. Weather forecasts and reports also depend on many

technologies. I believe that engineers and reporters can

certainly make a valuable contribution to the Earth of 100

years from now by collaborating now to do our best.

Perspectives on Future TechnologiesDIRECTING the FUTURE

"Engineers and Reporters Collaborate to Make a Valuable

Contribution to the Earth of 100 Years from Now"

Weather Forecaster and Newscaster

H i r o k o I d aAfter graduating from the Department of Chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences, part of the First Cluster of Colleges at the University of Tsukuba, Hiroko Ida worked for a pharmaceutical company and then joined NHK Shizuoka. Having qualified as a weather forecaster, she presented weather reports for the NHK program "News Watch 9" from 2011 to 2016. Now a mother, she reports on meteorological events and global warming. She also works as a par t-time instructor at the University of Tsukuba and a global warming prevention communicator. In 2014, she attended the UN Climate Summit. She is a member of the Weather Caster Network and the author of "Message from Hiroko Ida to Those Wishing to Become a Weather Forecaster" (Seizando-Shoten Publishing).

(Interview conducted by the Public Relations Department, NEDO)

2018No.69

Reporting on Today and Tomorrow'sEnergy, Environmental and IndustrialTechnologies

"Focus NEDO" is the public relations magazine of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), introducing the public to NEDO's various projects and technology development activities related to energy, environmental and industrial technologies.

C o n t e n t s

04

08

Interview with NEDO Chairman Hiroaki IshizukaContributing to Society by Accelerating Innovation and Achieving Results in a Timely Manner

Easy to Understand! News Release CommentaryApplicable in Large Structures!Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy

Post-Project Follow-Up!NEDO Project Success StoriesLooking Back at HistoryVol. 9Development of an Intracellular NetworkDynamism Analysis Technology

Perspectives on Future TechnologiesHiroko Ida, Weather Forecaster and Newscaster


Delivering Both High Energy Density and Safety for Application in EVs

All-Solid-State Lithium Ion BatteriesA Future beyond the Performance of Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs)

Innovative Storage Batteries (Post-LIBs)

NEDO's Public Relations Department Manager, who is also the editor of "Focus NEDO," interviewed Hiroaki Ishizuka, who took office as Chairman of NEDO in April 2018. This article not only covers Mr. Ishizuka's work, but also gives an insight into the personality by discussing matters such as his hobbies and motto. Given the high expectations for the development of safe high-performance low-cost storage batteries, the featured article describes two large-scale next-generation storage battery development projects that the Advanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology Department has promoted. In this publication's first article, the weather forecaster Hiroko Ida (shown sitting with her child in a photograph) discusses climate and global warming. As of the date of publication, the back cover provides details of various events and other useful information, including videos. For further information, please visit our website and other platforms.

10

12

16

18

02

Advanced Batteries

02

Featured Article

Special Interview

A Few Words from the Editor


ChairmanNew Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

―It has been several months since you took of f ice as Chairman of NEDO on April 1. What is your impression of the company?Ishizuka: NEDO's two primary missions are to addressing energy and global environmental problems and enhancing industrial technology. Innovation is advancing at a furious pace in these st ate -of-the-a r t f ields. There is intense competition around the world to develop new products in a variety of fields, including not only the artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics projects that NEDO promotes but also in areas such as materials, storage batteries, hydrogen, recyclable energies, energy saving, and CO2 emission cuts.　Given this global t rend, the Japanese government is implementing industrial policies such as Society 5.0 and Connected Industries along with policies in a variety of fields, such as the Basic Energy Plan, the Future Investment St rategy, and the Comprehensive St rategy on Science, Technology and Innovation. I feel that—as an organization that plays a core role in the implementation of Japanese energy and environment policies, indust r ial technology pol ic ie s , a nd i n nova t ion pol ic ie s — N EDO i s f a c i ng increasingly high expectations.

―What do you think is expected of NEDO? As the new chai r man, what ambit ions do you have with regard to meeting these expectations?Ishizuka: Before I took office, I was very curious about how NEDO carries out the practical work required to achieve its missions. Since becoming chairman, I have spoken directly to on-site members of various project teams and discovered that NEDO needs very high-level technology development management in terms of planning technology development strategies, considering how to pursue innovation according to these st rategies, and deter mining how to put these innovations into practical use in society. To promote projects that combine the st rengths of indust r y, academia, and government, NEDO needs to engage in dialogue with people h o ld i n g v a r io u s r a n k s i n gove r n m e n t , c o m p a n ie s , universities, research institutions, and other organizations.

　N E D O m u s t e x e r c i s e l e a d e r s h i p i n p r o m o t i n g c o l l a b o r a t i o n s i n vo l v i n g i n d u s t r y, a c a d e m i a , a n d government. I will personally work to address this challenge with g rea t resolve based on N EDO's com mit ment to providing suppor t for Japanese energy and environment policies and driving its innovation policies.

―Last April, NEDO's fourth medium- to long-term plan was launched for the next five years. What are the key points of this plan?Ishizuka: The first goal of the fourth medium- to long-term plan is to st rengthen NEDO's technology development management function and enhance its efforts to promptly put research outcomes into practical use in society. Our second goal is to raise the level of research and development venture companies so that they can contribute to Japan's technical capabi l it ies and indust r ial compet it iveness. Another important role that NEDO plays is to drive open innovation to help revitalize the Japanese economy. It is also impor tant for us to clarify the answers to the following ques t ions a s t ech nolog ica l s t r a t eg ies a nd publ ica l ly announce these strategies: what innovation does society truly need and what research and development should be promoted not only in the short term but also in the medium to long term? The last of our main goals is to coordinate indust ry, academia, and government in l ine with these strategies with the aim of accelerating economic growth through technology development projects.　NEDO is committed to making the most of its research and development outcomes with these three main goals.

―How a company leverages its research and development outcomes in society to help resolve problems and promote economic growth is becoming increasingly important, isn't it?Ishizuka: Although NEDO has already worked on this issue, we have introduced a segment management system to clarify our responsibilities based on this new medium- to long-term plan. Essentially, a board member is assigned responsibility for each of the following segments and the results are then evaluated in each segment: (1) energy system; (2) energy conservation and the environment; (3) industrial technology;

NEDO demonstrates resolve in meet ing expectations as innovation advances rapidly

Having become Chairman of NEDO in April 2018, Mr. Ishizuka discusses how he will run the company to implement its fourth medium- to long-term plan (launched in April 2018) based on his private-sector experience, his ambitions as NEDO's new chairman, and his vision for the future.Interview conducted by Tsutomu Yamazaki, editor of Focus NEDO and Director General of the Public Relations Department.

Contributing to Society by Accelerating Innovation and Achieving Resultsin a Timely Manner

Interview with NEDO Chairman Hiroaki Ishizuka

Hiroaki Ishizuka Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1950, Hiroaki Ishizuka graduated from the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo. He later joined Mitsubishi Chemical Industries (currently Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) in 1972. Having been appointed Executive Director of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation in 2009, Mr. Ishizuka went on to become Senior Director in 2011 and then President in 2012 before being given the position of Adviser to Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation in 2017. He has been Chairman of NEDO since April 2018.

Contributing to Japanese industry by setting challenging goals

Special Interview


a nd (4) new i ndu s t r y c r ea t ion a nd seed t e ch nolog y exploration.　We have also int roduced key performance indicators (KPIs) for critical numerical targets. For example, small and medium-sized venture companies should account for 20% or more of the budget for adopting new projects. This target is set with the aim of promoting a conscious effort to develop and support technology-intensive small and medium-sized vent u re companies in l ight of thei r role as impor tant innovators.　NEDO has a particular interest in the funding rate for research and development venture companies in the new industry creation and seed technology exploration segments. NEDO has set the ambitious goal of increasing the ratio of external funds obtained from private venture capital and other investors through NEDO support with respect to the value of support provided by NEDO to more than 1.5 time greater than the result forecast for the last period.

―I understand that NEDO signed a memorandum for the provision of support for research and development venture companies with the government of Kawasaki City in May.Ishizuka: NEDO's head office is located in Kawasaki City (Kanagawa Prefect u re), whose local gover n ment a lso provides strong support for venture companies. Given this, NEDO signed a memorandum with the gover nment of

industries. Both the electronics and automobile industries work in pa r t nersh ip with the chemical i ndust r y. The innovations that the chemical industry has pioneered in an effort to provide its partners with state-of-the-art materials and the methods that it has used to create businesses from such innovations are closely related to NEDO's goal of applying its research and development outcomes in society.　NEDO obviously promotes f ields with targets that are unrelated to the chemical indust ry as well, such as AI, robotics, electr icity generation, and smar t communities. However, I believe that the methods and mindset are the same in these fields.

―It seems that innovation is important only when it is used in society.Ishizuka: II think that a new idea cannot truly be called an innovation until it serves society. In this sense, it is essential that a suitable innovation theme that society requires be chosen in the init ial stage. Given this, NEDO needs to p r ov id e a p l a t fo r m fo r r e f i n i ng t he t he me t h r ou g h collaborations involving industry, academia, and government for all stages of the process, f rom the actual technology development and demonstration through to its practical application in society. Since NEDO does not engage in business, it can only be involved up to the point where the innovation is applied in society. However, the numerical indicators calculated in a survey of "NEDO Inside Products" show the results of its efforts in the private sector in this final phase.　In this survey, NEDO investigates the post-project sales of products that provide new added value thanks to NEDO technologies. The results from FY1980 to FY2016 indicate that a return of about 52.5 t r illion yen was made on an investment of about 720 billion yen.

Kawasaki City for the joint establishment of an office tasked with identifying venture companies and supporting their growth from a single location.*　NEDO also runs the secretariat of the Japan Open Innovation Council (JOIC), which was founded to promote joint open innovation by the government and the private sector.　Although some existing industrial f ields are losing their competitiveness, the large number of people who dream of becoming entrepreneurs can compensate for the cur rent slowdown and help rejuvenate Japan. NEDO aims to promote open innovation by connecting large enterprises and venture companies with the aim of creat ing new markets and focusing on st reng then ing indust r ia l compet it iveness throughout Japan.

―You have told us a lit tle about your ambit ions as the Chai r man of NEDO and the impor tance of the four th medium- to long-term plan, but how will your experience performing an upper management role at a private company help you run NEDO?Ishizuka: I worked in the chemical industry for nearly 50 years. As I am sure you know, although this industry has caused many environmental problems in a hasty attempt to grow, it has also worked to resolve these problems quickly and learnt lessons f rom them. In addition, the chemical industry in Japan has survived in a f iercely competitive global environment by creating high-added-value products and refining its production processes by driving innovation through technology development, taking pride in the fact that it must support the Japanese industry. Based on my experience in the industry, I am keenly aware of the need to f ind solut ions to environmental problems and promote innovation.　Because the chemical industry does not deal with general consumers, it tends to be refer red to as a "business-to-business" (BtoB) industry. However, the chemical industry also works behind the scenes to suppor t so many other

―What are NEDO's organizat ional st rengths and what direction do you feel it should take?Ishizuka: Since becoming the Chairman of NEDO, I have come to believe that one of the organization's main strengths is its diversity. Boasting a diverse range of human resources that include regular personnel and those seconded f rom about 120 private companies and governmental agencies, NEDO has adopted an organizational structure that provides an optimal environment for creating and developing a wide variety of ideas.　A l t h o u g h N E D O d o e s n o t p e r f o r m r e s e a r c h a n d development itself, it provides the technology development platform f rom which NEDO personnel can engage with representat ives f rom the pr ivate sector and academia through projects. To bring st rength out of the f ield and encourage diversity, I hope that all of the project team members, including NEDO personnel, proactively engage in discussions with each other, exchange opinions and ideas, and determine a single direction rather than maintain a distance from those who have led different lives and "come from different worlds."

―Do you have a final message to our readers?Ishizuka: People's expectations of NEDO are becoming increasingly high. To meet these expectations, NEDO needs to have the resolve to continuously come up with innovative new ideas in the field and lead the government as a whole in its capacity as a policy implementation organization. NEDO's goal is to implement as policies a variety of ideas from a wide range of people working in the field. All NEDO's board members and personnel will continue advancing with the resolve necessary to support and drive the Japanese industry.

Creating Markets and Driving Open Innovation to Strengthen Japan's Industrial Strength

Inte rview Postscr iptTsu tomu Yama zak i , D i rec to r Genera l o f the Pub l i c Relat ions Depar tment

Mr. Ishizuka's experiences and insights have been accumulated by a lways moving forward and seeing things for himself through a hands-on approach. This seems to reflect his attitude to life, wh ich i s t o do you r be s t w i t hout compromising. Lear n ing f rom h is var ious exper iences in overcoming difficulties in the chemical industry, all of t he N EDO boa rd members and personnel will devote ourselves to our work and demonstrate the resolve to achieve the goals st ipulated in the four th medium- to long-term plan. ( Photog raph of M r. I sh i z u ka w it h t he photography and editing staff)

Bringing various ideas to fruition by holding proactive discussions in the field

Special Interview

Q&A about the Chairman's private life

Experience in the chemical industry, which works in partnership with a wide range of other industries, proves valuable

I enjoy visiting historic monuments and watching history programs on TV. Walking around historic places and seeing them for myself gives me a deeper understanding of the inevitability of history. I find it very moving. When I visited Waterloo, the site of Napoleon's last battle, I sat on the stone where Napoleon himself had sat lost in thought about why he had chosen that place for his last battle. It brought tears to my eyes.

Hobbies

Favorite book

Motto

Favorite phrase

My favorite book has to be Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I really like this book and I always reread it when I am at a crossroads in my life. It is a large book and it consists of several volumes, but it provides many hints on the behavior and psychology of people when they face a choice. I used to read the parts about the Battle of Wuzhang Plains, the Battle of Red Cliff, and other such events when I experienced problems.

My motto is "Life has its ups and downs." I have said this repeatedly for the last 20 years. Although this can be interpreted in many ways, I always tell young people that they should always do their best without feeling too optimistic in good times and too pessimistic in bad times because whenever you face unfairness in your life, there is always a way forward if you accept it head-on and do your best.

"It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." This phrase explains the theory of evolution in On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. Rather than sticking rigidly to our own ideas, we must always be open to change.

* NEDO plans to open the Kawasaki-NEDO Innovation Center (K-NIC; provisional name) in Kawasaki City jointly with the government of Kawasaki City. K-NIC will act as a support office tasked with identifying venture companies and supporting their growth.

S i g n i n g o f a m e m o r a n d u m f o r the establishment of a one-stop entrepreneur support office with the government of Kawasaki City (May 2018; Norihiko Fukuda, Mayor of Kawasaki City is on the right).

　　

The key technology in the low-carbon society of the future is the storage battery.As the performance of the conventional lithium ion battery (LIB) as an automotive battery is getting close to its limit, it is necessary to develop and mass-produce advanced batteries.With the aim of leading the world and opening the door to the future by developing and mass-producing advanced batteries, NEDO is promoting two projects with an all-Japan team through collaborations among industry, academia, and government.


Advanced Batteries

Market share [%

]N

o. of vehicles (million)

2040 [Year]2030 203520252020201520100

60

40

20

0

60

80

100

40

20

20402030 20352025202020152010

Global sales of EVs and PHEVs

2017 result: About one million vehicles

* Source: Created by NEDO based on various other materials.

Conventional LIB (Liquid type)

Advanced LIB (Liquid type)

First generation (Sulfide type)

Next-generation (Advanced sulfide or oxide type)

Innovative storagebattery

(Post-LIBs)

All-solid-state LIB

Long-term forecast of technology and market for automotive batteries

Featured Article

Kei HosoiProject ManagerAdvanced Batteries Development ProjectDirector GeneralElectricity Storage Technology Development DivisionAdvanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology DepartmentNEDO

about 60 million vehicles will be sold in 2040. Consequently, the demand for automotive batteries is expected to rise significantly.　However, as the conventional lithium ion battery (LIB) uses an organic electrolyte, its use involves a risk of ignition and other such dangers. Fur thermore, if you t ry to increase the energy density,* even more safety problems arise. Therefore, the energy density of the conventional LIB is estimated to be limited to about 250 Wh/kg, and the driving distance of an EV using an LIB is much shorter than that of an internal-combustion engine vehicle. Given this situation, the key to increasing the use of EVs is the development of h ig he r-pe r for ma nce lower- cos t a dva nced batteries.　NEDO is currently promoting two projects for the development of advanced batteries. Based on the assumption that automotive bat ter ies will go on the technological shif t shown on page 9, NEDO is promoting the development of all-solid-state LIBs, which are safer and have a higher energy density, in the second period of the Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for Advanced and Innovative Battery. It is also working on the development of innovative storage bat ter ies that realize new principles of much higher performance and lower costs in the Research and Development Initiative for Scientific Innovation of New Generation Batteries 2 (RISING 2).　Fol low i ng t he d i scove r y i n Japa n of a p rom is i ng sol id elec t roly te , Japan has lead t he world i n t he re sea rch and development of all-solid-state LIBs, which use solid electrolytes instead of organic ones. Consequently, the goal is to lead the world in the practical application and mass production of all-solid-state LIBs and establish them as the leading product in the EV market by around 2025. NEDO aims to continue leading the

　The storage battery, which stores and repeatedly uses electrical energy as needed, has attracted attention as a technology that is vital to the realization of a low-carbon society. As Kei Hosoi, the project manager (PM) for NEDO's two Advanced Bat ter ies Development Projects, explains: "To prevent global warming, it is necessary to reduce carbon emissions in both the power supply and transport sections and implement measures in these sections together. The key technology in these two sections is the storage bat tery." Mr. Hosoi is the Director General of the Electr icity Storage Technology Development Division in the Advanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology Department at NEDO.　To reduce carbon emissions produced by the power supply, recyclable energies must be used as the main power source. Because the amount of recyclable energy generated by natural resources such as solar and wind power varies naturally, a battery for storing power is essential to make them economically viable. At the same t ime, the adoption of elect r ic mobility vehicles, including elect r ic vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybr id elect r ic vehicles (PHEVs), is expected to reduce carbon emissions in the transport section. In this case too, the cornerstone technology is the storage battery, which supplies the drive power to the vehicles. Although about one million EVs and PHEVs were sold globally in 2017, the market is expected to expand rapidly in response to au t omobi le f ue l e f f ic ie ncy a nd ca r b on d iox ide e m is s ion regulations around the world. In fact, some reports forecast that

develop such vehicles, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has established a governmental target of ensuring that EVs and PHEVs account for 20% to 30% of new cars sold in 2030 under its Automobile Industry Strategy 2014 (November 2014) and selected storage batteries as one of the priority areas.　"A number of technological challenges need to be overcome before the advanced batteries can be installed in EVs and the obstacles we face are extremely high. However, NEDO aims to ma ke b rea k t h roug hs by leve r ag i ng Japa n's t e ch nolog ica l capabilities and assets and create a storage battery that offers the best cost performance in the world. With the automobile industry going through the reform period that is said to happen every hundred years, NEDO hopes to help enhance the international competitiveness of the automobile, storage battery, and material industries in Japan," says Mr. Hosoi.　Details of these two projects and a description of the NEDO-led development of advanced batteries are provided on subsequent pages.

world in this area by launching an innovative storage battery that overcomes the performance limits of the LIB by around 2030, thereby creating a business environment that is advantageous to Japan.

　The main character ist ics of these two la rge-scale NEDO projects is that they are being performed by an all-Japan team made up of many companies engaged in f ields such as the automobile, battery, and material industries as well as researchers f rom academia (e.g., universit ies and research inst itut ions). According to Mr. Hosoi, the PM for the two projects: "The storage battery has always been a specialty of Japan. Although we have fallen behind China, Korea, and other emerging countr ies in terms of our global share in the market for consumer use LIBs, our developmental capabilities remains superior to theirs. Not only that, the peripheral technologies and industries for storage batteries form a pyramid in Japan and their technical capabilities a re world-class." Cont inuing with passion, he explains the fol lowing: "Consis t ing of representat ives f rom compan ies engaged in businesses related to storage batteries and academic researchers, our all-Japan team is able to conduct research and development that del ivers a wealth of outcomes in the two projects."　Governments and automobile manufacturers around the world are pushing for the increased use of EVs and PHEVs in society. With the aim of taking the lead in the global competit ion to

Project1 All-Solid-State Lithium Ion Batteries P.10

Project2 Innovative Storage Batteries (Post-LIBs) P.12

Rapid expansion forecast for the global market for the automotive storage battery, a key technology in the transition to a low-carbon society

* Indicates the performance of a storage battery. Battery capacity per unit weight or unit volume = Wh/kg or Wh/L.

Enhancing international competit iveness by delivering a wealth of outcomes in the two projects through the synergy produced by an all-Japan team

08 09Focus NEDO 2018 No.69

Featured Article


Anode layer Cathode layerInsulation layer

Anode active material

Organic electrolyte

SeparatorBinder

Cathode active material

Conductive agent

Li+

Anode active material

Solid electrolyteBinder

Cathode active material

Conductive agent

Anode layer Cathode layerInsulation layer

Li+

Delivering Both High Energy Density and Safety for Application in EVs

All-Solid-State Lithium Ion Batteriesdate. While material manufacturers played a central role in the p rojec t f r a mework for t he f i r s t pe r iod , r e sea rche r s f rom u n ive r s i t i e s , r e s e a r c h i n s t i t u t io n s , a n d o t h e r a c a d e m ic organizations have joined the project team in the second period, in addition to automobile, motorcycle, and battery manufacturers. As a resu lt , an a l l-Japan f ramework for bu i ld ing the com mon architecture needed to realize the practical application and mass production of all-solid-state LIB has been established.

　Highly appreciative of the energetic atmosphere found in the field, the project leader (PL) Yasuo Ishiguro said the following: "In this project, each member company dispatches researchers to the central research office. These researchers are then assigned to the mater ial development team, the bat tery design team, the battery manufacturing processing team, or the battery prototype e v a l u a t i o n a n d a n a l y s i s t e a m t o c o n d u c t r e s e a r c h a n d development. Many young researchers from these companies have already started discussions. All of them take great pride in their companies and are very proactive." Mr. Ishiguro also serves as the Executive Director of the Consortium for Lithium Ion Battery Technology and Evaluation Center (LIBTEC), which supplies the central research office.　In the second period, the underlying technologies essential to enlarging and mass producing a f irst-generation all-solid-state LIB that uses a sulfide solid electrolyte will be developed first. Particular focus will be given to verifying the mostly unknown mass-product ion process and the development of a standard battery model for evaluating stable performance.　According to Mr. Ishiguro, "Once it is put into practical use, a single battery for installation in an EV will need 10,000 to 20,000 layers. A technology capable of laminating about 10 layers a second will be required to establish the production line. In terms of safety, the bat tery must meet very st r ingent standards by passing various tests, including a nail penetration test, a crash test, and a gas generation test."

　In addition to working on the development of an advanced su l f ide sol id elect roly te that faci l it ates a d r iv ing d ist ance equivalent to that of present internal-combustion engine vehicles and a standard next-generation all-solid-state LIB model that uses new cathode and anode mater ials , the project team is looking to produce an all-solid-state LIB evaluation technology that will be adopted in international standards. The team also plans to propose a scenario design for the overall social system required to boost the use of all-solid-state LIBs as well as the EVs and PHEVs that they will power. Yasuki Tadokoro, Chief Officer of NEDO's Advanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology Depar t ment , who is i n cha rge of the project management , highlights the following: "Participation by such a large number of companies and academic organizat ions demonst rates the seriousness of the project participants and the high expectations for the development of an all-solid-state LIB. With this cross-industry framework, industry, academia, and government will cooperate and collaborate with one another to link needs to seed technologies and accelerate research and development geared toward practical application."

　A conventional LIB uses an organic electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes. Lithium ions then combine with the solvent molecules in this electrolyte and move as if they were swimming, thereby facilitating charging and discharging.　In contrast, an all-solid-state LIB, which is expected to be the advanced bat t e r y, uses an i norgan ic sol id mate r ia l a s t he electrolyte. The whole battery, including the positive and negative electrodes, is made of solid materials. In the past, it was assumed that a high-performance all-solid-state LIB could not be created b e c a u s e t he l i t h iu m io n s i n a s o l id e l e c t r o ly t e h a d low conductivity. However, Professor Masahiro Tatsumisago of Osaka Prefectu re University d iscovered a glass-type sulf ide sol id electrolyte that has a signif icantly higher ion conductivity. In addition, a crystal-type sulfide solid electrolyte that surpasses an organic electrolyte was recently discovered in a joint development by Professor Ryoji Kanno of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Toyota Motor Corporation. It has received global attention as the main material for advanced batteries.　Because they use a f lame-retardant solid electrolyte that is chemically stable, it is possible to create all-solid-state LIBs that are safe and have higher energy density. In addition, significantly faster charging can be expected because lithium ions can move in a solid elect roly te more quickly than they can in an organic electrolyte.　As this battery offers improved thermal stability, its cooler and other components can be simplif ied, which is expected to

r e s u l t i n a r e d u c e d package si ze and lower overall costs. In addition to emitting less gas when i t i s d isassembled , t h is b a t t e r y o f f e r s o t h e r characteristics that make it suitable for use as an automotive battery, which m u s t d e l i v e r r e l i a b l e per for mance and safety under a severe usage envi ron ment , such as changes in the external temperature.

　NEDO has been researching and developing all-solid-state LIBs for more than 10 years, since the Li ion and Excellent Advanced Batteries Development was launched in FY2007. In the first period of the Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for the Evaluation of Advanced and Innovative Rechargeable Battery (FY2013–FY2017), NEDO developed a standard all-solid-state LIB model and a material evaluation technology. In the second period, which star ted in FY2018 following the end of the f irst period, NEDO will establish the underlying technologies and develop the technologies required to evaluate compatibility with the mass-production process and EVs based on the first period results with the aim of putting all-solid-state LIBs into practical use at an early

Attracting global attention as the advanced battery following the discovery of a high-ion conductive solid electrolyte

Lead i ng the world i n bu i ld i ng a common architecture for the practical application and mass production of all-solid-state LIBs

Developing a standard next-generation all-solid-state LIB model that delivers a driving distance equivalent to that of present internal-combustion engine vehicles

All-solid-state LIB (inorganic solid electrolyte)

Project1

Comparison between a conventional LIB and an all-solid-state LIB

Conventional LIB (organic electrolyte)

Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for the Evaluation of Advanced and Innovative Rechargeable Battery (Period 2)

The all-solid-state LIB delivers both high energy density and safety.Because of the many advantages that it offers as an advanced automotive battery for EVs and other such vehicles, our all-Japan team has started researching and developing it in a NEDO project.

Yasuo IshiguroProject LeaderNEDO Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for the Evaluation of Advanced and Innovative Rechargeable Battery (Period 2)Executive DirectorConsortium for Lithium Ion Battery Technology and Evaluation Center

Yasuki TadokoroChief OfficerElectricity Storage Technology Development DivisionAdvanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology DepartmentNEDO

All-Japan team aims to triple performance and reduce costs to one-third their current level

On June 15, NEDO announced an overview of the second period of the Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for the Evaluation of Advanced and Innovative Rechargeable Battery. Participants in the project include 4 automobile and motorcycle manufacturers, 5 battery manufacturers, and 14 material manufacturers from the private sector along with 15 universities and public research institutions. Once mass production begins, the performance target for practical application will be to triple the volume energy density and to reduce the costs and high-speed charging time for EVs to one-third compared to conventional LIBs.

Leading Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturers, battery manufacturers, and material manufacturers join the team, with industry, academia, and government collaborating to put all-solid-state LIBs into practical use.

NEDO

LIBTEC

Central research office Satellite

Universities/public research institutions: 15

Research and development items (1)Common infrastructureTechnology development

Universities/public research institutions: 1

Research and development items (2)Social systemDesign review

Automobile and motorcycle manufacturers:4Battery manufacturers: 5

Automobile and motorcycle manufacturers: 4Battery manufacturers: 5

Material manufacturers: 14Material development team(Team leader: Toyota Motor Corporation)

Battery design team(Team leader: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)

Battery manufacturing process team(Team leader: Panasonic Corporation)

Battery prototype evaluation and analysis team(Team leader: Honda R&D Co., Ltd.)

Implementation framework for project's second period

A higher energy density and higher output can be achieved, thereby

ensuring the safety and durability required for an automotive battery

Inorganic solid electrolyte

Chemical stability

Standard all-solid-state LIB model developed in the first period of the Development of Materials Evaluation Technologies for the Evaluation of Advanced and Innovative Rechargeable Battery.

Thermalstability

Li+ individual conduction

Flameretardancy

Featured Article


electrode.　Accord ing to P rofessor Nish io: "Although a s ig n i f icant breakthrough is still required, we expect to meet our interim goal of achieving an energy density of 300 Wh/kg in the actual cell by the end of FY2018."　An energy density of 300 Wh/kg will be a groundbreaking milestone in the development of the zinc-air battery. The team is also working to overcome many other challenges by the project's end in FY2020, such as developing an air electrode catalyst and meeting the final goal of achieving an energy density of 500 Wh/kg. Toshihiro Takekawa, the Chief Officer of NEDO's Advanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology Department, feels that this bat ter y has g reat potent ial: "The potent ial for it s pract ical appl icat ion is h igh because it has al ready been used as the primary battery."

　Long used as a stable material in disposable batteries such as manganese, alkali-manganese, and silver batteries, zinc is said to be advantageous in terms of safety and costs. The zinc-air battery, which uses zinc for the negative electrode and air for the positive electrode, is a metal-air battery that has attracted attention for an energy density that is high even compared to other innovative storage batteries. This battery has a high oxidation power; in other words, this bat tery can take in high-potential air f rom outside and store a large amount of zinc in the bat tery cell. Therefore, the theoretical energy density is as high as about 1,000 Wh/kg.　Explaining the diff iculties involved in developing a zinc-air battery, Professor Koji Nishio of Kyoto University said, "We face many difficult challenges in trying to repeatedly charge the zinc-air battery as a storage battery. Although the zinc-air battery has been studied for several decades, it has still not been put into full-scale practical use as a storage battery, except for as the primary coin battery for hearing aids."　The biggest challenge in the development of the zinc-air battery is prolonging the lifetime of the zinc electrode. Zinc blends into the electrolyte easily during discharging, but its shortcoming is that it does not return to its original form easily during charging. This also causes an uneven zinc density and deformation. In the event of a serious deterioration, the zinc that is deposited during

discharging comes into contact with the positive electrode, causes a short c i r c u i t , a n d b e c o m e s u sable . T he refore , t he p r o j e c t t e a m i s developi ng a new z i nc electrode conf iguration, electrolyte additive, and s o o n t o p r o l o n g t h e l i f e t i m e o f t h e z i n c

　Also known as post-LIBs, innovative storage bat ter ies are expected to produce dramatic progress in terms of energy density, safety, and durability in comparison with not only conventional liquid LIBs but also next-generation all-solid-state LIBs.　The component mater ials and operat ion pr inciples used in innovative storage batteries differ from those used in LIBs, and they can theoretically achieve an energy density that is three to five times greater than that of conventional LIBs. Based on this technological outlook, NEDO f i rst worked on an academia-

i n d u s t r y c o l l a b o r a t io n p r o j e c t c a l l e d t h e Re s e a r c h a n d Development I n i t i a t ive fo r Sc ient i f ic I n nova t ion of New Generation Batteries (RISING) from FY2009 to FY2015. After that, NEDO narrowed down the six types of innovative storage batteries studied in RISING to the four that are most likely to be put into practical use and launched the Research and Development Initiative for Scientific Innovation of New Generation Batteries 2 (RISING 2) in FY2016.　In RISING 2, engineers from a number of rival automobile and battery manufacturers are collaborating in researching innovative s torage bat t e r ies a t t wo cent ra l resea rch of f ices a t Kyoto University and the National Institute of Advanced Industr ial Science and Technology (AIST). They are also work ing on refining an advanced analysis technology that has been specially developed for storage bat tery analysis. "It is signif icant that multiple automobile and battery manufacturers have joined the project ," points out Professor Ei ich i ro Matsubara of Kyoto University, who is serving as the project leader (PL) for RISING 2. "As they are researchers from two industries that have different w a y s o f t h i n k i n g a b o u t b a t t e r i e s , we c a n c o n s i d e r t h e noncompetitive areas of battery development; in other words, where the common infrastructure should be positioned."　O ne of t he s t udy a nd d i s cu s s ion s t age s i s a n a n a lys i s platform that combines advanced analysis technologies. This platform can perform tasks such as analyzing the operat ion speed of f luor ine while ver ifying why it reaches that speed from the atomic arrangement of multiple elements. According to Professor Matsubara: "To ensure that Japan cont inues to enjoy advantages in the future, it is important that we create a truly common infrastructure technology. Therefore, I hope that t he t ea m member s w i l l a l so bu i ld a r e la t ion sh ip of t r u s t through this project."

The key to high energy density is a longer lifetime for zinc electrodes

Putting innovative storage batteries into practical use in analysis platforms

Going forward, innovative storage batteries are expected to play a lead role since they will come into full-scale use in around 2030.NEDO is working on the development of a common infrastructure technology for four innovative storage batteries in its RISING 2 project, which was launched in FY2016.

Innovative Storage Batteries (Post-LIBs)A Future beyond the Performance of Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs)

Research and Development Initiative for Scientific Innovation of New Generation Batteries 2 (RISING 2)

Increasedenergydensity

Durability SafetyCost

(1) Formation of storage battery reaction distribution(2) Electrode/electrolyte interface phenomena(3) Non-equilibrium phenomena while the storage battery reacts

(4) Thermal and physical destabilization

(5) Structure of random system substances (e.g., electrolyte, electrolyte, and SEI)

Standard batteryThe positive and

negative electrodes arefilled inside the cell.

Anodeactivematerial Cathode

activematerial

Separator(electrolyte)

Anodeactivematerial

Positiveelectrode

(catalyst electrode)

Air(O2)

Zinc-air batteryOnly the negativeelectrode is filled

inside the cell.

Zinc-air battery cells. Advanced analysis is conducted on promising ones to analyze zinc deterioration and other factors.

Private-sector researchers and university researchers conducting research together under the leadership of Professor Nishio, who has built up extensive experience in battery research during his 25 years in the private sector and 10 years at Kyoto University.

Eiichiro MatsubaraProject LeaderNEDO's Research and Development Initiative for Scientific Innovation of New Generation Batteries 2 (RISING 2)Deputy Director (responsible for industry-government-academia collaborations)ProfessorGraduate School of EngineeringKyoto University

Project2

Toshihiro TakekawaChief OfficerInnovative Storage Batteries Development CenterElectricity Storage Technology Development DivisionAdvanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology DepartmentNEDO

Keita SatoChief OfficerElectricity Storage Technology Development DivisionAdvanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology DepartmentNEDO

Koji NishioProfessorDoctor of Engineering and Professional Engineer (chemistry sector)Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for InnovationKyoto University

Advantageous in terms of safety and costs

Zinc-air batteryここがポイント！Key Technology Development Points■

■

Development of a zinc electrode that can endure repeated chargingDevelopment of a catalyst that promotes a reaction for an air electrode

Initiative for developing advanced analysis technologies that will overcome the challenges of automotive batteries

Structure of the zinc-air battery

Transition from LIBs to innovative storage batteries in EVs

Driving distance: 500 kmEnergy density: 500 Wh/kg

Driving distance:250–350 kmEnergy density: 250 Wh/kgDriving distance: 120–200 kmEnergy density: 60–100 Wh/kg

2030Innovative storage

batteries

Approx. 2020Advanced LIBs

Conventional LIBs

Creation of innovative storage bat teries that surpass the performance of LIBs

- Zinc-air battery- Fluoride battery- Sulfide battery- Conversion battery

Featured Article


　The sulfide battery offers a high energy density because sulfur, which combines with more lithium atoms per unit weight, is used as the cathode active material. Although conventional technologies used a compound of carbon and sulfur formed at the micro level for the positive electrode, they have a shortcoming in that the sulfur components are eluted, causing the battery capacity to deteriorate. To overcome this problem, the AIST office focused its attention on the concept of combining sulfur with metal. Bonding metal and sulfur largely inhibits elution of the electrolyte while also providing the world's highest level of energy density and durability. Because sulfur reacts easily with many different materials in the battery, the team has taken measures to stabilize the surface of the electrode to prolong the battery lifetime. Going forward, the team aims to put the sulfide battery into use as an automotive battery by developing a cathode material that offers a higher performance and a technology for stabilizing the surface of the high-capacity metal negative electrode.

　W he n ca t hode mat e r ia l s such a s LiCoO 2 a re u se d i n a conventional LIB, the battery is charged and discharged by an intercalation reaction, where lithium enters or leaves the "box" of the crystal structure. The AIST office has focused its attention on the conversion reaction, where the "box" itself reacts with the lithium if ferrous f luoride or another such substance is used as the cathode active material. This reaction achieves a high energy density because charging and discharging of the battery can be performed using the region where the substances undergo a chemical change. The conversion battery, which makes use of this reaction, offers the highest theoretical level of energy density for closed batteries. The conversion battery has other advantages as well, such as its low-cost materials and the expectation that it will provide more robust safety as it does not emit much oxygen even if the battery fails. To further improve the performance of the cathode active material, the project team is focusing on achieving morphological control of the cathode active material to inhibit bat tery deter iorat ion and developing a surface stabil izat ion technology.

Project2 Research and Development Initiative for Scientific Innovation of New Generation Batteries 2 (RISING 2)

　The f luor ide bat tery is a storage bat tery that charges and discharges in accordance with the movement of negative f luoride ions between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The principle of moving f luoride ions in a battery was created under the leadership of Professor Emeritus Zempachi Ogumi of Kyoto University, who served as the project leader for NEDO's Research and Development Init iat ive for Scientif ic Innovation of New Generation Batter ies (RISING; FY2009–FY2015). A f luoride battery has cost advantages, including inexpensive materials, but it poses many challenges because it is still a new concept.　"One problem is that the f luoride generated by discharging becomes insulant without elect r ical conductivity. Because it becomes insulant, returning it to the original metal is diff icult even if you attempt to charge it. Another problem is that it is diff icult to create an electrolyte where f luorine ions can move freely," explains Professor Takeshi Abe of Kyoto University, who studied under Professor Ogumi. When an anion acceptor (AA), which is an additive in the electrolyte, was discovered in the RISING project, significant progress was made in developing the f luoride battery as a technology aimed at delivering an energy density of about 500 Wh/kg.　In the research conducted under the current RISING 2 project, the f luoride battery research team led by Professor Abe has been split into a solid-state f luoride battery team and a liquid f luoride battery team. Professor Abe is hoping that the young researchers who h ave jo i n e d t h e t e a m f r o m a u t o m obi l e a n d b a t t e r y manufac t u re r s w i l l b r i ng someth i ng new to t he resea rch . Professor Abe explained , "They have never researched the f luoride storage battery before so they can think outside the box. In the world of chemistry, new ideas often occur when you follow your own approach without sticking to preconceived ideas."　In fact, the young researchers made two significant discoveries that advanced the research considerably in the f irst half of the RISING 2 project. Although this aspect of the research was

expected to prove diff icult, they identif ied good cathode and anode active materials that can be used for solid-state and liquid bat ter ies. With the materials for both electrodes having been essentially determined, the teams are now working on the next big challenges. Specifically, the solid-state f luoride battery team is working to lower the temperature of the solid electrolyte, which cur rently requires a temperature of 140°C, while the l iquid f luor ide bat ter y team is t r y ing to f ind a bet ter elect roly te. "Research has advanced much more than we initially expected," said Hidetaka Nish ikor i , the Chief Researcher for NEDO's Advanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology Department, in a message of support for the field teams.

The challenge is to lower the temperature of the solid-state fluoride battery cell, which currently operates at 140°C.

Prototype cells equipped with electrodes. Performance, durability, and other such characteristics are confirmed in the charge-discharge experiment.

Improving battery performance by adopting a technology for combining metal and sulfur

P romot i ng re se arch and deve lopment by establishing a solid-state fluoride battery team and a liquid fluoride battery team

Highest theoretical level of energy density for closed batteries

Private-sector researchers s e c o n d e d t o K y o t o University and university researchers conduct joint research.

Fluoride battery (this project)

AAAA

AAAAF－

Li+

F－

Li Li

Li

F F

FF

F F

STOP

Lithium ionbattery(positive electrode)

Lithium ion battery

Fluoride battery (conventional)

Molecules can move freely

Molecules cannot freely move

Molecules can move freely

SolventmoleculeSolvent

molecule

Solventmolecule

Solventmolecule

Fluoridebattery(positive electrode)

Metal fluoride Metal

Transition metal oxide Transition metal oxideinto which Li is inserted

Discharge

Charge

Discharge

Charge

Conventional LIB370

1380 1440

↑↓Li1FeS5 + 9Li

Li10FeS5

↑↓VS4 + 5Li

Li5VS4

↑↓Li1-XCoO2 + LiXC6

LiCoO2+C6

Approx

.

4 times

high

erTheoretical energy densitybased on the weight ofthe positive andnegativeelectrodes(Wh/kg)

Conventional sulfur-carbon compound Metal polysulfide under developmentSulfur is easily eluted due to simplecontact between the carbon and sulfur

Eluted sulfur can nolonger be used

Strong bond betweenmetal and sulfurSulfur is not easilyeluted

DischargeCharge DischargeCharge DischargeCharge

Sulfide battery Sulfide battery

Metal Sulfur Lithium

↑↓FeF3 + 3Li

Fe + 3LiF↑↓

Li1-XCoO2 + LiXC6

LiCoO2+C6

370

1646Theoretical energy densitybased on the weightof the positive andnegative electrodes(Wh/kg)

Conventional LIB

Over

4 times

high

er Conversion battery

DischargeCharge DischargeCharge

Lithium enters and leavesthe "box" of the crystal structure

Range of use for the lithium ion battery(intercalation reaction)

Range of use for the conversion battery (conversion reaction)

The "box" of the crystalstructure reacts with the lithium

Discharge

Charge

Discharge

Metal or fluorine

Lithium

Charge

Structure and characteristics of the sulfide battery

Structure of the conversion battery

Innovative Storage Battery Created in Japan Based on a New Principle

Fluoride Batteryここがポイント！Key Technology Development Points■

■

Reduction in the temperature of the solid-state fluoride batteryDiscovery of a suitable electrolyte for the liquid fluoride battery

Leveraging the Power of Metal

Sulfide Batteryここがポイント！Key Technology Development Points■

■

Combination of metal and sulfur to inhibit elutionStabilization of the surface of the high-capacity metal negative electrode

Inexpensive High-Capacity Battery

Conversion Batteryここがポイント！Key Technology Development Points■

■

Concept for reconfiguring the material structureImproved performance of the cathode active material

Hidetaka Nishikori (third from left at the back)

DirectorInnovative Storage Batteries Development CenterElectricity Storage Technology Development DivisionAdvanced Battery and Hydrogen Technology DepartmentNEDO

Takeshi Abe(front)

ProfessorGraduate School of Global Environmental Studies/Graduate School of EngineeringKyoto University

Structure and characteristics of the fluoride battery

News Release


Summary of a news release on research and development into innovative new structural materials by the Materials Technology and Nanotechnology Department

Successful Prototyping of the World's Largest Partial Body Structures for High-Speed Railway Vehicles Using a Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy―Using a Strong, Lightweight Magnesium Alloy to Reduce the Weight, Increase the Speed, and

Improve the Energy Conservation of Shinkansen and Other High-Speed Railway Vehicles―

Overview　Currently, the bodies of Shinkansen and other high-speed railway vehicles are made of a lightweight aluminum alloy. However, there is a growing need to reduce the weight of the vehicle body to meet the increasing demand for improved acceleration and energy conservation. One potential alternative that has attracted attention is magnesium, which has a specific gravity that is at least 30% lower than that of aluminum. It is hoped that large structures made using a magnesium alloy will be put into practical use at an early date in not only the railway field but also the automobile and aerospace fields.　Although the expanded material produced from lightweight magnesium alloys has been used for small components (e.g., electronic housings and machine parts), they are rarely used for large structures. This is because magnesium has comparatively low flame retardancy, corrosion resistance, formability, and other such characteristics.　In light of this, NEDO has been working to develop a magnesium alloy and establish the technology required to apply it in the body of a high-speed railway vehicle, which is a large structure, since FY2014. In one NEDO project, the Innovative Structural Materials Association (ISMA) developed a Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy that offers improved strength, ductility, and processability. The association then prototyped a side body panel for the vehicle body using this Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy in FY2016. The ISMA has now succeeded in prototyping a larger partial body for high-speed railway vehicles that have the same cross-sectional area as the bodies of current Shinkansen vehicles (2.9 m [height] × 3.2 m [width] × 1.0 m [length]).　One of the world's largest structures to be made using a Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy, this development brings us significantly closer to achieving the practical application of high-speed railway vehicle bodies made of magnesium alloy.　

For details, please visit the website below.http://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_100973.html

NEDO aims at reducing the weight, increasing the speed, and improving the energy conservation of railway vehicles by leveraging the flame retardancy, strength, and processability of a lightweight magnesium alloy.

Applicable in Large Structures!

Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy

As well as being lightweight and strong, Magnesium has excellent vibration damping properties, which means that any oscillations stop quickly even if it is vibrated. It is also highly bioabsorbable. Although Magnesium is already used for small components used in electronic devices and other such products, it is considered difficult to apply in large structures because it is chemically unstable and corrosive and the processing and joint technologies required for Magnesium alloys had not been established. However, a dramatic reduction in the weight of large transportation equipment is required to reduce their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In light of this, Magnesium is expected to be used in the production of railway vehicles, automobiles, airplanes, and other large transportation equipment as it is the lightest of the various metals that can be put into practical use.

Therefore, NEDO is promoting the development of innovative materials for large transportation equipment in its Research and

Based on the results obtained for the prototype body, the project team

plans to start prototyping a longer vehicle body in FY2018 with the aim of

putting the high-speed railway vehicle body made using a Flame-Retardant

Magnesium Alloy into practical use. Specifically, the team will prototype

Development of Innovative Structural Materials project. To date, the project team has developed a formed and fabricated Magnesium Alloy material that offers improved Flame Retardancy due to the addition of calcium to Magnesium and is as strong and ductile as the aluminum alloy used in current railway vehicles. In this project, the team managed to reduce the weight of the railway vehicle body while maintaining its rigidity by adopting a double skin structure and using a design with smaller windows. The team also established the optimal joint technology for the Magnesium Alloy and achieved a corrosion resistance on the body exterior that could otherwise be cor roded t h roug h a combination of the chemical conversion treatment and coating. As a result, the team succeeded in creating one of the world's largest structures to be made using only a Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy.

a 5m long vehicle body that simulates the vehicle body of a conventional

Shinkansen and conduct fatigue tests using the prototype under the conditions

of the assumed actual operating environment to ensure reliability and verify

long-term safety so that it can be put into practical use in the 2030s.

1

2

3 4

Terminology

1. Expanded materialA metal material created using a plastic forming process that deforms the material by exerting a large force on it, such as rolling, extrusion, or forging.

2. NEDO projectScheduled to run from FY2014 to FY2022, the project is called the Research and Development of Innovative Structural Materials.

3. Innovative Structural Materials Association (ISMA)Founded on October 25, 2013, to promote NEDO projects, the ISMA initially had a membership made up of 19 companies and 1 independent administrative institution. As of June 2018, the ISMA had 38 companies, 2 national research and development laboratories, and 1 university working to develop a variety of innovative materials.

4. Flame-Retardant Magnesium AlloyAlloy for which the ignition temperature is raised by 200°C to 300°C so that it can be dissolved and cast in air by adding calcium and other substances to a general-purpose magnesium alloy (Mg-Al alloy) by several percent.

Published June 12, 2018

A special feature that aims to make news releases full of jargon, technical terms and difficult

technologies easier to understand by focusing on the important points. This conveys NEDO's state-of-

the-art technological achievements and activities with an easy-to-understand explanation.

�Succeeded in prototyping a partial body for high-speed railway vehicles that have the same cross-sectional area as the bodies of Shinkansen vehicles by using a Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy!

Key Points!

Creating an Actual Railway Vehicle for the Assumed Operating EnvironmentOutlook for the Future

Commentary

Appearance of the prototyped partial body for a high-speed railway vehicle.

Specific gravity of practical metals

Metal Specific gravityMagnesium 1.7Aluminum 2.7Titanium 4.5

Zinc 7.1Iron 7.9

Confirmed that the weight of the vehicle body can be significantly reduced by using magnesium, which has a specific gravity that is at least 30% lower than that of aluminum.

Preparing for Increased Demand for Magnesium as a Result of Its Expected Application in Railway Vehicles, Automobiles, Airplanes, and Other Large Structures

Established processing and joint technologies and a surface treatment technology in addition to developing the material.

Developed a formed and fabricated Flame-Retardant Magnesium Alloy that is as strong and ductile as an aluminum alloy.

News Release CommentaryEasy to

Understand!

Key Technology

Key Technology

Development of an Intracellular Network Dynamism Analysis TechnologyHuman genome analysis makes it possible for us to analyze the functionality of proteins, RNA, and other substances in ind iv idual genes . However, understanding the communication network created by multiple biomolecules to clarify the essence of life has proven challenging. Therefore, NEDO conducted the Development of an Intracellular Network Dynamism Analysis Technology from FY2002 to FY2006 to establish a technology for efficiently measuring living cells and analyzing their functionality.

NEDO Project Success StoriesLooking Back at History

　It is important to v isual ize the movement of genes and other molecules to understand life phenomena. However, the electronic microscope, which uses an electron beam, cannot be used to observe living cells. With this in mind, Yokogawa Electric Corporation began developing a confocal laser scanner that could be used in the bio and environmental fields in the 1990s. After they joined the NEDO project, Yokogawa Electric were able to develop a groundbreaking confocal laser scanner that can be used to observe the movement of living cells by leveraging the experience that they had gained in conducting their own internal research and development.

The use of live imaging technology to observe living cel l s a nd o rga n i z a t ion s ha s a t t r a c t e d a t t e n t ion a s a means of understanding life phenomena. Although genes, proteins, and other such substances have been act ively studied at the molecular level in the l ife sciences, it is impossible to understand complicated life phenomena by just observing individual molecules. It is necessary to observe the movement of molecules inside l iving cel ls directly.

Given this, a confocal laser microscope that can create t h r e e - d i me n s ion a l i m a ge s of c e l l s h a s b e e n w ide ly used as an impor tant tool in the research f ield for l ife sciences. The confocal laser microscope uses a laser to scan the plane of the specimen, detect s l ight emit ted from the specimen, and then creates an image from this l ight . Even if th ick specimens are located at d if ferent d is t ances f rom the lens , t he resu lt ant image remains clear. However, conventional confocal laser microscopes have to scan the target for one second or more to obtain a single image so they cannot be used to observe behavior

Live imaging technology helps researchers

understand complicated life phenomena

f inally succeed."They also managed to colorize monotone images. When

it is combined with a microscope or an ult ra-sensit ive camera, the scanner can capture the real-time behavior of molecules in cells in three dimensions.

Through the NEDO project, Yokogawa Electric was able to develop a new scanner with a much higher performance than conventional models. The CSU-X1 can observe the high-speed motion of neurons in the brain or the f low of ery throcyte in living animals, something that had been difficult to observe until now. Photographs of cells that were taken using this high-performance scanner that offers high resolution in three dimensions have appeared on the cover of Nature several times.

The CSU-X1 confocal laser scanner went on sale in 2007, while the higher-end model, the CSU-W1, was launched in 2012. As of 2018, more than 2,000 of these two models have been sold. Live imaging makes it possible to clarify a variety of life phenomena. The confocal scanner technology is becoming increasingly impor tant as a tool that can contribute to state-of-the-art research in the bio field with the aim of advancing the life sciences.

within the cell.

Yokogawa Elec t r ic bega n developi ng t he con foca l laser scanner, which has been the key to developing the confocal laser microscope, in the early 1990s. Although the company had al ready developed measurement and control equipment, the confocal laser scanner was a new experience for them. After overcoming various hardships in researching and developing this new product, Yokogawa Electric announced the release of their f irst confocal laser scanner, the CSU-10, in 1997. This groundbreaking laser scanner was capable of observing the movement of living cells.

For f ive years star t ing f rom 2003, Yokogawa Electr ic participated in the NEDO Project for the Development of an Intracellular Network Dynamism Analysis Technology to enhance the functions of the CSU-10 and develop its l ive imaging technology. In collaboration with RIKEN, the Nat ional Inst it ute of Advanced Indust r ial Science and Technology, NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (NHK STRL), and Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., they developed a real-time 3D microscopic imaging system and visualized the behavior of molecules in cells.

Yokogawa Elect r ic successf u l ly i ncreased the scan speed of t he con foca l la se r sca n ne r by adopt i ng t he Nipkow disk method. A Nipkow disk is a rotat ing disk that has pinholes arranged in spirals from the outside. The entire surface can be scanned by exposing the disk to light and rotating it. The disk can subject the specimen to as many as 1,000 beams at once, so simple arithmetic alone indicates that the scan speed is 1,000 t imes faster than the conventional galvano-mirror method, which scans one point at a time.

The CSU-X1 confocal scanner unit completed in the NEDO project doubles the scan speed of the CSU-10. The CSU-X1 can create an image at 1/2,000 of a second by subject ing the specimen to about 1,000 laser beams simultaneously and quickly moving the beams. The scan performance was improved to 2,000 frames per second.

A shortcoming of the Nipkow disk is its extremely low eff iciency in the use of light. Because light can only pass through the pinholes, almost all of the images are too dark to see. After repeated trial and error, Yokogawa Electric came up with the idea of using micro lenses to resolve this problem. By attaching one micro lens to each pinhole, they succeeded in collect ing most of the l ight, thereby reducing the noise and obtaining bright images.

After that, Yokogawa Electric attached micro lenses to another disk at the same positions as those of the pinholes and installed the two disks one above the other. Takayuki Kei, the Development Group Chief at the Life Science Center of Yokogawa Electric, recalled the following about the development process: "One disk had 20,000 pinholes with a d iamete r of 50 µm. 20,000 micro lenses were at tached to another disk. We worked hard to open these holes precisely and create the micro lenses accurately without variations. We also had a hard time adjusting the positions of the pinholes and those of the lenses. If they are misaligned even slightly, no images are created. We created multiple prototypes and it took f ive years for us to

Conducting scans more quickly by using a

groundbreaking confocal laser scanner

Brighter color images and real-t ime 3D

measurements

The results of NEDO projects are utilized in manufacturing processes used by companies and final products available for consumers.In this series, we look at untold stories of how technology development projects scaled the high, difficult wall to successful commercialization and what came after, summarizing past articles in "NEDO Project Success Stories."

CSU-X1 confocal laser scanner connected to a microscope

CSU-X1 confocal laser scanner unit

Image of a Golgi body in a yeast cell captured for the first time by the scanner prototyped in the NEDO project. Cis-cisternae and trans-cisternae are marked with mRFP and GFP, respectively.Image provided by:Professor Akihiko NakanoGraduate School of Science, the University of TokyoNakano Molecular Membrane Biology Laboratory, RIKEN Advanced Science Institute

Mechanism for a multi-beam scan using the Nipkow disk and a pinhole disk

Development of a confocal laser scanner for viewing living cells

Vol.9 Development of an Intracellular Network Dynamism Analysis Technology

　This article provides an updated summary of an article published in a past edition of "NEDO Project Success Stories." The original article describes more incidents related to the development process. For further details, please visit the website.

I n " N E D O P r o j e c t S u c c e s s S t o r i e s ," w e i n t e r v i e w representat ives of the companies who have par t icipated in NEDO projects and other related parties for publication on the website. To date, we have published 100 articles in this series.

Project Success Stories

Post-Project

Follow-Up!

Rising expectations for contributions to state-of-

the-art research in the bio field

12 frames are obtained per rotation2,000 frames max. (@10,000 rpm)

Multi-beam scanDiameter: 50 µm; placement interval: 250 µm20,000 pinholes per disk1,000 pinholes within the field of vision

Pinhole pattern

One frame is generated by a rotation of 30°

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