Rechargeable System Research Articles

Development of a 12-V Hybrid Powered Rechargeable Lighting System with Intruder Detection and Mobile Phone Charging Units

The availability of stable, reliable, and low-cost electricity is one of the key indices for measuring the socioeconomic growth of any nation globally. However, in a developing economy such as Nigeria, marred by insufficient electricity generation, load shedding, and frequent power outage are common occurrences hindering some basic domestic functions, including lighting and charging, among others, to be performed. Therefore, an alternative solution that can serve as a backup for the conventional electricity supply system becomes imperative. This work developed a 12-V hybrid-powered rechargeable lighting system with intruder detection and USB ports for mobile phone charging. The basic components used in the system development are Arduino Nano (ATMega328) microcontroller, GSM (SIM900D) module, Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors, light bulbs, mini 12 V lead-acid battery, and 12 V, 20 W solar panel. Using relevant design equations, circuit designs and data processing were implemented around the ATMega328 microcontroller. The developed system was tested, and the output voltages of the lighting and charging units and the functionality of the intruder detection unit were determined. The developed hybrid-powered rechargeable lighting system operated satisfactorily during testing. The lighting and charging units were functional, giving 12 and 5 V output voltages, respectively. The intruder detection unit was active, producing a buzzing sound and sending an SMS alert to the registered phone number on the detection of an intrusion. The developed system is useful for domestic and other similar applications.

Agent-based modeling to assess decentralized water systems: Micro-trading rainwater for aquifer recharge

Decentralized aquifer recharge programs are an alternative to centralized stormwater aquifer recharge systems and can improve groundwater tables in urban areas. In a decentralized aquifer recharge program, households and property-owners collect and store rainwater from rooftops and replenish aquifers through small gravity-fed recharge wells. This research presents a micro-trading rainwater for aquifer recharge (MRAR) system as a decentralized peer-to-peer water market that can recharge groundwater resources. Through a decentralized water market, households act as prosumers who collect and sell rainwater to consumer households and convey traded water via a shared aquifer. This research develops an agent-based modeling framework as an approach to evaluate the performance of a MRAR system to replenish groundwater resources and reduce energy required to pump water. Agents represent (1) prosumers that collect rainwater, sell rainwater to consumers, and replenish the groundwater system through dry wells, and (2) consumers that exert irrigation demands, buy rainwater from prosumers, and pump water from the groundwater system. The agent-based model is coupled with a groundwater flow model to evaluate the effects of micro-trading on groundwater resources. The agent-based modeling framework is applied for a virtual city to assess the performance of a MRAR system for scenarios that vary in the ratio of consumers to prosumers, location of prosumers and consumers, and aquifer properties. Model outcomes demonstrate the optimal ratio of consumers to prosumers based on the volume of traded water, improvements in groundwater head, and improvements in unit energy of water. Findings demonstrate that the optimal ratio of consumers to prosumers is consistent across different values for hydraulic conductivity. The location of prosumer and consumer households affects the unit energy of water and has a negligible effect on the groundwater table and total energy consumed to pump water. This manuscript proposes and demonstrates MRAR as a new decentralized water system and provides a modeling approach to assess the performance of a MRAR system to improve urban groundwater resources.

Optimal utilization of groundwater resources and artificial recharge system of Shahriar plain aquifer, Iran

Developments in agriculture, industry, population growth and climate change lead to increased utilization of groundwater resources, followed by a decrease in groundwater level and an increase in the concentration of pollution in aquifers. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of optimal groundwater utilization and artificial recharge systems on groundwater level fluctuations and changes in pollution concentration of the Shahriar plain aquifer. Therefore, there was a need for a comprehensive multi-objective simulator-optimizer model that would be able to solve existing problem. For this purpose, a multi-objective modeling platform was developed that included two independent simulator-optimizer models. In the first model, the artificial neural network (ANN) was used to simulate the changes of groundwater level (GWL) and its quality as a function of the TDS index in the Shahriar Plain aquifer. The regression was then used to predict groundwater quality. Finally, the multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was used to optimize groundwater resources harvesting. The second model simulated the flood storage volume in the reservoirs of the artificial recharge system (ARS) using ANN and then optimized utilization of the artificial recharge system using (NSGA-II). The results of the first model showed that the optimal volume of water withdrawn from the aquifer and the optimal TDS value of the aquifer decreased by 29 and 18%, respectively, while the changes of the optimal groundwater level increased by 28 m. Furthermore, based on the second model results, the total volume of optimal recharge will increase by 119% in the studied period due to the artificial recharge system, followed by a 14% increase in the changes of the optimal groundwater level. Overall, it can be concluded that the multi-objective modeling platform method can meet the objectives of this research simultaneously.

Applications of In Situ Raman Spectroscopy on Rechargeable Batteries and Hydrogen Energy Systems

AbstractThe rapid growth of the economy promotes the increasing demand for energy, which accelerates resource shortage and environmental pollution issues caused by fossil fuel combustion. Electrochemical energy conversion and storage (EECS) techniques such as rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and water electrolysis have provided promising solutions for addressing these issues. However, their further electrochemical performance improvement is still challenging due to the lack of understanding of their reaction mechanisms. Therefore, in situ tracking these electrochemical processes to capture the intermediates for mechanism verification is significant. In this review, recent work on in situ Raman spectroscopy applications on EECS systems is summarized with emphasis on the intermediates capturing capability of this technique for reaction mechanism elucidation. We aim to elucidate the underlying reaction mechanism to provide guidelines for the design of high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for fuel cells and water electrolysis and the advanced electrode materials for rechargeable batteries

A computational study on bifunctional 1T-MnS2 with an adsorption-catalysis effect for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising rechargeable energy storage systems with a high energy density, environmental friendliness and low cost. However, the commercialization process of Li-S batteries has been seriously hindered by the shuttling of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the sluggish kinetics of conversion reaction among sulfur species. In this work, the adsorption-catalysis performance of five transition metal disulfide 1T-MS2 (M = Mn, V, Ti, Zr, and Hf) surfaces is investigated by evaluating the adsorption energy of sulfur species, Li-ion diffusion energy barrier, decomposition energy barrier of Li2S, and the Gibbs free energy barrier of the sulfur reduction reaction based on first-principles calculations. Our results show that the sulfiphilicity of 1T-MS2 plays an important role in the adsorption behavior of short-chain sulfur species, in addition to lithiophilicity. Remarkably, among the five 1T-MS2 materials, our results confirm that 1T-TiS2 and 1T-VS2 show excellent adsorption-catalysis performance and it is predicted that 1T-MnS2 is an even better candidate catalyst to inhibit the shuttle effect and accelerate delithiation/lithiation kinetics. Moreover, the outstanding performance of 1T-MnS2 persists in a solvent environment and under strain modulation. Our results not only demonstrate that 1T-MnS2 is an excellent potential catalyst for high-performance Li-S batteries, but also provide great insights into the adsorption-catalysis mechanism during the cycling process.

CONSIDERATION OF DAMAGING FREQUENCY RANGES OF STRUCTURAL EXCITATION FOR TESTING LARGE BATTERY PACKS IN BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES (BEV)

Realistic vibration testing of large floor mounted Battery Pack, sometimes called Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems (RESS), for Batterie Electric Vehicles (BEV) is important for developing safe new battery structures. On the other hand, the requirements for realistic replications of worst-case environments in a lab usually demand costly and complex infrastructure. A key factor to the quality of environment replication and an important cost driver due to the increasing complexity is the needed frequency range the equipment must be able to replicate. The contribution analyzes data from a first pre-test campaign to demonstrate a feasible process of deriving frequency band requirements for the test equipment. The key method used here is the Fatigue Damage Spectrum (FDS) to analyze the potential damage a vibration could cause in certain failure mechanism of interest, particularly “weighted” by the corresponding double-logarithmic dependance of stress magnitude over occurring load cycles. This enables a good assessment of how much damage could be induced in certain frequency ranges for a well justified and cost-effective choice on the needed test equipment.

Neutron and muon characterisation techniques for battery materials

Neutron and muon characterisation techniques offer unique capabilities for investigating the complex structure and dynamics of rechargeable battery systems.

Док-станция для БПЛА: исследование построения автономной взлетно-посадочной платформы для беспилотных летательных аппаратов

Studies how to increase the efficiency of autonomous operation of drones using an intelligent docking station for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which improves charging and maintenance, reducing the need for human intervention in these processes. Known examples of designs for an automatic drone recharging system have been considered. The results present a system developed for automatic landing of drones on the platform and concepts for systems for automatically positioning the drone after landing and for wireless charging or replacing the drone battery.

1T-MoS2 grown on amorphous carbon-coated carbon nanotubes for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Since lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) own large energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness, they are recognized as the most up-and-coming energy storage devices. However, the low conductivity of sulfur and the shuttle effect of intermediate lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) greatly cause capacity decline. Herein, we synthesize a one-dimensional nanocomposite, in which metallic 1T-MoS2 with a large layer spacing is grown onto the amorphous carbon-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs@C) via a facile solvothermal method, which is named as CNTs@C@1T-MoS2. The powerful interaction between the polar 1T-MoS2 and LiPSs severely weakens the shuttling effect. The CNTs@C@1T-MoS2 combines high catalytic activity of the 1T-MoS2 with high electronic conductivity of the CNTs, resulting in faster reaction kinetics. Therefore, lithium-sulfur battery assembled with CNTs@C@1T-MoS2-modified separator exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 1373 mAh/g at 0.2 C, and delivers a discharge capacity of 691 mAh/g after 400 cycles at 1 C. This work provides a simple method to obtain multi-functional separators for high-performance LSBs, and this method can also be applied to other rechargeable battery systems, such as Na/S, Mg/S, K/S, Al/S, Zn/S, and Li/Se batteries.

Ultralow-Temperature Aqueous Conductive Polymer-Hydrogen Gas Battery.

Hydrogen gas batteries are regarded as one of the most promising rechargeable battery systems for large-scale energy storage applications due to their advantages of high rates and long-term cycle lives. However, the development of cost-effective and low-temperature-tolerant hydrogen gas batteries is highly desirable yet very challenging. Herein, we report a novel conductive polymer-hydrogen gas battery that is suitable for ultralow-temperature energy storage applications and consists of a hydrogen gas anode, a conductive polymer cathode using polyaniline (PANI) or polypyrrole as examples, and protonic acidic electrolytes. The PANI-H2 battery using 1 M H2SO4 as the electrolyte exhibits a capacity of 67 mA h/g, a remarkable rate up to 15 A/g, a Coulombic efficiency around 100%, and an ultra-long life of 10,000 cycles. Using the anti-freezing 9 M H3PO4 electrolyte, the PANI-H2 battery can operate well at temperatures down to -70 °C, which maintains ∼70% of the capacity at room temperature and shows an excellent cycle stability under -60 °C. Benefiting from the fast redox kinetics of both electrodes, this work demonstrates excellent rate performance and low-temperature feasibility of conductive polymer-H2 batteries, providing a new avenue for further development of low-cost and reliable polymer-H2 batteries for large-scale energy storage.

QFD and SDE Methods Applied to Autonomous Minibus Redesign and an Innovative Mobile Charging System (MBS)

Urban mobility scenarios are constantly evolving, and today’s solutions may not be adequate in the future. Through innovative analysis and design methods encapsulated by the IDeS methodology, it is possible to plausibly hypothesize a number of key scenarios to be analyzed, for which vehicles can be designed in order to solve the main problems. Scenarios such as the steady growth in public mobility, based on the sharing of electric mini-buses at the expense of the privatization of the means of transport, lead to the gradual rethinking of citizens’ needs and the supporting infrastructure. Problems such as the lack of privacy of public vehicles, the efficiency of the infrastructure and recharging modes of e-buses, and autonomous driving are addressed here through methods such as QFD (quality function deployment) and SDE (stylistic design engineering), with the aim of outlining a proposal that, to date, is futuristic but is designed to be concrete and feasible within the next decade. These methodologies were applied to the design of a sustainable urban transport system consisting of an electric mini-bus, effected by rethinking the layout of the interior spaces in favor of areas enabling greater privacy and a mobile recharging system (MBS) capable of offering a new management strategy for the non-stop recharging phase. Through the use of an MBS, which functions as a mobile ‘energy bank’ module that is capable of autonomously reaching a mini-bus in need of recharging and extending its autonomy by connecting and recharging it, the proposed system can potentially be enabled to perform its required service during the day without any need to spend time making intermediate stops for the purpose of recharging.

Temp-Spatial Heterogeneity of Water Recharge and Its Stable Mechanisms of the Mountainous Rice Terraces in East Asia Monsoon Region

The paddy field water recharge system and the mechanism of its stability are key scientific issues related to reducing the threat to global food security and enhancing the well-being of humans. In this study, we sampled the field water, precipitation, and groundwater in the Hani terrace areas and measured the values of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes. The results indicated that precipitation and groundwater were the main sources of terrace water recharge in the Hani terrace area. Spatially, the terrace areas were divided into rain-fed terraces, which were mainly recharged by precipitation, and spring-fed terraces, where groundwater was the primary source of recharge. Temporally, there were two different recharge periods: the rain-fed season (>70% recharge from precipitation) and the spring-fed season (>30% recharge from groundwater). The temporally alternating recharge periods of the spring-fed and rain-fed seasons and the interconnected spatial distribution of rain-fed and spring-fed types were essential to maintain stable water sources in the Hani terraces. Meanwhile, the spatial heterogeneity of groundwater recharge and the timing of agricultural cultivation adjusted the system to some extent. Rice cultivation will be sustainable if the changes in monsoonal precipitation due to global climate change align with the anthropogenic agricultural cultivation cycle, including land preparation, planting, growing, and harvesting. This is the key reason that the mountainous rice cultivation systems of the Hani terraces have lasted for thousands of years under the influence of the East Asian monsoon.

Advanced Composite Lithium Metal Anodes with 3D Frameworks: Preloading Strategies, Interfacial Optimization, and Perspectives.

Lithium (Li) metal is regarded as the most promising anode candidate for next-generation rechargeable storage systems due to its impeccable capacity and the lowest electrochemical potential. Nevertheless, the irregular dendritic Li, unstable interface, and infinite volume change, which are the intrinsic drawbacks rooted in Li metal, give a seriously negative effect on the practical commercialization for Li metal batteries. Among the numerous optimization strategies, designing a 3D framework with high specific surface area and sufficient space is a convincing way out to ameliorate the above issues. Due to the Li-free property of the 3D framework, a Li preloading process is necessary before the 3D framework that matches with the electrolyte and cathode. How to achieve homogeneous integration with Li and 3D framework is essential to determine the electrochemical performance of Li metal anode. Herein, this review overviews the recent general fabrication methods of 3D framework-based composite Li metal anode, including electrodeposition, molten Li infusion, and pressure-derived fabrication, with the focus on the underlying mechanism, design criteria, and interfacial optimization. These results can give specific perspectives for future Li metal batteries with thin thickness, low N/P ratio, lean electrolyte, and high energy density (>350Wh Kg-1 ).

Titration Mass Spectroscopy (TMS): A Quantitative Analytical Technology for Rechargeable Batteries.

Development of high-energy-density rechargeable battery systems not only needs advanced qualitative characterizations for mechanism exploration but also requires accurate quantification technology to quantitatively elucidate products and fairly assess numerous modification strategies. Herein, as a reliable quantification technology, titration mass spectroscopy (TMS) is developed to accurately quantify O-related anionic redox reactions (Li-O2 battery and nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM)/Li-rich cathodes), parasitic carbonate deposition and decomposition (derived from air-exposure degradation and electrolyte oxidation), and dead Li0 formation (Li-metal battery and over-discharged graphite anode). TMS technology can harvest key information on products (e.g., quantification of oxidized lattice oxygen and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)/cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) components) and guide corresponding design strategy by enhancing understanding of the mechanism (e.g., clearly distinguish the catalytic target of highly oxidative Ni4+ on the NCM cathode). Not limited as a rigid quantification tool for widely known products/mechanisms, TMS technology has been demonstrated as a powerful and versatile tool for the investigations of advanced batteries.

Possible Factors Driving Groundwater Quality and Its Vulnerability to Land Use, Floods, and Droughts Using Hydrochemical Analysis and GIS Approaches

Land use and climate change always induce significant changes in various parameters of the hydrologic cycle (e.g., surface runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration). The Wadi El-Assiuti downstream area in the Eastern Desert of Egypt is one of the most promising areas for development that is suffering from insufficient water availability and inadequate water quality for different purposes. The main goal of this research is to evaluate the changes in groundwater quality, land use, and climate in association with geology and flooding during three periods within the years 1997–2019 in the downstream portion of Wadi El-Assiuti in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, using spatiotemporal variation associated with groundwater hydrochemical analysis and GIS techniques. About 133 groundwater samples were collected to examine groundwater quality changes over time. Different groundwater quality indices were calculated, and the results show that TDS levels of groundwater in the study area ranged between 1080–2780 mg/L, 672–4564 mg/L, and 811–6084 mg/L, while SAR levels varied within 6.15–15.34, 1.83–28.87, and 1.43–30.57 for the years 1997, 2007, and 2019, respectively. Both RSBC and SSP values exhibited significantly increasing trends over time. KR values were within 1.36–4.06 in 1997, 0.58–14.09 in 2007, and 0.35–14.92 in 2019; MAR values were within 6.9–45.2 in 1997, 20.79–71.5 in 2007, and 17.71–75.81 in 2019; and PI values were within 60.16–83 in 1997, 45.56–101.03 in 2007, and 42.51–148.88 in 2019. Across the entire study area, ongoing land use changes increased from 1.1% in 1997 to 4.1% in 2019. Findings pointed to the significant contribution of the deep Nubian Sandstone Aquifer to the groundwater aquifer at Wadi El-Assiuti through fractures and deep faults. Given the climatic conditions from 1997–2019, these changes may have affected water quality in shallow aquifers, especially with increasing evaporation. Realizing the spatiotemporal variation of the aquifer recharge system, land use development, and climate change clearly would help in water resource management. This study revealed that flooding events, deep-seated geologic structures, and land use development associated with human activities have the highest impact on groundwater quality.

Rechargeable batteries: Technological advancement, challenges, current and emerging applications

Historically, technological advancements in rechargeable batteries have been accomplished through discoveries followed by development cycles and eventually through commercialisation. These scientific improvements have mainly been combination of unanticipated discoveries and experimental trial and error activities. However, with the increased complexity of rechargeable battery systems and diversification in ever-demanding new applications requires a strategical approaches to commercialise newly developed battery chemistries. This can only be achieved by fast-tracking the transfer of key finding from scientific laboratories to industrial collaborators in order to design commercially feasible devices. Despite the dominance of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) commercially in current rechargeable battery market which ranges from small scale applications such as portable electronic devices to large scale applications including transportation to grid scale electrical energy storage. Scientific community is endeavouring to consolidate the global rechargeable battery portfolio with the alternative rechargeable battery systems based on cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly battery chemistries. This brief prospective will provide an update on the historical developments, current technological scenario and future expectations, current and potential applications, and challenges faced by current and future rechargeable battery technology.

Restraining Shuttle Effect in Rechargeable Batteries by Multifunctional Zeolite Coated Separator

AbstractThe detrimental shuttle of soluble species from cathode to anode inside battery, is a critical thorn limiting stability and reversibility of rechargeable battery. Herein, an ordered pore‐window of zeolite molecular sieve is employed to effectively block shuttle of soluble matters, and prepared zeolite powder into thin zeolite layer (5 µm thick) coated on celgard separator (zeolite@celgard) with flexible and grid‐scale fabrication features. External pressure is applied to press zeolite@celgard to reduce existed interparticle gaps among zeolite particles. The separation function toward soluble species and attached H2O scavenger role of zeolite@celgard are demonstrated via 1H/19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectra, Inductive Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy results collected from Li/LiMn2O4 battery, time‐dependent in situ Raman tests in Li/S battery, and penetration experiments of redox mediator shuttle in Li/O2 battery. Replacing typically‐used celgard/glassfiber separators, a series of side reactions (active material outflowing, low coulombic efficiency, and anode corrosion) induced via shuttle of soluble species are addressed, resulting in battery performance improvement of Li/LiMn2O4, Li/S, and Li/O2 batteries. Both scientific hypothesis of utilizing pore‐size effect of zeolite for physically block soluble species, and cost‐effective, grid‐scale, and flexible zeolite‐based separators can be extended to other rechargeable battery systems based on flowing/soluble species.

Evaluation of Potential Seawater Intrusion in the Coastal Aquifers System of Benin and Effect of Countermeasures Considering Future Sea Level Rise

In the present study, a three-dimensional SEAWAT model was developed to generally simulate the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on seawater intrusion (SWI) in the coastal region of Benin by the end of 2050. The model was calibrated and validated from 2015 to 2020, considering groundwater head and salt concentration measured in 30 wells. After calibration, a sensitivity analysis was performed with the model parameters (hydraulic conductivity, recharge, storage coefficient and boundary conditions). For the calibration, model computed and observed values displayed good correlation, approximatively 0.82 with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.97 m and 13.38 mg/L for groundwater head and salt concentration, respectively. The simulation results indicate that freshwater head had declined by 1.65 m from 2015 to 2020 (taking reference from the average groundwater head in 2015: 27.08 m), while the seawater intrusion area increased in the same period by an average of 1.92 km2 (taking reference from the seawater intrusion area in 2015: 20.03 km2). The model is therefore used to predict groundwater level decline and seawater intrusion area increase by the end of 2050, considering the predicted sea level rise (SLR) and estimated groundwater pumping rate. Furthermore, the interface fresh groundwater–saltwater change was studied using the SHARP interface developed by USGS in 1990. The interface variation was found to be influenced by the distance from shoreline, sea level, groundwater level and geological formation hydraulic conductivity. Finally, the 3D model was used to simulate the effect of a managed aquifer recharge system on reducing SWI rate in the study region.

Identifying interfacial mechanisms limitations within aqueous Zn-MnO2 batteries and means to cure them with additives

Li-ion batteries are playing a key role within the field of electrical mobility, grid applications and related objects owing to their high energy densities and long lifetime, but their sustainability remains to be improved. Pushing in this direction, there is a rising interest towards rechargeable aqueous batteries. Great efforts are devoted to turn the primary alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide batteries that have dominated the primary battery applications into rechargeable systems. This turns out to be a colossal task owing to the complexity of the Zn-MnO 2 chemistry that is not yet fully rationalized, thus causing delay in practical deployment. In this work we revisit this chemistry by combining fundamental solution chemistry considerations and complementary analytical techniques (TEM, Raman spectroscopy and EQCM) together with the assembly of cells using either MnO 2 or MnO 2 -free initial positive electrodes. We confirm the key role of the electrolyte together with the inseparable link between its pH and the system's electrochemical response. Moreover, during discharge and charge, we provide experimental evidence for the occurrence of MnO 2 electrodissolution and back electrodeposition conjointly with the formation of soluble zinc hydroxides up to chemical precipitation and back dissolution of a Zn 4 SO 4 (OH) 6 .xH 2 O phase. We show that this phase is essential in the buffering of the system's pH and demonstrate the beneficial role of its initial presence in the positive electrode composite. Further pushing the idea of buffering the pH of the electrolyte, we propose the use of additives such as ZnO, Mg(OH) 2 or La(OH) 3 that enhance the capacity retention upon cycling, while slightly penalize the cell capacity. These insights provide missing links regarding the interplay between the conjoint electrochemical-chemical reactions ruling the functioning of rechargeable Zn-MnO 2 batteries, hence providing a step forward towards their development.

Rational design and low-cost fabrication of multifunctional separators enabling high sulfur utilization in long-life lithium-sulfur batteries

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery with an ultrahigh theoretical energy density has emerged as a promising rechargeable battery system. However, the practical applications of Li-S batteries are severely plagued by the sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur species and notorious shuttling of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) intermediates that result in low sulfur utilization. The introduction of functional layers on separators has been considered as an effective strategy to improve the sulfur utilization in Li-S batteries by achieving effective regulation of LiPSs. Herein, a promising self-assembly strategy is proposed to achieve the low-cost fabrication of hollow and hierarchically porous Fe3O4 nanospheres (p-Fe3O4-NSs) assembled by numerous extremely-small primary nanocrystals as building blocks. The rationally-designed p-Fe3O4-NSs are utilized as a multifunctional layer on the separator with highly efficient trapping and conversion features toward LiPSs. Results demonstrate that the nanostructured p-Fe3O4-NSs provide chemical adsorption toward LiPSs and kinetically promote the mutual transformation between LiPSs and Li2S2/Li2S during cycling, thus inhibiting the LiPSs shuttling and boosting the redox reaction kinetics via a chemisorption-catalytic conversion mechanism. The enhanced wettability of the p-Fe3O4-NSs-based separator with the electrolyte enables fast transportation of lithium ions. Benefitting from these alluring properties, the functionalized separator with p-Fe3O4-NSs endows the battery with an admirable rate performance of 877 mAh g−1 at 2 C, an ultra-durable cycling performance of up to 2176 cycles at 1 C, and a promising areal capacity of 4.55 mAh cm−2 under high-sulfur-loading and lean-electrolyte conditions (4.29 mg cm−2, electrolyte/ratio: 8 µl mg−1). This study will offer fresh insights on the rational design and low-cost fabrication of multifunctional separator to strengthen electrochemical reaction kinetics by regulating LiPSs conversion for developing efficient and long-life Li-S batteries.