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A group of global scientists, led by accomplished academic Tianyi Ma, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have reported the creation of an innovative “water battery”. Much safer than the commonly used lithium-ion batteries, these new creations could progressively replace them within ten years.
The prevalent lithium-ion batteries are favored in the energy storage market for their high-power density. However, their environmental reputation has been tarnished due to occasional yet notable safety incidences, leading the public to grow wary of having massive batteries in close proximity to their residences.
The researchers at RMIT University have crafted a safer alternative, termed “aqueous metal-ion” batteries or “water batteries”. These batteries utilize water to replace organic electrolytes, which facilitate the flow of electric current between positive and negative terminals. The replacement ensures that these batteries remain cool when under pressure and thus do not risk fires or explosions like lithium-ion batteries.
To make this possible, the team incorporated elements such as magnesium and zinc, which are plentiful in nature, cost-effective, and less harmful than what’s used in other battery types. This method decreases manufacturing costs and mitigates risks to both human health and the environment.
To date, the team’s experiments have focused on small-scale trial batteries. A significant challenge they have managed to overcome is the formation of disruptive dendrites, filament-like metallic growths that cause short circuits and other severe issues.
By tackling this issue, the batteries now outlast lithium-ion variants, making them apt for rigorous and high-speed use in real-world applications. The team has also successfully integrated its water battery with solar panels to provide efficient and consistent energy storage for renewable sources.
Despite these breakthroughs, the research team acknowledges that their water battery’s energy density – the amount of power that can be stored per unit volume – is still lower than that of lithium-ion batteries. They report that their existing magnesium-ion water battery offers up to 30% of the energy density of the latest Tesla car batteries.
Moving forward, they plan to harness new nano materials to improve the electrodes and enhance the energy density of the batteries. Their aspiration is that this invention, with improved energy density, can replace safer but lower energy density lead-acid batteries within a span of one to three years.
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