Innovation in aluminum-air circulating battery could improve electric vehicle range and overcome slow load



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A manganate silver nanoplate has allowed scientists to create a safer, more energy – efficient aluminum – based airflow battery at a lower cost.

Researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have used this new catalyst to develop an aluminum-air-flow battery that would allow electric vehicle drivers to have longer battery packs that can instead of slowing the load, a problem that is common with existing EV battery technology.

The new battery, compared to existing lithium-ion batteries, offers higher energy density, lower cost, longer life and increased safety. It is also lightweight and is unlikely to catch fire or explode.

Aluminum-air batteries can not be recharged by conventional means because they are primary cells. When applied to electric vehicles, the batteries produce electricity by simply replacing the aluminum plate and the electrolyte. Aluminum is preferred over gasoline because of the actual energy density of both materials at the same weight.

"The gasoline has an energy density of 1,700 Wh / kg, while an air-aluminum-flow battery has a much higher energy density, of 2500 Wh / kg, with its replaceable electrolyte and aluminum, "said Professor Jaephil Cho in a statement. "It means that with a kilo of aluminum, we can build a battery allowing an electric car to travel up to 700 km."

The team was able to increase the discharge capacity of their battery 17 times compared to conventional air-to-air batteries.

Similar to the operation of other metal-air cells, the new battery produces electricity from the reaction of oxygen in the air with aluminum. Although aluminum-air batteries have one of the highest energy densities of any battery, they are not widely used because of problems associated with high anode costs and problems. disposal of by-products when using traditional electrolytes.

To overcome this obstacle, researchers have developed a battery that can attenuate side reactions in the cell where electrolytes can circulate continuously.

The researchers prepared a silver manganite nanoplate architecture mediated by silver germs for the oxygen reduction reaction and found that the migrating silver atom in the available crystal lattice and reorganizes the manganese oxide structure to create numerous surface dislocations.

The longevity and improved energy density of the battery could help bring more electric vehicles on the road, with greater autonomy and considerably lighter weight, without risk of explosion.

"This innovative strategy prevented the precipitation of solid byproduct in the cell and the dissolution of a precious metal air electrode," said Jaechan Ryu, first author of the study, in a statement. "We believe that our AAFB system offers the potential of a next-generation, cost-effective and secure energy conversion system."

The study was published in Nature Communications.

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