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Discover the revolutionary Chinese water battery with twice the capacity of lithium batteries. Safer and more efficient, ideal for electric vehicles
Chinese researchers have developed a water-based battery that promises to be safer and more efficient in energy than traditional lithium options. These new aqueous batteries, using a mixed halogen solution, have been shown to have an energy density that could double that of lithium-ion batteries, marking a potential game changer for the electric vehicle industry and large-scale energy storage.
In a recent advance in battery technology, a team of researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has developed an aqueous battery with energy capabilities that nearly double those of traditional lithium cells. . This development not only promises to improve security but also increase its energy efficiency.
Aqueous battery safety and energy efficiency
Aqueous batteries use water as a solvent for the electrolytes, which significantly improves their safety compared to non-aqueous lithium batteries, which are highly flammable due to the organic electrolytes they use. The latter, although they offer a high energy density, compromise safety.
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Improved energy density
Although aqueous batteries generally have a energy density smaller due to limited electrolyte solubility and low voltage, DICP researchers were able to develop a high energy density aqueous battery through a bromine and iodine-based multi-electron transfer cathode.
Technical innovations
The group led by Prof. Li Xianfeng and Prof. Fu Qiang, also from DICP, used a mixed solution of iodide (I-) and bromide (Br-) ions as the electrolyte. During the charging process, iodide ions are oxidized to iodate (IO3-) on the positive side, while the generated protons are transported to the negative side as supporting electrolyte. This process is reversed during discharge, allowing a fast, reversible electrochemical reaction.
The developed cathode achieved a specific capacity of more than 840 Ah/L and an energy density of up to 1200 Wh/L, according to a study published in Nature Energy. These results not only surpass the energy density of some solid electrode materials, but are also comparable in cost to traditional lithium batteries.
Potential impact and future applications
The increase in capacity and energy density of these aqueous batteries could have a significant impact on the electric vehicle industry and grid-scale energy storage. Furthermore, the life cycle could extend up to 1000 cycles, demonstrating significant stability.
The development of aqueous batteries with high energy density offers a new option for designing safer and more efficient batteries. This advancement is not only promising for application in power batteries, but could also significantly expand application in diverse fields of renewable energy and sustainability.
Source: SCMP
1000 cycles? Assuming a charge every 2 days, this is approximately 5,5 years, and in the case of heavy use that requires a daily charge, it will be 2 years and XNUMX months. I imagine that this battery will be used in cars. In short, the electric car will be discarded when the battery runs out. Even if this battery is cheaper, which if we take into account the terrible “Brazil cost”, it will make no difference at all for a car sold here.
Your calculation is correct, except for the “discarding the car” part. It doesn’t even make sense. If it’s a battery that’s easy to produce and recycle, the car just needs to be produced with a special mechanism for changing modules. The rest of the car will undergo regular maintenance, and the old battery will be returned to the manufacturer for filtering and reusing the basic materials. In our parents’ world, the chances of a paper car were higher, but the pressure for sustainability will only increase over the years, and no obsolescence that generates waste in this case will generate profits worth the scam.
Wow!!! Great!!!