Finally Up and Running
Silicon-air batteries are viewed as a promising and cost-effective alternative to current energy storage technology. However, they have thus far only achieved relatively short running times. Jülich researchers have now discovered why.
In theory, silicon-air batteries have a much higher energy density and are also smaller and lighter than current lithium-ion batteries. They are also environmentally friendly and insensitive to external influences. Their most important advantage, however, is their material. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust after oxygen: it is cheap and its reserves are practically inexhaustible.
However, the silicon-air battery does still have a few crucial blemishes: for example, the flow of current stops after a relatively short period of time. Only assumptions have been made thus far as to why this is the case: does a protective layer form spontaneously on the silicon anode? Is the electrolyte at all suitable? Is there a problem with the air electrode? Attempts to rectify this problem by improving the components have proven to be less than successful. The best result was achieved through the use of a special, high-quality electrolyte based on an ionic liquid. This helped increase the battery’s running time to several hundred hours, but contradicted the fundamental idea of the battery: to provide a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Scientists at Jülich’s Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK) suspect another cause for the short running time: the consumption of the electrolyte. As part of the AlSiBat project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the researchers developed a pump system in which the electrolyte fluid – potassium hydroxide dissolved in water – was refilled from time to time. “If the silicon anode remains in contact with the electrolyte, the battery will continue running,” explains Hermann Tempel from the IEK’s Fundamental Electrochemistry. The battery is thus able to achieve a running time of over 1,100 hours, or almost 46 days, he adds. “Until the silicon is fully used up. The battery can subsequently be recharged by exchanging the anode, in other words mechanically.”
The scientists are now looking for a way to keep the battery running without having to refill the electrolyte. “We need to stop the battery from self-discharging,” explains Hermann Tempel, noting how this leads to the electrolyte fluid being used up. Additives in the electrolyte could help here, he says. “The battery is not yet perfect, but we now know what we have to work on.”
Learn more: Finally Up and Running
The Latest on: Silicon-air battery
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Silicon-air battery” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Silicon-air battery
- The MacBook Pro might finally have some competition as Microsoft's Qualcomm X Elite-powered Surface Laptop 6's benchmarks leakon April 26, 2024 at 11:15 am
To put the figures into perspective, an M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro scores 3,125 in single-core and 15,124 in multi-core tests while the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro manages scores that are almost ...
- Born in the USA: First silicon solar cell celebrates 70th birthdayon April 25, 2024 at 11:02 am
U.S. researchers presented the first prototype of a usable solar module. The efficiency at that time was around 6%. A lot has happened since then.
- Could Windows finally get ARM right and outperform Apple silicon?on April 24, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Microsoft and its OEM partners are poised to announce a crop of new Arm-based laptops. Can those devices really compete with Apple's mature M-series designs?
- Single-walled carbon nanotubes doped with 'nitrogen' enhance the performance of secondary battery anodeon April 24, 2024 at 9:27 am
Researchers have developed a new manufacturing technique for "silicon/nitrogen-doped carbon composite anode materials." These materials aim to enhance the capacity and stability of lithium-ion battery ...
- Lithium Silicon Battery Market Set to Skyrocket, Projected to Reach US$ 1150.0 Billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 48.4%on April 23, 2024 at 8:34 pm
The market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 1150.0 billion by 2034. The lithium silicon battery market is rising due to the EV.
- The history — and triumph — of Arm and Apple Siliconon April 22, 2024 at 6:42 am
Decades ago, Apple started down a path that has revolutionized both its own products and the entire technology industry. Here's where Apple Silicon began, and where it's going.
- Apple Silicon: The Complete Guideon April 22, 2024 at 5:03 am
Apple introduced the first Apple silicon Macs back in 2020 ... Apple uses the M3 in its lower-priced Macs, including the MacBook Air and the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro.
- Silicon Labs Streamlines Energy Harvesting Product Development for Battery-Free IoTon April 21, 2024 at 9:13 pm
Silicon Labs' most energy-efficient Wireless SoC to date with energy harvesting-ready capabilities . AUSTIN, Texas, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a l ...
- Why I bought the MacBook Air and not the Proon April 20, 2024 at 11:00 am
Can a fanless, light, and portable MacBook Air replace my MacBook Pro? I picked up the M3-powered MacBook Air to give it a try.
- MacBook Air M3 Review (2024): Fantastic When You Need It, Expensive If You Don'ton March 29, 2024 at 1:16 pm
The storage situation, complemented by the M3 silicon's gains ... Apple touts up to 18 hours of battery life for the M3 generation MacBook Air. I couldn't quite reach those figures, but the ...
via Bing News