AUTONEWS

New lithium-air battery will revolutionize energy storage

Storing energy for cars, homes and industry in lithium-air batteries will revolutionize the energy storage market. A lithium-air battery is a battery consisting of a lithium anode and an atmospheric air cathode (O2).
This new battery will have an energy capacity of 12000Wh / Kg, even compared to current fossil fuels.
Currently lithium battery technology will not be sufficient for the next decades of demand, it is estimated that by 2050, 50% of electricity consumption will be through batteries, compared to the current 18%!
The installed capacity of renewable energy production will be 4 times higher, which means that the batteries are more efficient, cheaper and environmentally friendly! And to meet these requirements, it has been committed to the development of new batteries.
The lithium-air battery is one of these alternatives to be tested around the world, with measurable results already being presented at the beginning of 2019 at London's FADESP Week.
“Much is said today about electric cars. Some European countries even consider banning combustion engines. In addition, renewable sources like solar energy need batteries to store what is generated during the day by solar radiation, ”said Rubens Maciel Filho, a professor at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).

How does the lithium-air battery work?
For now, lithium-air batteries are only being tested in controlled environments (laboratories). These operate on lithium and the oxygen present in the air. Energy is stored through an electrochemical reaction, which culminates in the formation of lithium oxide.
“It's a sustainable way to store electricity. With advances, it can withstand many loading and unloading cycles. Therefore, it is durable. It still has great potential for use in transportation, both in light and heavy vehicles. It can also operate in electricity distribution networks ”, explained Rubens.

The development of new materials will allow the desired reactions in this type of battery and even prevent or reduce unwanted reactions. It turns out to be a sustainable type of battery as it will allow many charge and discharge cycles until it becomes "addicted".

Sulfur-air batteries
There was another type of battery being introduced, sulfur-air batteries, but they're not that efficient. They are inexpensive, and allow energy storage for several hours.
Imperial College professor Nigel Brando explains these sulfur-air batteries “They can store energy for up to 24 hours at a very low cost. Sulfur and caustic soda are the main ingredients and are extremely cheap. That's why we are investing in them. ”
These batteries can thus be used in homes or businesses, but their great potential, according to Brandon, would be their application to electric car charging points.
Lithium-air and sulfur-air batteries are different but not competing battery designs, they are two types of complementary batteries, said Geoff Rodgers of Brunel University London, who chaired the session.

Fernando Jesus, de Portugal