Do you know that liquid can also be used as a battery?

Governments and utilities need a device that stores energy on a large scale to solve the problem of wind and solar instability. One possibility is a mobile battery that stores and releases energy by using a liquid. However, there is a problem with this type of device, that is, the energy density is low and the size of the device determines how much energy is stored. Now, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washley, England, has developed a new type of mobile battery that can store up to as much twice energy as existing mobile batteries.

The solid electrode of a conventional battery is replaced by a two-part liquid electrolyte. The liquid is placed in a separation cell, and as it flows into the cell, the chemical reaction between the liquids can be discharged and charged through the porous membrane.

The energy storage of the mobile battery can be easily extended by adding liquid. Compared to lithium batteries commonly used in mobile devices, mobile batteries consume less electricity per kilowatt hour. In this way, the mobile battery becomes the potential best choice for the power grid. However, the low energy density of mobile batteries also limits their development of power to some of the grids because they require a lot of space, which is very limited in the city.

The new flow cell uses a black galvanized polyiodide liquid and a clear galvanized iodide liquid. According to laboratory standards, the mobile battery can release 12 watts of electricity, comparable to the capacity of two Apple batteries. In comparison, a mobile battery can release 167 watt-hours of energy per liter of electrolyte, compared to 70 watts for a galvanized bromide battery and 15 to 25 hours for a vanadium battery. (As a reference, electric cars travel in cities, requiring 350 watts of electricity per 1.6 km)

In theory, researchers say that if more chemicals are dissolved in the new battery, it can release up to 322 watts of electricity, while ordinary lithium batteries, which are often used in portable electronic devices and small electric vehicles, can only be released 233 watts of electricity.

Researchers say the new galvanized polyiodide battery they developed is safer. Because the liquid inside it is not acidic, this is different from other mobile batteries. Therefore, this new type of flow battery does not need to be equipped with expensive materials to prevent its corrosion. In addition, the new battery can be used in extreme weather – minus 20 to 50 degrees Celsius, which has a wider operating window than other batteries. Other batteries require heating and cooling systems to help them adapt to the electrical equipment they are using.

One problem with laboratory battery prototypes is that the strengthening of the metal zinc reduces the battery discharge. Researchers say the increase can be reduced by adding alcohol, and they are still exploring whether other additives can control the response.

Scientists plan to experiment with larger batteries that can release 100 watts of electricity. On February 24th they reported their findings online through Nature News magazine.

The page contains the contents of the machine translation.