Will Aluminum air battery replace the lithium battery?

Aluminum air The battery Recently obtained significant progress, the range of 1600 kilometers, far more than any existing such as Tesla Power battery A car. Market participants believe that the metal air batteries could give musk "a SAP", he may not have super battery factory to break ground, has been left behind. However, there is the personage inside course of study thinks, for vehicle applications, aluminum air battery is still in the air. In this regard, aluminum air battery even than hydrogen fuel cell.

Electric cars to become a real mainstream products, battery life is a barrier. The recent lasts 1600 kilometers of the birth of aluminum air battery, there is no doubt that the electric car market in waves. Is widely concerned, the future really can replace aluminum air battery Lithium ion batteries And lead the electric vehicles to enter a new stage of development.

Alcoa (Alcoa) and Israel Phinergy company recently conducted a test on an electric car, the car was carrying two companies after the joint development of aluminum air battery, and the vehicle's biggest bright spot is its range can be increased to 994 miles (1600 km).

If the technology really applied to mature, it is helpful to the future of electric cars on a large scale promotion. But for the global electric car on behalf of the manufacturer's Tesla is not necessarily good news. Market participants believe that the metal air batteries could give musk "a SAP", he may not have super battery factory to break ground, has been left behind .However, there is the personage inside course of study thinks, for vehicle applications, aluminum air battery is still in the air. In this regard, aluminum air battery even than hydrogen fuel cell.

The pros and cons of aluminum air battery

Aluminum air battery is a kind of metal air batteries, it is the working principle of active metal aluminium oxidizing reaction in the water release energy process - through the electrolyte and special electrode materials, will release energy in the form of electricity output.

In simple terms, metal aluminum absorb oxygen from the air, and the function of the user to car with aquatic biochemistry, aluminum into alumina, thus releasing energy and power for the automobile. The battery life cycle, users only need to infuse water a month.

Aluminum air battery and lithium ion battery relative merits, the focus of the debate is mainly on the battery life.

At present, Tesla The lithium battery Technology is relatively mature, but the only problem is the low energy density of lithium-ion batteries, battery life is limited. Most of the current lithium ion battery life in 135 kilometers (Nissan Leaf) to 480 kilometers (Tesla S type).And aluminum air battery, 1600 km range far beyond any existing power battery cars - including full of electricity to run 500 kilometers of Tesla Models, even the plug-in hybrid electric & increase program (range at about 500 kilometers), and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (range in 500-600 km above) show does not.

In addition, Alcoa Phinergy Israeli company and a new display of Canada 100 kg of aluminum air battery store enough electricity to drive 3000 km. Tesla, by contrast, Models of battery over 500 kg, and the range is less than 500 kilometers. In addition, some experts believe that the energy density of the lithium ion battery can also double half, battery costs can be reduced by 50%, weight loss, but the basic can be said to be the limit.

In these ways, the aluminum air battery is really a breakthrough, is superior to lithium ion batteries. However, due to aluminum air battery anode corrosion in the process of discharge can produce hydrogen, it will not only lead to the excessive consumption of anode material, but also can increase the battery internal electrical loss. This seriously hindered the commercialization process of aluminum - air batteries.

The Phinergy company said, the company USES the new technology, can effectively avoid the carbon electrode, electrolyte solution surface oxide layer, the reaction continues.

In essence, aluminum air battery is, rather than water. Therefore, in the process of the battery work, continuously output power, metal aluminum in flowing by oxidation and consumption, also produce aluminum hydroxide, generate electricity is conditional on the level of consumption aluminum containing chemical energy. This means that after the aluminum air battery storage battery, the battery life ends, the need to reinstall, namely adding metal aluminum. At the same time, for aluminum metal solid content, compared with other gas fuel cells have many inconvenience, such as hydrogen fuel cells can be hydrogen filling, storage, transmission conveniently to chemical reaction device, but aluminum air battery is obviously not.

In fact, the aluminum air battery has appeared in the early 1960S.But until now, is it most of the research in the theory stage, the actual application is not much. In China, its research has focused on the emergency power supply; In foreign countries, some scientists or research electrode material, or the special applications of battery systems, is trying to seek the aluminum air battery application technology breakthrough.

Aluminum air battery can replace the lithium battery?

There is no denying the fact that life is the biggest bottleneck, lithium ion battery commercial aluminum air battery super range in favor of the large-scale application of the electric car. But only from this is too early to said aluminum air battery instead of lithium battery. For automotive applications, aluminum air battery still an open question.

Geely automobile research institute is a former related simulation modeling experiment, from the point of the results, the aluminum air battery is more suitable for as a life spare batteries. Aluminum air battery is an energy source, relative to the battery can store electrical energy, equal weight of aluminum air battery can release more electricity, its high energy density, but is extremely low, it can release the power of alone cannot meet the demand of vehicle, especially at the start. This is equivalent to a car fuel, fuel tank is very big, but the engine is small, can go a long way, but walked slowly. Lithium ion battery, by contrast, the speed will be more stable. If use the same power (i.e., vehicles have the same speed) of aluminum air battery, its weight will probably be 4 to 5 times that of lithium ion battery.

That is to say, an electric car with energy should be take in practical use, director of the aluminum air battery, travel distance for longer, as well as aluminum air battery are short, with a power type of battery, the vehicle has good dynamic performance.

In fact, Canadian companies develop Alcoa aluminum air battery cars still need to retain a lithium-ion battery, aluminum battery to start only after the lithium battery die.

It is worth mentioning that the Tesla also started the layout in the field of aluminum air battery. According to foreign media reports, in 2010 Tesla motors on December 8, put forward the "extended range" electric vehicle hybrid battery system of patent application, and in 2013 won the approval of the United States Patent Office on June 25.This patent include standard lithium-ion battery pack and the other with a metal air chemical battery pack. Lithium ion batteries to power a car directly, metal air batteries provide power for lithium-ion battery pack.

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