Recently, researchers from Ohio State University published a study in the "Battery and Supercapacitor" magazine, elaborating a more efficient and reliable potassium-oxygen battery, which may be a key step in solving the long-term energy storage of the power grid.

This research revolves around the cathode structure of the battery. The cathode stores the energy generated by the chemical reaction in a metal oxygen or metal air battery. The researchers said that this discovery could enable cheaper and more efficient energy storage, making renewable energy such as solar and wind energy a more viable option for the power grid.

Life constraints further application of batteries

"If you want to choose a completely renewable energy source for the grid, then you need an economical energy storage device that can store excess electricity. When you don't need electricity, you can also send excess electricity out." The author and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State University said, "This kind of technology is key because it is cheap, does not use any foreign materials, and can be manufactured anywhere to promote the local economy."

In order to make renewable energy a reliable power source for regional power grids, energy storage facilities are needed to collect the excess power they generate. Companies, scientists, and governments around the world are working on energy storage solutions, from lithium-ion batteries (many larger versions of electric vehicles) to giant batteries (the size of a large box store made of metal vanadium).

Since the advent of potassium-oxygen batteries in 2013, it has been a potential energy storage alternative. Studies have shown that this type of battery is more efficient than lithium-oxygen batteries and stores twice the energy of existing lithium-ion batteries. However, the main reason why potassium-oxygen batteries have not been widely used for energy storage is that they do not have enough life to save costs.

When the research team tried to create a viable potassium-oxygen battery, they encountered an obstacle: the battery will degrade after each charge, and it cannot last for 5 ~ 10 charging cycles, far from making the battery a cost-effective storage. Can solution. This degradation is because oxygen penetrates into the anode of the battery, causing the anode to break down, making the battery itself unable to recharge.

Polymer extends battery life by 12 times

Paul Gilmore, a PhD student at the St. Derry ’s laboratory, began adding polymers to the cathode to see if he could protect the anode from oxygen damage. He believes that if we find a way to do this, it will extend the life of potassium-oxygen batteries. The results proved that he was right: the research team realized that polymer swelling plays a crucial role in its performance.

This design is a bit like the human lung: air enters the battery through the fibrous carbon layer, then encounters the second layer with less porosity, and finally reaches the third layer-almost no porosity. The third layer is made of a conductive polymer, allowing potassium ions to pass through the cathode, but restricting molecular oxygen from entering the anode. This design means that the battery can be recharged at least 125 times-which makes the life of the potassium-oxygen battery more than 12 times longer than when using low-cost electrolytes.

Although the research team has not proven that batteries can be produced at the scale required for energy storage in the grid, it does show potential. Gilmore said: "Oxygen batteries have a higher energy density, which means they can increase the range of electric vehicles and the battery life of portable electronic devices. But before potassium-oxygen batteries are suitable for these applications, other challenges must be overcome. "

Researchers estimate that the cost of potassium-oxygen batteries is $ 44 per kWh.

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