TU Wien, a renowned research university in Austria, has recently announced a breakthrough in battery technology by developing an oxygen-ion battery with unique advantages. While lithium-ion batteries have become prevalent in modern-day applications, the newly developed oxygen-ion battery offers some distinct benefits.
One of the significant advantages of the oxygen-ion battery is its ability to regenerate its storage capacity over time, allowing for an extremely long service life. In contrast, the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries degrades irreversibly over time, leading to reduced performance and ultimately requiring replacement. Although the oxygen-ion battery may not offer as high energy densities as lithium-ion batteries, its regenerative ability makes it an attractive alternative for many applications.
TU Wien’s achievement in developing this new battery technology represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges of sustainable and long-lasting energy storage solutions. With further research and development, oxygen-ion batteries may pave the way for more efficient and environmentally friendly energy storage systems, benefiting various areas of application such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, and portable electronics.
The newly developed oxygen-ion battery has garnered considerable attention due to its unique properties, which make it a promising solution for large energy storage systems. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, the oxygen-ion battery can be produced without rare elements, which makes it more sustainable and cost-effective. Furthermore, the materials used in its construction are incombustible, making it a safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries that are known for their tendency to catch fire.
TU Wien, in collaboration with its partners from Spain, has already filed a patent application for the new battery technology. The potential for the oxygen-ion battery to store electrical energy from renewable sources has been identified as a crucial application area. With the rising demand for sustainable energy solutions, the oxygen-ion battery’s ability to regenerate its storage capacity over time and its eco-friendliness makes it an attractive option for large-scale energy storage systems.
If the oxygen-ion battery technology can be scaled up and manufactured at a competitive cost, it has the potential to revolutionize the energy storage industry. The breakthrough made by TU Wien and its partners in developing this new battery technology offers hope for a sustainable future with long-lasting and efficient energy storage solutions.
Ceramic materials as a new solution
“We have had a lot of experience with ceramic materials that can be used for fuel cells for quite some time,” says Alexander Schmid from the Institute for Chemical Technologies and Analytics at TU Wien. “That gave us the idea of investigating whether such materials might also be suitable for making a battery.”
TU Wien researchers focused on ceramic materials that have the capability of absorbing and releasing oxygen ions that carry a double negative charge. By applying an electric voltage, the oxygen ions can migrate from one ceramic material to another, creating a flow of electric current. The significant advantage of this technology is the ability to regenerate the oxygen ion storage capacity by reversing the migration of ions. As a result, the ceramic-based oxygen-ion battery can potentially offer a long service life, making it an attractive solution for energy storage applications.
“The basic principle is actually very similar to the lithium-ion battery,” says Prof. Jürgen Fleig. “But our materials have some important advantages.” Ceramics are not flammable—so fire accidents, which occur time and again with lithium-ion batteries, are practically ruled out. In addition, there is no need for rare elements, which are expensive or can only be extracted in an environmentally harmful way.
“In this respect, the use of ceramic materials is a great advantage because they can be adapted very well,” says Tobias Huber. “You can replace certain elements that are difficult to obtain with others relatively easily.” The prototype of the battery still uses lanthanum—an element that is not exactly rare but not completely common either. But even lanthanum is to be replaced by something cheaper, and research into this is already underway. Cobalt or nickel, which are used in many batteries, are not used at all.
High lifespan
The oxygen-ion battery developed by TU Wien offers a unique advantage over traditional batteries. With many batteries, the problem of decreased capacity due to the inability of charge carriers to move arises after a certain point. This can be a serious issue after several charging cycles. However, the oxygen-ion battery can be regenerated easily, as any oxygen loss due to side reactions can be compensated for by oxygen from the surrounding air.
Although the oxygen-ion battery may not offer the high energy density levels that lithium-ion batteries do, it is extremely interesting for energy storage purposes. Its regenerative ability and sustainable construction make it an attractive option for storing electrical energy from renewable sources. However, due to its operating temperature range of 200 to 400 °C, it is not suitable for use in smartphones or electric cars.
The development of the oxygen-ion battery by TU Wien represents a significant step forward in the quest for sustainable energy storage solutions. With further research and development, the oxygen-ion battery has the potential to revolutionize large-scale energy storage systems, benefitting renewable energy applications and reducing reliance on non-renewable sources of energy.
“If you need a large energy storage unit to temporarily store solar or wind energy, for example, the oxygen-ion battery could be an excellent solution,” says Alexander Schmid. “If you construct an entire building full of energy storage modules, the lower energy density and increased operating temperature do not play a decisive role. But the strengths of our battery would be particularly important there: the long service life, the possibility of producing large quantities of these materials without rare elements, and the fact that there is no fire hazard with these batteries.”
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