In this article, we discuss the 5 most advanced battery technologies that will power the future. If you want to read about some more advanced battery technologies that will power the future, go directly to 10 Most Advanced Battery Technologies That Will Power The Future.
5. Silicon Anode Lithium-Ion Batteries
In this technology, the anode is made up of silicon and lithium-ions are charge carriers. Silicon is one of the promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. It has a record capacity of about 4000 mAh/g, which is ten times higher than graphite. These anodes add a binder for increased mechanical stability and carbon as a conductive additive.
Silicon enhances the energy density of lithium-ion batteries when used as the anode. Each silicon atom can bind up to 3.75 lithium atoms in its fully lithiated state compared to one lithium atom per 6 carbon atoms for fully lithiated graphite. Hence, silicon composes great gravimetric and volumetric capacities. The performance of silicon is higher than graphite in electric vehicle batteries. It is also cheaper than other materials and has fewer environmental impacts.
Enovix is a developer and manufacturer of 100% silicon anodes. The company has also developed 3D cell architecture for higher energy density. Silicon anode battery is used in some electric vehicles, but most EVs don’t use it. The main reason for not using silicon anode is impractical driving ranges. It also increases the mass of the vehicle which leads to the increased manufacturing cost of vehicles.
4. NanoBolt Lithium Tungsten Batteries
The NanoBolt lithium-tungsten battery is an advanced and new improvement to lithium-ion batteries. These electrochemical cells have a layered structure that offers more surface area for ion transfer. The anode section of the battery comprises tungsten and carbon. The layers of nanotubes and other elements create a web structure inside of the battery which works with high efficiency.
The major advantage of NanoBolt is that the transfer of energy across the battery is faster than the standard lithium-ion batteries, which increases the ability of the battery to charge quickly and last longer. When the battery is not in use, nanomaterials can be used as a coating to separate the electrodes. Nanomaterials also increase the available power from a battery which decreases the time required to recharge the battery. These batteries are majorly built for electric vehicles and industries.
3. Zinc-Manganese Oxide Batteries
Zinc-Manganese Oxide Batteries (Zn-MnO2) use an alkaline electrolyte which is being developed as a cost-effective electrochemical storage technology for grid applications. This battery is mainly targeted for grid-scale energy storage because of its high theoretical energy density rivaling lithium-ion systems (~400 Wh/L), relatively safe aqueous electrolyte, established supply chain, and projected costs below $100/kWh at scale.
The use of water as an electrolyte in Zinc-Manganese batteries makes them significantly safer than other forms of electrochemical cells. These batteries do not catch flames like lithium-ion batteries and offer improved intrinsic safety over lithium-ion batteries. Zinc is cheaper than cobalt and lithium so manufacturing and using this battery can also reduce the cost of power storage.
2. Organosilicon Electrolyte Batteries
OS3 is an advanced organosilicon electrolyte solvent that stabilizes lithium salt and carbonate co-solvents in a solution. OS3 works in liquid and solid electrolyte systems to improve Li-ion battery performance. It is also considered a key factor for the higher energy density of lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. These compounds have low glass transition temperatures with superior chemical and thermal stabilities. Glass transition temperature is the temperature at which the hard or glassy polymer changes into a soft non-melted state.
Organosilicon compounds have attracted considerable interest as electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries because they are nontoxic and nonflammable as well as have lower vapor pressure and higher flash point than commercial alkyl carbonates. The use of organosilicon is increasing due to environmental benefits such as lower carbon emission and reduced flammability. The market is estimated to rise with a compound annual growth rate of 64.8% during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2031.
The electric vehicle industry and defense applications have substantial use of organosilicon batteries. For various end-use applications, including stationary storage, defense, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and others, organosilicon electrolytes are now employed as a co-solvent in rechargeable as well as non-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Some of the key market players for this technology are Orbia and Silatronix.
1. Metal Hydrogen Battery
Metal hydrogen battery, also known as nickel-hydrogen battery, is a rechargeable electrochemical power source based on nickel and hydrogen. It differs from a nickel–metal hydride battery by the use of hydrogen in gaseous form, stored in a pressurized cell at up to 1200 psi pressure. The specific energy of this battery is 55 to 75 Wh/kg. It has a charge efficiency of 85% and a cycle durability of more than 20,000 cycles.
The metal hydrogen batteries have properties which make them attractive for electrical energy storage in satellites. For example, the ISS, Mercury Messenger, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Global Surveyor are equipped with nickel–hydrogen batteries. They are also being used in the Hubble Space Telescope which is the first application of nickel-hydrogen batteries for a major Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mission. By converting the chemical energy stored in gasses into electrical energy, the battery can be used to power electric drive motors, temporary storage batteries or a variety of other applications.
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