Despite serving endless applications in their current format, lithium ion batteries seem to have faded in charm for most researchers.
This is why a lot of research is being currently focused on finding viable replacements for this technology, considering the ever increasing power needs of today’s electronics.
Among the large number of technologies being considered for the job, Lithium Air Batteries seem to have gained quite a favor amongst researchers thanks to their ability to pack lots of energy in a small and light package.
However, it is still not developed enough to be considered an alternate to li-ion because of the complexity and impracticality of the design.
What we are referring to is the open cell design that the li-air batteries currently employ, since the process itself needs oxygen to be constantly transferred to and from the cell.
This openness in design leads to the battery becoming quite inefficient, with almost 32% charging loss during production. Not to mention the stress the battery has to go through in order to process the oxygen for use.
To remove the limitations and complexities, researchers from MIT have found a way to construct the batteries without the need for open design.
In this new construct, the battery features a lithium air cell cathode, which holds the oxygen required in a solid state within the cell itself.
This way, the battery can be closed off and housed in a smaller case, making it lighter and cheaper at the same time. Not to mention that this new design reduces the charging loss down to an impressive 8%.
By showing that the construction of such an efficient yet easily maintained battery is possible, the researchers have shifted the paradigm in the energy storage industry, towards a smarter and more powerful future.