Boffins at MIT, have come up with something which could provide a lightweight and inexpensive alternative to batteries.
The new battery relies on an innovative architecture called a semi-solid flow cell, in which solid particles are suspended in a carrier liquid and pumped through the system. The positive and negative electrodes are composed of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte.
According to a paper penned by Mihai Duduta and graduate student Bryan Ho, and published May 20 in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, the battery separates the storing energy until it is needed, and discharging that energy when it needs to be used into different areas. This can reduce the size and the cost of a complete battery system, including all of its structural support and connectors, to about half the current levels.
Another potential advantage is that in vehicle applications, such a system would permit the possibility of “refueling” the battery by pumping out the liquid goo and pumping in a fresh, freshly charged replacement.