A new type of battery was invented at TU Wien. Oxygen-ion batteries are extremely durable, do not require rare elements, and solve the problem of fire hazards.
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere today, from electric cars to smartphones. However, that does not mean that they are the best solution for all application areas.The Vienna University of Technology has successfully developed an oxygen-ion battery with several key advantages. They don’t have as high an energy density as lithium-ion batteries, but their storage capacity doesn’t decrease over time.
In addition, oxygen-ion batteries can be manufactured without using rare elements and are made of non-combustible materials. A patent application for the new battery idea has already been filed with a cooperation partner in Spain. Oxygen-ion batteries can be an excellent solution for large-scale energy storage systems, such as storing electrical energy from renewable sources.
Ceramic materials as new solutions
Alexander Schmidt from the Institute for Chemical Technology and Analytical Science at the Technical University of Vienna said: “The idea arose to investigate whether such materials would also be suitable for making batteries.”
A ceramic material studied by a team at the Vienna University of Technology can absorb and release doubly negatively charged oxygen ions. When a voltage is applied, oxygen ions can migrate from one ceramic material to another and then again to generate an electric current.
“The basic principle is actually very similar to lithium-ion batteries,” says Professor Jürgen Freich. “But our material has some important advantages.” Because ceramics are not flammable, the fire hazards that occur so often with lithium-ion batteries are virtually eliminated. Additionally, no rare elements are required that are expensive or can only be extracted by environmentally harmful methods.
“In this respect, the use of ceramic materials is a great advantage, as they are very adaptable,” says Tobias Huber. “Certain hard-to-find elements can be replaced with others relatively easily.” Battery prototypes still use lanterns. This isn’t exactly uncommon, but it’s also not entirely common. But even lanthanum is being replaced by cheaper alternatives, and research is already underway on this.
Long life
But perhaps the most important advantage of the new battery technology is its potential longevity. “A lot of batteries have the problem that at some point the charge carriers stop moving,” says Alexander Schmid. “Then it can’t be used to generate electricity, and the battery’s capacity decreases. After many charging cycles, it can become a serious problem.”
However, oxygen-ion batteries can be regenerated without problems. If oxygen is lost through side reactions, the loss can easily be compensated for by oxygen from the surrounding air.
The new battery concept is not aimed at smartphones or electric vehicles. This is because oxygen-ion batteries can only achieve about one-third the energy density that lithium-ion batteries are accustomed to, and operate at temperatures between 200 and 400 °C. However, this technology is very interesting for energy storage.
“For example, if you need a large-scale energy storage unit to temporarily store solar or wind energy, oxygen-ion batteries could be a good solution,” says Alexander Schmid. “Lower energy density and higher operating temperatures do not play a decisive role when constructing an entire building full of energy storage modules. But the strengths of our batteries are particularly important there: a long service life. , the possibility of mass producing these materials without rare elements, and the fact that these batteries are not a fire hazard.”
Original: New Invention: Oxygen Ion Battery
Than: Vienna University of Technology
