MIT's new flow battery generates 10 times the power of lithium-ion batteries

MIT has finally developed a cheap and efficient recyclable flow battery that can store intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, with a power generation capacity of 10 times that of most lithium-ion batteries. So what exactly is a flow battery? It is a recyclable battery that exchanges ions through two liquids with opposite charges (electrolytes), and then directly converts chemical energy into electrical energy. According to analysis, this is expected to bring a new situation to electric vehicle charging. What is a flow battery? A flow battery is a rechargeable battery in which two liquids with opposite charges (electrolytes) exchange ions and then convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Before, there was usually a thin film separating the electrolytes so that the two liquids did not mix when they exchange ions. However, the cost of electrolytes often used is not high, but they have to erode the not cheap film, which greatly shortens the life of the battery. So the best way for researchers to achieve their goals is to simply remove the use of the film. In order to prevent the two liquids from mixing together, the researchers used laminar flow technology in hydrodynamics to place them in a container. The electrolyte storage will be separated from the battery itself. There are two tanks containing the electrolyte, which means that the size of the battery can be easily controlled, and the size of the battery can be changed by changing the size of the tank. The power generation will also vary from tens of millions to several megawatts. In addition to the adjustable size, the flow battery has more advantages: it can be left idle for a long time without losing charge, the response time is fast, and it can be quickly charged and discharged by replacing the electrolyte. Because of this, it was praised in the past few years. This should be used for fast charging of electric vehicles. On the other hand, flow batteries are more complicated than ordinary batteries, and each requires its own pump and sensor system. And the energy density is lower than that of ordinary lithium-ion batteries. This is the battery of the future. At present, MIT has made a good balance between performance and cost for the development of flow battery. The electrolyte used is not expensive, replacing the previous expensive film and dealing with the shortcomings of short battery life. The battery prototype in the MIT laboratory uses a strange phenomenon called laminar flow in hydrodynamics: when two liquids are kept at a low enough speed and other conditions are met, the two electrolytes will not mix, making the film redundant. The flow battery can generate 0.795 watts of electricity per square centimeter, and the power generation is 3 times that of other thin-film battery design systems and 10 times that of ordinary lithium-ion batteries. The related team also involved thin-film battery systems before, but this is the first energy-saving battery that can automatically discharge and recharge, and the enlarged version of this device has really brought an impact. It can cost only $100 per kilowatt-hour. Another advantage is that this technology can be used in the storage of renewable energy, because sunlight and wind can be regarded as unlimited in a short time, so a large amount of clean energy can be stored as a backup. In the future, it is expected that solar and wind energy will be converted continuously and become the best energy choice for our electric vehicles.