CINCINNATI, USA: Researchers have invented a new battery that they claim could have profound implications for the future of renewable technologies and energy storage.
Developed by a team at the University of Cincinnati, this lithium-based redox-flow battery has the potential to play a vital role in wind and solar operations, addressing the need for large-scale energy storage during periods of overproduction and release it when production drops off.
“Energy generation and energy consumption is always mismatched,” said Jimmy Jiang, who led the research at the University of Cincinnati.
“That’s why it is important to have a device that can store that energy temporarily and release it when it’s needed.”
This innovative battery design eliminates the costly membrane that traditionally separates the positive and negative sides of such batteries, a barrier that has long impeded progress in this field.
The membrane-free battery has demonstrated remarkable performance with high voltage and energy density, potentially meeting the demands of large-scale green energy operations at an economically feasible cost for the very first time. Soumalya Sinha, a visiting professor involved in the research, highlighted the substantial reduction in material costs as a result of this design, aiming to achieve outstanding performance at a lower price point.
The research team has already submitted patent applications for this ground-breaking design. Dr. Jiang confidently predicts a “battery revolution” in the next two decades, citing the intensive research underway to push the boundaries of battery performance.
