As a new energy storage technology, aluminum batteries have attracted much attention in recent years. According to reports, a company based in India claims that they have developed an aluminum battery that can be charged in just 12 minutes and has a range of up to 1,200 kilometers. This news shook the entire battery market and also caused widespread discussion. So, how powerful is an aluminum battery?Can it really be called "hanging" the existence of other batteries?
Aluminum batteries work similarly to common lithium batteries, which are converted into electricity through ionic reactions. The difference is that aluminum batteries employ an ionic reaction between aluminum and alumina, using alumina as an electrolyte. In contrast, aluminum batteries can release up to 3 ions during the oxidation reaction, while lithium batteries can only release one ion. Since the energy density of aluminum batteries is higher, about 550Wh kg, which is much higher than the 150-300Wh kg of lithium batteries, aluminum batteries can store more power at the same weight. This also means that the aluminum battery can provide a longer range, which has more advantages than ordinary fuel vehicles.
In addition, the aluminium battery developed by the Indian company uses a rock salt structure and a solid electrolyte mixed with niobium and aluminum. Compared to lithium batteries, these batteries are less prone to dendrite (dendritic lithium metal), which avoids the risk of spontaneous combustion and improves safety. Moreover, this aluminum battery also supports 20,000 cycles of charging and discharging, and the service life will reach more than 15 years. These characteristics make aluminum batteries have outstanding advantages in terms of range and service life.
However, why are most new energy vehicle companies still developing lithium batteries instead of aluminum batteries?
1. Technical challenges: charging power and working voltage of aluminum batteries
While aluminum batteries offer many advantages, they still face some important technical challenges. The first is the issue of charging power. If you want to charge a 150 kWh battery in 12 minutes, the charging station must have a power of 750 kW. The fastest Tesla Supercharger on the market today has a maximum power of only 150 kilowatts. How to break through this technical limitation and how to solve the heating and safety problems of ultra-high voltage charging piles are all problems that need to be solved.
In addition, the working voltage problem of aluminum batteries also needs to be solved. At present, the operating voltage of aluminum batteries is much lower than that of lithium batteries, and although some research teams have tried to make aluminum-ion liquid batteries that can be charged and discharged, they have not yet achieved a level of performance comparable to that of lithium batteries. This is also a major challenge for the application of aluminum batteries in the market.
2. Corrosive problems and aluminum consumption
In addition, aluminum batteries also face corrosive problems. Although aluminum is easy to regenerate and less expensive, it can cause severe corrosion during the battery reaction, resulting in a reduced utilization rate of aluminum electrodes. This will lead to a decrease in the power storage capacity of the aluminum battery, while increasing the maintenance and replacement cost of the battery.
3. Lack of relevant patents and oral publicity
According to **, the Indian company did not provide the patented technology related to aluminum batteries, but only claimed that it had developed such batteries through verbal propaganda. This undoubtedly gives the impression that it is not very reliable, and it also raises doubts about its authenticity.
Therefore, despite the many advantages of aluminum batteries, they are still facing unprecedented technical challenges and market competition. As the most widely used battery technology at present, lithium batteries have achieved great success in the field of electric vehicles and are still evolving and innovating. Although aluminum batteries have great potential, there are still many technical and market limitations that need to be overcome to reach the level of slinging lithium batteries.
As a new type of energy storage technology, the emergence of aluminum batteries has indeed brought many expectations and opportunities to people. Especially in solving the problem of range anxiety and charging speed of electric vehicles, aluminum batteries have obvious advantages. However, we also need to take a rational look at the development status and challenges of aluminum batteries.
First of all, technological breakthroughs are the key to the development of aluminum batteries. Although aluminum batteries have the advantages of high energy density and long service life, in order to achieve the goal of 1200 kilometers of battery life in 12 minutes, it is still necessary to solve the technical problems of charging power and working voltage. Only through technological innovation and technological breakthroughs can aluminum batteries truly become a competitive energy storage solution.
Secondly, market demand and competition are also important considerations for the development of aluminum batteries. As the mainstream battery technology, lithium batteries have occupied an important position in the field of electric vehicles and new energy. In order to make a breakthrough in the market, aluminum batteries need to meet consumers' needs for mileage, charging speed and **. At the same time, it is necessary to compete with other competitors such as lithium batteries in terms of technology, cost, and chain in order to gain market share and commercial success.
Overall, as an emerging energy storage technology, aluminum batteries have great potential and development opportunities. However, before achieving the goal of sling all batteries, we need to maintain a rational understanding and expectation of the current development status of aluminum batteries. Only through scientific and technological innovation and market competition can aluminum batteries exert their true value and contribute to the green travel and sustainable development of human beings.