Researchers develop battery that wears slowly

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a flow battery that wears less quickly than lithium-ion batteries. The batteries must be used to store clean energy from sources that cannot supply energy constantly, such as wind turbines and solar cells.

The researchers have modified the structures of the molecules in the electrolyte solutions so that they are soluble in water, the university writes. As a result, the electrolytes are not corrosive, which results in a lot less wear on the battery. According to Michael Aziz, a lecturer at the university and one of the project’s leaders, the batteries lose one percent of their capacity after 1,000 charge cycles. The batteries can last more than ten years, according to the university.

Aziz goes on to say that the technique is particularly suitable for keeping a battery in the basement of a house, as the pH-neutral liquids do not eat the floor if they are spilled. This also makes it possible to use cheaper materials for the construction of the batteries.

The batteries should mainly be used for storing self-generated power from wind turbines and solar cells. The university does not indicate how large the batteries are or to what extent they can also be used in other fields. It is also not known whether the technology will also become available in practice.