Derrick
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The world’s first battery powered by air, namely the STAIR battery (St Andrews Air), could forge a path for a new generation of electric cars and electronic goods.
According to scientists from the University of St. Andrews it could offer up to ten times more energy storage capacity than today’s battery designs.
STAIR’s improved capacity can be attributed to the addition of a component that uses oxygen drawn from the air during discharge – this replaces a chemical component in modern batteries.
By opening up more space within the battery researchers are able to increase the amount of energy it offers. This means that it may be possible to produce smaller batteries that hold larger amounts of energy – a requirement which has been an ongoing battle for electric car manufacturers.
STAIR could also be cheaper than today’s rechargeable batteries. The new component which it utilises is made from porous carbon which is considerably cheaper than the lithium cobalt oxide it replaces.
“Our target is to get a five to ten fold increase in storage capacity, which is beyond the horizon of current lithium batteries. Our results so far are very encouraging and have far exceeded our expectations,” says principal investigator, Professor Peter Bruce of the Chemistry Department at the University of St Andrews.
“Not only is this part of the process free, the carbon component is much cheaper than current technology,” says Bruce who estimates that it will be five years before the battery is commercially available.
The four year research project, which started on 1 July 2007 is set to end on 30 June 2011 and will have cost over 1.5 million pounds upon completion.
According to scientists from the University of St. Andrews it could offer up to ten times more energy storage capacity than today’s battery designs.
STAIR’s improved capacity can be attributed to the addition of a component that uses oxygen drawn from the air during discharge – this replaces a chemical component in modern batteries.
By opening up more space within the battery researchers are able to increase the amount of energy it offers. This means that it may be possible to produce smaller batteries that hold larger amounts of energy – a requirement which has been an ongoing battle for electric car manufacturers.
STAIR could also be cheaper than today’s rechargeable batteries. The new component which it utilises is made from porous carbon which is considerably cheaper than the lithium cobalt oxide it replaces.
“Our target is to get a five to ten fold increase in storage capacity, which is beyond the horizon of current lithium batteries. Our results so far are very encouraging and have far exceeded our expectations,” says principal investigator, Professor Peter Bruce of the Chemistry Department at the University of St Andrews.
“Not only is this part of the process free, the carbon component is much cheaper than current technology,” says Bruce who estimates that it will be five years before the battery is commercially available.
The four year research project, which started on 1 July 2007 is set to end on 30 June 2011 and will have cost over 1.5 million pounds upon completion.