TOKYO - Japanese researchers are developing a lithium-air battery that uses oxygen from the atmosphere to store and generate electricity, promising nearly five times the capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries at less than half the weight and potentially opening the way to far longer electric vehicle driving ranges.
The research is being led by Shoichi Matsuda, a team leader at the National Institute for Materials Science, or NIMS, who is working toward practical application of a technology regarded as a potential next generation of rechargeable batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries have become indispensable in smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and a wide range of other electronic products, but Matsuda's team is seeking performance far beyond what today's batteries can provide.
Lithium-air batteries generate electricity through chemical reactions involving oxygen taken from the surrounding air. By replacing some of the materials and components required in conventional rechargeable batteries with oxygen, the technology can dramatically reduce battery weight.
The battery is also capable of storing more electricity as oxygen is incorporated into the reaction, giving it an exceptionally high theoretical energy capacity and earning it attention as what researchers describe as an "ultimate battery."
In a demonstration, a lithium-air battery was connected to a light, which immediately illuminated. Matsuda said it could continue operating for around 10 hours.
The technology could have particularly significant implications for electric vehicles, where battery weight directly affects driving range.
Matsuda explained that reducing battery weight while increasing energy capacity could substantially extend the distance an EV can travel on a single charge. A vehicle capable of traveling 100 kilometers under one battery configuration, for example, could potentially achieve ranges of 200 or 300 kilometers as energy capacity increases.
Compared with lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries under development could offer close to five times the electrical capacity while weighing less than half as much.
The technology could also reduce the environmental burden associated with battery production because oxygen can replace rare metals used in battery electrodes.
Major technical obstacles remain, however, particularly battery durability.
Matsuda said one of the biggest problems is cycle life, or the number of times a battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged before its performance deteriorates. During repeated charging and discharging, the electrolyte inside a lithium-air battery gradually decomposes.
That deterioration currently limits the number of times the battery can be recharged, making durability one of the most important challenges that must be overcome before commercialization.
Matsuda said he does not feel impatient about the pace of development and intends to continue tackling difficult technical problems. He said the key is to keep working and continue challenging problems regardless of how difficult they become.
His research approach extends beyond conventional battery-development methods.
The team is using artificial intelligence to accelerate calculations and has introduced experimental equipment more commonly associated with biological research as it searches for materials that could improve lithium-air battery performance.
One facility contains an automated experimental system designed to identify materials that are particularly important in determining the cycle life of lithium-air batteries. The equipment uses trays containing numerous small wells, allowing researchers to conduct and automate large numbers of experiments in the search for promising materials.
Despite the battery's potential, Matsuda estimates that practical application will require at least another five years of research and development.
If the remaining durability and materials challenges can be overcome, lithium-air batteries could provide lighter, higher-capacity energy storage while reducing reliance on rare metals, giving the technology the potential to reshape competition in the global battery industry.
Source: テレ東BIZ
