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| Battery tester: Argonne National Laboratory chemist Elena Timofeeva sets up an experiment to test a liquid electrode (seen inside the IV bag). |
A new kind of battery stores energy in what researchers are calling “rechargeable fuel”—electrodes in liquid form. The result can be either recharged like a conventional battery or replaced by pumping in new fuel like gasoline.
The materials could theoretically allow an electric car to travel 500 miles on a charge, five times farther than most electric vehicles can now, say the researchers developing the technology, who are based at Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Replacing them at a fueling station would take just a few minutes. In contrast, even the fastest charging stations for conventional batteries take an hour to provide a full charge.
Limited driving range and long recharging times are two of the biggest challenges for electric cars. Liquid battery electrodes could allow longer range by increasing the amount of energy battery packs can store, and because fewer non-energy-storing components would be needed, it could also make them cheaper.
Technology Review:
A Battery With Liquid Electrodes Can Be Recharged or Refilled, by Kevin Bullis
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