New Battery Tech Could Revolutionize Aviation

The electric car revolution has gained significant momentum in the recent years as countries around the world continue to phase out fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy. While the adoption of electric cars has made impressive strides, the aviation industry has lagged. The lack of growth in battery technology in this particular sector may be attributed to bulky Li-ion batteries and the fact that battery tech is currently unable to meet the power demands of airliners.

For flights to be completely battery-powered, the power density of Li-ion batteries would need to be increased to 1000 watt-hours per kg. While this isn’t possible, researchers have been exploring alternative options like sodium-air batteries, which possess more energy density but have issues when it comes to recharging.

Recently, MIT scientists in collaboration with researchers from different institutions, unveiled a liquid sodium-air fuel cell that may revolutionize air travel as we know it.

This fuel cell includes a solid electrolyte membrane, which enables the battery to adjust airflow and humidity, optimizing efficiency. It is made up of a pair of chambers, one of which is filled with air and the other liquid sodium metal. An electrolyte with a porous structure is located between these layers, allowing sodium ions to react with oxygen and produce electricity.

For their study, the researchers developed a duo of testable prototypes and carried out different tests, using controlled humidity and precise air streams to optimize performance. This allowed them to observe that the amount of humidity present in the air aided in the creation of sodium discharge in liquid form. This, in turn, enabled them to eliminate solid battery waste.

Benefits of solid-air fuel cells include lower costs, improved safety due to lower risk of thermal runaway and more affordable materials like sodium metal. This battery also offers a significantly higher weight-to-power ratio than Li-ion batteries and can be refueled, which eliminates the need to recharge.

Additionally, they are much cleaner as their by-product, sodium bicarbonate, is beneficial to the environment.

Apart from its potential use in the aviation sector, the lightweight design of sodium-air batteries make them ideal for use in commercial truck applications. The researchers published their findings in Joule.

Researchers involved in the study include Saahir Ganti-Agrawal, Yet-Ming Chiang, Karen Sugano, Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan, Shashank Sripad, Alden Friesen, Sunil Mair, William Woodford, and Kailash Raman. Their primary focus now is to secure funding to bring their prototypes closer to commercialization, having already established a start-up, Propel Aero.

If this new battery chemistry is commercialized, it could open up a whole new ecosystem that would create new market opportunities for enterprises like Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (NYSE American: PLG) (TSX: PTM) that are working to produce PGMs critical for battery making.

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