Aluminum-based battery technologies

Article By:

Brown, Gilbert M. Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Last reviewed:2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB140347

The development of advanced energy-storage technologies, such as high-energy-density batteries, is a critical component in the development of the next generation of light- and heavy-duty transportation vehicles, with the ultimate goal of developing batteries for all-electric vehicles that have a driving range >300 mi (483 km). State-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries have a specific energy (energy per unit weight) of about 150 Wh kg⁻¹ and electric vehicles with these batteries do not come close to the specific energy of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. There is great interest and motivation for society to transition from fossil-energy-based electricity to electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind. For large-scale solar- or wind-based electrical generation to be practical, the development of new electrical-energy-storage systems are critical for meeting continuous energy demands and effectively leveling the cyclic nature of these energy sources.

The content above is only an excerpt.