New flow battery could go 240 miles on a single charge

    Scientists at the Berkeley National Laboratory and General Electric are developing a water-based flow battery that is more powerful than traditional base station energy storage batteries and is expected to become the next generation of electric vehicle batteries. The battery is expected to greatly increase the driving range after a single charge and be cost-effective.

    This new type of flow battery uses an aqueous solution of inorganic active materials, which can transfer multiple electrons at the same time, thus having a high energy density. The electrochemical cell used for discharging and charging the battery is separated from the energy storage tank, making the battery safer. The chemical reaction mechanism that scientists are developing and testing will be dedicated to allowing the flow battery to obtain energy from a completely new electrochemical reaction, and this reaction will be carried out safely in a pool of water.

    Adam Weber, a scientist at Berkeley Lab, said, "We have made significant achievements in developing high-power conventional flow batteries, and it is quite feasible to implant this expertise into high-energy density flow batteries." Soloveichik, head of the water-based flow battery project at GE Global Research Center, said, "Its advantages in price and charging may have a profound impact on the electric vehicle field. The new flow battery we developed is only one-quarter the price of car batteries currently on the market, but its driving range is three times theirs. The U.S. Department of Energy hopes that a battery can ensure that the car can travel 240 miles (about 384 kilometers), and we think we can exceed this number."

    In addition to having significant advantages in price and driving range, the new flow battery is also safer than the batteries currently used in cars and easier to integrate into car design.