Test for a long time, lithium-air battery technology provides a high energy density storage of Li-ion batteries used today, but they have several drawbacks that lithium-oxygen technology developed by MIT researchers promises to solve the institute.
Using oxygen from the air as a catalyst in chemical processes that occur during the operation of loading / unloading battery Li-air end up wasting a good deal of energy to 30% of the electricity received from AC power is converted directly into heat.
If batteries with Li-oxygen technology, the same chemical reactions occur but without direct contact with atmospheric air, replaced by a series of chemical compounds - Li2O, Li2O2 and LiO2 - which remain permanently in the solid state.
With less waste heat released during charging Li-air batteries can reach the desired capacity in a shorter time, while making it easier to use them in large numbers - for example to power electric vehicles.
According to the team led by a researcher named Ju Li, the chemical processes that occur during this type of battery charging protects against accidental overloading, chemical reactions going on to form inert after reaching maximum capacity energy storage.
For comparison, Li-ion battery technology can be damaged by overheating quickly, with even a fire hazard if the power supply is not disconnected at the time.
Source: Go4it
