European Union researchers are about to start work on a prototype zinc-polymer car battery scientists hope will be significantly lighter, safer and more environmentally friendly than existing batteries.
Current lead-acid-, lithium- and nickel-based batteries carry problems associated with waste disposal, weight and chemical stability. They also can be slow to charge and present safety concerns.
The aim of the E3.5 million ($5.0 million) PolyZion project is to make electric vehicles more competitive by making their batteries lighter, longer-lasting and less costly, while recharging more quickly and causing less harm to the environment.
Participants, including researchers from Russia and Canada, are looking to improve the battery-related properties of ionic liquids and develop rechargeable zinc electrodes, ultra-fast pulse-charge injection techniques and polymers that effectively conduct electricity.
Spanish battery-supplier Celaya Emparanza y Galdos (Cegasa) will start work on a prototype by the end of this month, with the goal of making it available for testing by early 2012.
“Newer technologies such as lithium-ion are very good but are quite expensive and surrounded by serious safety concerns – they are prone to burn fiercely on impact,” says research participant Karl S. Ryder of the University of Leicester. “Our work is aimed at developing an exciting and totally new battery technology that is lightweight and environmentally sustainable as well as both effective and safe.”
The university predicts the global market for EV and hybrid-electric vehicles will exceed $2 billion by 2015.
Others involved in the project include U.K. technology company C-Tech Innovation, Spanish materials research group Fundacion CIDETEC and energy firm KEMA Nederland.
Also participating are French materials-specialists Rescoll, Portugal’s University of Porto, Russia’s AE Favorsky Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry and Canada’s Institute de Recherche d’Hydro-Quebec.
One key goal is to find a way to optimize ionic liquid electrolyte used in the batteries to eliminate hydrogen gas and secure a high cell-voltage (about 1.9V). The project also is focused on reducing the amount of nanocrystallites deposited during the charging cycle, which can reduce battery efficiency.
Zinc-polymer batteries would not require the heavy protective casings used in less-stable lithium-ion cells, cutting weight.
Material costs would be less, as well, Steven Brewer, C-Tech Innovation project manager, tells Ward’s, “with good security of supply, as sources of all raw materials are abundant.”
Once a prototype is produced, the group will benchmark the battery’s performance against current EVs and hybrids.
The 3-year project should be completed by August 2012, when a summary of the results will be published. Information on technical progress being made has been restricted to protect the consortium’s intellectual property.
The research is funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework Program.
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