'Rusting' battery could be energy aid
LOS ANGELES, Aug 2, 2012 -- UPI
U.S. researchers say they've developed an inexpensive
rechargeable battery that works by the oxidation of iron plates
-- more familiarly known as rusting.
The air-breathing battery uses the chemical energy generated
by the oxidation of iron plates exposed to the oxygen in the
air, scientists at the University of Southern California
reported Wednesday.
"Iron is cheap and air is free," USC chemistry Professor Sri
Narayan said. "It's the future."
Currently the batteries have the capacity to store between
eight and 24 hours' worth of energy and could be used to store
energy at solar power plants for a cloudy or rainy day, the
researchers said.
As California moves toward more renewable energy, solar- and
wind-power plants will need an effective way of storing large
amounts of energy for use during such times, they said.
Regular sealed batteries are not rechargeable, and
lithium-ion batteries like those used in cell phones and
laptops, which are rechargeable, are at least 10 times as
expensive as iron-air batteries, they said.
The researchers said their work is ongoing to make the
batteries store more energy with less material.
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