Metal-Air Battery

A Metal-Air Ionic Liquid Battery is being designed at Arizona State University under the guidance of Professor Cody Friesen. The design attempts to use ionic liquids as an electrolyte - such electrolyte would not evaporate - thus providing much longer battery life. Also, another issue involving dendritic growth, which causes a decrease in charging capacity of batteries has been resolved.

As research continues towards this battery, that which I am most excited is its possible applications. At an expected "11 times more energy than Lithium-Ion" our battery technologies will have finally approached a similar level of our electronics.

The introduction of such a better battery would be immediately seen in the electric car sector. At such a greater total charge, the practicality of driving somewhere and back solely on battery would become quite plausible.

These batteries would hugely impact the medical device market as well. As of now most problems with medical devices arise, for there is no easy way to charge for instance a pacemaker, or prostethic limb, or vagal nerve stimulator, or visual prosthetic. If batteries of such greater charges were designed, smaller batteries could be made and implanted in the human body - resulting in fewer battery changes, less chances of surgical complications, and of course an expanded opportunity for devices that have yet to find an answer to the eternal power source question.

Such batteries could remarkably extend the battery life of our everyday devices. Currently cellphones are not inhibited by processor technology, but instead the power needed to run such processors. Photo editing on my phone could be possible! Yet it is not necessarily the availability of these advances that is so important, as is the advancement of wireless technology as a whole. Laptops could be used for more than just a couple hours at a time outside, the hardwired idea of a business setting could be completely readapted.

These batteries could also provide a very positive impact on the environment, for if they were able to hold such long charges, yet provide continual consistent use, natural energy gathering methods (solar panels, windmills, hydroelectric, ect) could be used to charge a spare over the two or more days that one is using the original. Then switch. Such a method could greatly improve global electricity use and efficiency, while simultaneously lessening its negative impact on the environment.