ECS member Shumin Fang was a contributor in a development that could dramatically improve the efficiency of batteries and fuel cells.
Image: Nature Communications
Sometimes the tiniest things could have the biggest impact—especially when it comes to battery technology.
New research from a collaborative team of engineers from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina developed a new material that could boost batteries’ power and help power plants.
ECS student member Shumin Fang of the University of South Carolina was a collaborator on the study. (Take a look at his paper on solid oxide fuel cells.)
The new material acts as a superhighway for ions, allowing for more powerful batteries and boosting the general efficiency of energy conversion.
Because batteries and fuel cells are limited by how fast ions can pass through the electrolyte, engineers must find a mix of electrolyte ingredients that allows for fast movement. This study proposes the answer to this in gadolinium doped ceria.
This from Clemson University:
The research team figured out that adding cobalt iron oxide to the mix cleaned out the gadolinium that had accumulated in the grain boundaries. With the new ingredient, ions had clear sailing through the electrolyte en route to their rendezvous with the electrons.
The result of this study will likely produce more powerful batteries and fuel cells.
Additionally, the development could help create pure oxygen, which opens the possibility to create membrane systems that purify gas mixtures.
Join Fang and other brilliant minds by becoming a member of ECS today! Learn more about additional membership benefits.
And if you’re interested in battery technology, you’re not going to want to miss the ECS Conference on Electrochemical Energy Conversion & Storage with SOFC-XIV. While you’re waiting for early-bird registration to open, get to know the lead organizers of the meeting.
