{"id":9326,"date":"2014-10-06T08:44:31","date_gmt":"2014-10-06T15:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=9326"},"modified":"2014-10-06T08:44:31","modified_gmt":"2014-10-06T15:44:31","slug":"ohio-states-solar-air-potassium-battery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/ohio-states-solar-air-potassium-battery\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio State\u2019s Solar-Air Potassium Battery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ohio State University researchers have come up with a two-in-one solar cell\/battery combination<\/a> that promises great efficiency and low costs.\u00a0 What\u2019s not to like?<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately for readers of the blog, it\u2019s initially only a stationary system that will make energy storage a viable circumstance for large power plants, but it seems that the technology could be adapted to lighter, portable applications, such as electric vehicles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ohio<\/a>

Ohio State University’s solar panel captures light, admits air to the battery. Here, scanning electron microscope images: nanometer-sized rods of titanium dioxide (larger image) which cover the surface of a piece of titanium gauze (inset). The holes in the gauze are approximately 200 micrometers across, allowing air to enter the battery while the rods gather light. Image courtesy of Yiying Wu, The Ohio State University<\/p><\/div>\n

Ohio State is keeping somewhat mum about the patent-pending device, which they are developing as a commercial entity under the auspices of their spin-off, Kair (K for potassium, plus air and pronounced \u201ccare\u201d).\u00a0 We\u2019ve heard a great deal about upcoming lithium-air batteries, but potassium-air is unique.\u00a0 Even more unique, this battery stores energy from its own solar cell, the world\u2019s first solar battery.<\/p>\n

A mesh solar panel allows air to enter the battery, and a special process transfers \u201celectrons between the solar panel and the battery electrode. Inside the device, light and oxygen enable different parts of the chemical reactions that charge the battery,\u201d the University summarizes.\u00a0 This hybrid could bring renewable energy costs down by 25 percent, according to Yiying Wu, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Ohio State, who has overseen the solar battery\u2019s development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state of the art is to use a solar panel to capture the light, and then use a cheap battery to store the energy.\u00a0 We\u2019ve integrated both functions into one device. Any time you can do that, you reduce cost,\u201d Wu says.\u00a0 By eliminating the 20-percent loss of electricity that occurs when electrons flow between a solar cell and a battery, nearly 100 percent of the electrons are saved.<\/p>\n

Wu worked previously with doctoral student Xiodo Run to create \u201ca high-efficiency air-powered battery that discharges by chemically reacting potassium with oxygen.\u201d\u00a0 They won a $100,000 Clean Energy prize from the U. S. Department of Energy and have formed KAir Energy Systems, LLC<\/a> to develop it.<\/p>\n