A team of MIT researchers have created a demonstration version of a liquid battery using a passive, gravity-fed arrangement similar to an hourglass. The researchers believe the new battery could offer significant advantages due to the system’s low cost and the simplicity of its design and operation.
Previous versions of liquid batteries have relied on complex systems of tanks, valves and pumps, making them costly and vulnerable to leaks and failures. According to the researchers, the new battery’s substitution of a gravity feed for the pump system eliminates the complexity seen in previous batteries. It functions similarly to an hourglass, with particles flowing through a narrow opening from one tank to the other. The flow can then be reversed by turning the device over.
According to the MIT researchers, this design should allow the creation of simpler and more compact battery systems, which could be inexpensive and modular, and allow for gradual expansion of grid-connected storage systems to meet growing demand. This could be vital in scaling up the use of intermittent power sources such as wind and solar.
Image source: MIT news.