Hi everyone! I’ve been diving into alternative, off-grid energy solutions, and I thought I’d share two interesting concepts: Aluminum-Air Batteries and Saltwater Lamps.
Aluminum-Air Batteries are lightweight, long-lasting, and provide eco-friendly backup power, perfect for small-scale renewable systems. The great thing is they don’t require complicated infrastructure, just the battery and an electrolyte.
Saltwater Lamps are a simple, sustainable lighting solution that uses just saltwater to power up a lamp. They’re great for off-grid homes or emergency lighting.
Both of these solutions are incredibly easy to implement, and they could fit right into the DIY renewable energy systems many of you are working on. Anyone here experimented with similar systems or ideas? I’d love to hear how you’re using them or improving on them!
Let’s chat about integrating these into home energy setups!
I did some googling and aluminum air seems to have the huge problem of being non rechargeable and leaving a hard to process by-product of aluminum hydroxide.
I’ve wanted to make/buy a Nickel Iron (Edison battery) for years. They are practically infinitely rechargeable. The only downside is size and weight. They don’t get any investments because it’s only good for home power and infinite lifespan is bad for business.
Thanks for the input! You’re absolutely right — aluminum-air batteries have limitations, like being non-rechargeable and producing aluminum hydroxide as a by-product, which can be a challenge for processing. That’s one of the reasons I love the innovation happening in the battery space, as there are always trade-offs with different technologies.
However, aluminum-air batteries still have great potential for emergency power and off-grid applications, where long-term rechargeability isn’t a primary concern. They’re lightweight, environmentally friendly, and great for scenarios where power is needed for a short period, like during power outages or in remote locations.> I did some googling and aluminum air seems to have the huge problem of being non rechargeable and leaving a hard to process by-product of aluminum hydroxide.
I’ve wanted to make/buy a Nickel Iron (Edison battery) for years. They are practically infinitely rechargeable. The only downside is size and weight. They don’t get any investments because it’s only good for home power and infinite lifespan is bad for business.
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great potential for emergency power and off-grid applications
Given it is a single use battery that is thrown away for the aluminum to be recycled, I don’t feel it’s particularly interesting. It also needs the electrolyte to be stored separately and filled into the battery right before use. Because otherwise the battery will self discharge in a month.
It could make sense for a car where its light weight and power density is a significant advantage. Consumers already pump gas so swapping the battery every week at a station would be quicker than recharging an EV. The only issue would be a car sitting in a garage would be dead after a month- and you couldn’t recharge at home.
I agree with your points regarding some of the current limitations of aluminum-air batteries. However, I believe they still offer great potential, especially for emergency power and off-grid applications. As you mentioned, the single-use nature is a concern, but it’s important to note that while the aluminum anode is consumed, the air electrode remains intact and can be reused, which makes the battery more sustainable over time. So, while the aluminum needs to be replaced, it’s not as wasteful as it might seem at first glance.
Regarding the electrolyte, yes, it needs to be added before use, but this process is quite simple and quick. For emergency use, it’s actually very convenient, and I don’t think most users will find it cumbersome. For applications like vehicles, as you mentioned, replacing the battery at a station could be faster than recharging an EV, and the light weight and high energy density are significant advantages in such situations.
It would need to be significantly cheaper than lead acid to offset all those disadvantages. With lead acid, it’s ready to go immediately in an emergency, you get 500 recharges, and lasts for 5 years.
But lithium iron phosphate is the real leader. Cheap, lightweight, 10-20 year lifespan, thousands of recharges.
Both lead acid and lithium iron are completely recyclable. Lead acid batteries have an established recovery and recycling system at 99% compared to 50% for aluminum recycling.
Thanks for the feedback! You make a great point about the advantages of lead acid and lithium iron phosphate.
That said, the appeal of aluminum-air lies in its safety, zero pollution, and extremely long shelf life (20+ years). It’s designed for specific use cases, especially where weight and recharging are less of a concern, like in emergency scenarios or remote locations where long-term storage matters more.
zero pollution
Lead acid and lithium iron phosphate are also equivalently “zero pollution”. I would expect on a life cycle basis that Lead and Lithium batteries are less polluting because they are rechargeable rather than single use. Reprocessing the aluminum hydroxide is energy intensive.
extremely long shelf life (20+ years)
It only has a long shelf life if the electrolyte is kept separate. All batteries have a virtual infinite shelf life if their electrolyte is kept separate.
Thanks for your comment! You’re right that lead-acid and lithium batteries are less polluting due to their rechargeability. Regarding the shelf life, you’re correct that all batteries last longer if their electrolyte is kept separate.You look like a battery expert.jajaja
