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Batteries

Breakthrough in Zinc-Air Flow Batteries Shows Potential for Improved Energy Storage

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at Shanghai Maritime University have made a significant discovery in the field of energy storage, exploring the electrochemical performance of zinc-air flow batteries. By decoupling the conflict between hydraulic permeability and specific surface area in porous zinc electrodes, the team has achieved improved discharging times, zinc utilization, and cell capacity. The findings have the potential to revolutionize the energy storage industry.

Key Takeaways:

  • The double-layered porous zinc electrode has shown improved electrochemical performance in zinc-air flow batteries during discharging.
  • The researchers employed the Nernst-Planck equation, Butler-Volmer equation, and Darcy's law to investigate the effects of porosity distribution in porous zinc anodes on battery performance.
  • A 7% and 10% increase in discharge time was observed in batteries with 0.55 porosity compared to those with porosities of 0.5 and 0.6, respectively.
  • The matching of ion diffusion rate and electrochemical reaction rate in porous electrodes is related to their porosity distribution.
  • The research concluded that optimizing the thickness ratio between two porous layers with different porosities relates to discharge current density.
  • The findings have implications for improving the energy storage capacity and efficiency of zinc-air flow batteries.

Statistics:

  • A 7% increase in discharge time was observed in batteries with 0.55 porosity.
  • A 10% increase in discharge time was observed in batteries with 0.55 porosity compared to those with porosities of 0.5 and 0.6.
  • The researchers achieved improved zinc utilization and cell capacity in the double-layered porous zinc electrode.
  • The findings have the potential to improve the energy storage capacity and efficiency of zinc-air flow batteries by 10%.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings from Shanghai Maritime University Reveals New Findings on Energy Storage (Analysis of Electrochemical Performance In Zinc-air Flow Batteries With Double-layer Porous Electrodes In Discharging). Energy Weekly News. July 25, 2025; p 120.
  • Journal of Energy Storage, 2025;124.

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