Batteries Being Created from Fresh and Salt Water Combination
Researchers looking for ways to power our country more efficiently have developed a battery that takes advantage of using river water and salty. Stanford scientists have calculated that if all the world’s rivers were put to use, about 2 terawatts of electricity could be produced annually—roughly 13 percent of the world’s current energy consumption.
While the tests are a long way from actual production, the concept of using existing water from the planet is promising and environmentally exciting. A power plant could be potentially placed anywhere freshwater enters the sea, such as a river mouth. In addition, the battery would not require the water to be extremely clean—storm runoff and gray water could potentially be used as could treated sewage water. Because the water would be “borrowed” and then “returned” back to the source in the same condition, there should have little environmental impact. The discharge water would be a mixture of fresh and sweater, released into an area where the two waters are already mixing at the natural temperature.
The battery itself consists of two electrodes, one positive and one negative, immersed in a liquid containing electrically charged particles, called ions. In water, the ions are sodium and chlorine, the components of table salt.
The concept works by filling the battery with freshwater and a small electric current to charge it up. The freshwater is then drained and replaced with seawater, which contains 60 to 100 times more ions than freshwater. It increases the voltage between the two electrodes and makes it possible to reap far more electricity than the amount used to initially charge the battery. Simply put, you get more energy than what was put in.
The concept is only in early testing stages, but researchers say if it works, the design could be utilized at other types of batteries as well, and potentially even into the consumer battery market of the future.
At Impact Battery, we offer a wide assortment of batteries currently available on the market so that we are your source for whatever your power need may be—now and in the future.
