Groundbreaking Australian research has shown why zinc-air batteries could replace lithium-ion batteries in a range of applications, including electric vehicles (EVs).
Until now, concerns about their relatively slow charging capabilities and short lifespans have limited the appeal of zinc-air batteries to EV manufacturers, but that is set to change.
After six years of pioneering studies at Edith Cowan University (ECU), chemical engineer and lecturer Dr Muhammad Rizwan Azhar and senior research engineer Dr Yasir Arafat have unlocked ways to improve cathode stability using a carbon-based composite, and metal oxide with oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction properties.
“The greater stability is significant because it maintains the battery’s performance over an extended period and reduces the likelihood of capacity loss,” Azhar told create. “Compared to lithium, they are cheaper, more environmentally friendly, safer and have a greater energy density.”
Azhar, whose background includes materials engineering and nanotechnology, has published a series of papers on his findings that have garnered attention from scientists and industry in the UK, the US, Germany, Taiwan and elsewhere in Australia.
He has also communicated his research findings to the Western Australian Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, proposing recommendations to fortify their battery and critical minerals strategy.
His team is undertaking feasibility analysis on commercial applications and hopes to begin designing prototypes soon, possibly including one for ECU Racing, an organisation run by engineering students to design, construct and compete in Formula SAE cars.
On your e-bike!
Perhaps the biggest implication of Azhar’s work will be how it radically alters the perception of EVs in the fight against climate change, particularly when it comes to short journeys.
Two-thirds of the 4.2 million daily car trips in Perth are less than two km, and switching from petrol engines to EVs isn’t the most energy-efficient answer.
“If it’s only a short journey, then an electric bike or moped powered by a zinc-air battery would be cheaper and better for the planet,” he said. “Micromobility devices reduce global oil use by a million barrels a day – four times as much as the world’s 20 million EVs put together.”
There are nearly 300 million two-wheeled electric vehicles on the roads, with the Chinese and European markets performing particularly strongly.
The annual savings can be significant. EVs on average set a motorist back less than a quarter of the cost of running a petrol car, but they’re four times as expensive as an e-bike over the same distances. The annual cost of charging an e-bike that’s travelled 20 km a day is just $20.
“There are opportunities to expand the use of zinc-air batteries across a range of industries,” Azhar said. “They would be ideal for slow-moving commercial vehicles such as those used by the mining sector, or for community batteries and those storing excess energy in individual houses.
“E-bikes and scooters are the best option for reducing carbon emissions.”
A piece of the net-zero puzzle
The research puts the university at the forefront of emerging battery technology, something that impressed the new Executive Dean of ECU’s School of Engineering, Professor Paulo de Souza.
“If Australia is to meet its net zero targets, incredible work such as this will play an important role,” he said. “Energy storage innovation is one piece of a very big puzzle, and exceptional teams are working on other pieces elsewhere at ECU.
“Whenever I walk into a lab, I see top-quality facilities and extremely talented people. We have a wind turbine, solar panels, a geothermal plant, hydrogen storage and the latest battery technology. There is so much extraordinary work in the field of sustainable energy going on.”
De Souza believes that securing the intellectual property from this breakthrough research in zinc-air batteries will maintain ECU’s competitive advantage and allow further partnership with industry.
“Our capabilities are very strong and there’s a can-do attitude among our research staff and students,” he said. “That’s why there’s such a bright future for our engineers because we’re not just interested in their next job, we’re interested in their career over the next decades.
“We want to make them adaptable because energy science changes constantly and no one can predict what the future will offer. That’s why we’re teaching our students to embrace change and be important actors in defining the future of energy.”
Find out more about pioneering engineering research opportunities at Edith Cowan University.