Scientists developing portable super batteries

WASHINGTON, USA: Scientists are developing portable super batteries that far exceed the capacity of the best batteries currently available.

The advances made by Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) in the use of alane, a lightweight material for storing hydrogen, may be the key to developing powerful portable fuel cell systems for military and civilian use.

Manufacturers are looking for systems that can provide specific energies greater than 1,000 watt-hours per kilogram - more than two to three times the capacity of the best primary lithium batteries today.

"Higher specific energy means more energy per weight," said SRNL's Ted Motyka. "The goal is to provide sufficient energy to a system that is light enough to be carried by a soldier or used in unmanned aircraft and other applications where weight is a factor."

SRNL has been working for years on developing several light-weight, high-capacity solid-state hydrogen storage materials for automotive applications, according to an SRNL statement.

One of the most promising materials is aluminium hydride, (AlH3) or alane. Alane, while not a new material, has only in the last few years been considered as a hydrogen storage material for fuel cell applications.