"Aluminum + Water + Air" Power Generation, "Black Technology" Realization

Deyang five-year layout, the first to meet the "aluminum empty battery" mass production "can not be converted into a product, and then cool high-tech is just legend." November 8, looking at the new unveiled "Sichuan Aluminum Power Industry Park" Plaque, Hao Dudong, director of Deyang Dongshen New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., laughed and said "finally relieved."
Ten days ago, the company that had been established for a full five years had finally ushered in the first mass production line. According to the order, 1,000 units of aluminum air metal fuel UPS (uninterruptible power supply) will be used for the standby power supply of the Deyang Tower base station, replacing the original diesel generators and lead-acid batteries.
It is reported that this is the first time that the country has realized the industrialization and commercialization of aluminum-air metal fuel cells (abbreviated as "Al-air batteries").
With "aluminum + water + air" power generation, this "black technology" has truly moved into the market in Deyang.
Pathfinder's three major uses to step up testing of aluminum batteries are widely used, based on the aluminum fuel UPS is not the only product Deyang hope mass production. “The application of aluminum and air batteries is still in the field of new energy vehicles.” Speaking of this “black technology,” Ouyang Xiaoping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that two years ago, a foreign company had demonstrated this technology to the public. It also claims that the aluminum-air batteries used to generate electricity from aluminum raw materials, water, and air "can only reach 3,000 kilometers by water injection," which caused a sensation. “External tests can reach 3,000 kilometers, and the result of the Deyang test is 'loading 30 kilograms of aluminum for 1,000 kilometers'.” The person in charge of Dongshen New Energy told the reporter that the aluminum-air battery is very much in terms of energy density, power performance and safety. Suitable for traction power battery, and this is the main direction of the company. Through cooperation with a car company in Sichuan, through nearly a year of demonstration and experimentation, they have now achieved a "one-time loading of 30 kilograms of aluminum fuel, which can last for 1,000 kilometers."
The responsible person calculated a bill: aluminum raw material price is about 12 yuan / kg, plus the cost of production of reaction devices, 100 kilometers cost about 45 yuan, "0.45 yuan per kilometer, than the cost of oil."
They have loaded aluminum and empty batteries into a cold-chain truck with a 3-ton capacity and are currently conducting a trial run. "The details of the location of the battery are being debugged and are available soon." Starting the aluminum-air power new energy vehicle project, the future Deyang will focus on creating a full range of new products such as aluminum-air power supply and hybrid power supply.
Using aluminum batteries to power unmanned aerial vehicles and light aircraft is another application. At present, Dongshen New Energy is also cooperating with a number of domestic institutions and agencies to carry out aluminum hollow power drones and electric light aircraft aluminum power prototype and test.
Difficulty in technology, supporting the development of aluminum-air batteries has always been accompanied by controversy, and "prominent, disadvantages are very prominent" is the industry consensus.
Wang Wei, professor of Tianjin University, is the main R&D person of aluminum-air batteries in China. She believes that aluminum-air batteries have the advantages of “high energy density, safety, recyclability, and pollution-free environment” and can be used in future communication base stations, hospitals, and television stations. The field of emergency backup power is widely used. Only this one has a “100 billion market” to be developed.
The aluminum-air battery itself is also a "disposable battery" like a dry battery, which can be used up and replaced. The application of new energy vehicles, compared to lithium, does not need to solve the troublesome charging problem. "As long as the seal is good, aluminum batteries are safe to transport, store or carry," said Wang Wei.
"To promote the development of aluminum-air batteries, facing the shortcomings is even more important." On the day when the first products of Dongshen New Energy went offline, Ouyang Xiaoping emphasized this view more than once. In his opinion, the shortcomings of aluminum-air batteries are also outstanding. For example, as a "disposable battery" that cannot be recharged, a large-scale commercial application is required, and an industrial chain from manufacturing to transportation, to replacement, and recycling must be re-established. "The establishment of this system requires huge capital investment, and it takes a long time to cultivate." For the drive of large-scale devices, aluminum-air batteries have low power density, and often require the use of matching lithium batteries, which has also resulted in a loss of practicality. .
Relevant person in charge of aluminum fuel cell production companies also believes that to speed up the process of engineering and industrialization, it is imperative that “the volume of aluminum and air batteries be reduced and the energy density further enhanced”.
Countermeasures "Circular development" can be expected in the future For the development of aluminum-air batteries, Ouyang Xiaoping believes that "the future is more worth looking forward to."
He believes that aluminum is an extremely abundant metal element on the earth, and aluminum-air battery technology will convert aluminum from "metal to fuel", which itself will promote the replacement of the battery industry, and may even rewrite the entire energy structure. R&D and testing in various fields are seen as a countermeasure to overcome the bottleneck of aluminum-air battery technology. He revealed that in the future he will also combine aluminum and empty batteries with supercapacitors, and will extensively research areas such as aerodynamics and underwater power.
It is worth mentioning that "Aluminum does not disappear with aluminum," and this is also seen as another significant advantage in the development of aluminum-air batteries. According to Hao Budong, according to their technology, ordinary or even abandoned aluminum materials can be turned into fuel to generate electricity. Once the industry chain matures, "aluminum empty battery recycling" will also be a big deal.
According to reports, aluminium hydroxide, a byproduct of aluminum battery discharge, can be used in large quantities as an industrial grade flame retardant for recycling. Excess aluminum hydroxide can produce granular aluminum oxide with a diameter of 30 nm through separation, and is used for producing industrial sapphire and the like. The excess alumina, in turn, can use green electrolytic aluminum technology to become aluminum fuel again, thereby achieving "circular development."
In April this year, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued a document clarifying the development path for metal fuel cells. In accordance with the top-level design, Deyang is focusing on implementing a series of innovative policy initiatives such as the “High-end New Industry Incubation Project”, and the “four-for-one” innovation and development plan for competitive enterprises, industrial alliances, core technologies, and high-precision products has steadily advanced.
On October 28, Sichuan Aluminum Air Power Industrial Park was unveiled at Deyang Gaoyang High-tech Zone. It will definitely use Deyang Dongshen New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. as the core enterprise and add at least five supporting companies to promote the upgrading of the battery industry. Open up the entire industry chain channel for aluminum and air batteries.