Firms are exploring sodium batteries as an alternative to lithium
economist.com
Na-Ion can be a lot less expensive. But it's a lot heavier. (Not a problem for grid-storage.)
Na-Ion can be a lot less expensive. But it's a lot heavier. (Not a problem for grid-storage.)
As a flashlight enthusiast, I'd be very interested to see if sodium batteries are any better.
Can we eat them?
Battery-licking good!
At least once, yes
BYD is supposedly bringing them to production.
https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/22/the-sodium-ion-battery-is-coming-to-production-cars-this-year/
They are already in production, and sold to consumer, since few days. A french start up is selling an electric screwdriver with a sodium battery.
So the answer to the question about what to do with the excess salt from desalination plants, is make batteries?
Good point !
Now we just need a lot of swimming pools for the chloride.
Have they eliminated the need for sodium to be molten in sodium batteries? If so, that's great news!
IIRC sodium is the -cathode- in the battery. No molten (RU thinking of reactors?)
I'm not thinking of reactors, though I am aware that molten sodium is used as a coolant fluid. It seems that I was remembering an off-hand comment in a MinutePhysics video from a few years ago. Molten sodium batteries do exist, but regular sodium batteries also exist.