A team of engineers based in Melbourne has positioned themselves at the forefront of the race to develop an affordable, environmentally safe battery that eliminates landfill waste. RMIT University‘s researchers recently announced a two-year research partnership with Italian automotive component firm Eldor Corporation to accelerate the advancement of this innovation.
Lead researcher Professor John Andrews explained that the collaboration aims to scale up the system from the watt to the kilowatt and eventually to the megawatt scale. The groundbreaking proton battery, developed over the past five years, employs a carbon electrode to store hydrogen generated from water, functioning as a hydrogen fuel cell to produce electricity. The rechargeable battery has the potential to power homes, vehicles, and various devices, with impressive fast-charging capabilities.
One of the key advantages of the proton battery lies in its environmentally friendly nature, as all components and materials can be rejuvenated, reused, or recycled, leading to no end-of-life environmental challenges.
Professor Andrews highlighted that the proton battery exhibits substantially lower losses than conventional hydrogen systems, making it comparable in energy efficiency to lithium-ion batteries. As the world increasingly turns to renewable energy to combat carbon emissions, the demand for efficient, cost-effective, and reliable energy storage options grows significantly.
The proton battery’s versatility and safety make it a promising technology with the potential to become a carbon-neutral alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Its commercial viability and potential use in hydrogen supply chains for fuel-cell vehicles are also being explored in collaboration with Eldor.
This partnership represents a crucial step towards the practical implementation and commercialisation of the proton battery, addressing the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions in the evolving energy landscape.
