Flow Aluminum Inc. is a startup working on developing a commercially viable aluminium-based battery, with help from business accelerator programs and manufacturing assistance from Polaris Battery Labs. These batteries offer advantages over lithium-ion batteries, such as avoiding the need for rare Earth minerals, eliminating fire hazards, storing more energy, and absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. If successful, they could substantially lower costs for end users.
The CEO and co-founder of Flow Aluminum, Tom Chepucavage, specified: "We've developed a high-performance, low-cost, non-flammable, Aluminum-CO2 battery alternative. It's low cost due to a simpler supply chain and lack of need for fire suppression. And uniquely, it operates as a direct air capture system as well, sequestering carbon."
Despite being a newly formed company just six months ago, Flow Aluminum has already gained significant interest from organisations aiming to introduce new battery and carbon-capture technology to the market. While the technology is yet to be tested and deployed outside of UNM's School of Engineering labs, the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan and the U.S. Department of Energy-backed REACH Energy Accelerator in Colorado have both selected Flow Aluminum to participate in their technology accelerator and 12-month programs, respectively.
In addition, the company is now in the process of forming an advisory board with industry experts to provide guidance and support as it navigates its path forward. Kevin Bassalleck, the president of GridWorks, a leading utility-scale solar development and battery storage company in Albuquerque, is among the experts who will be joining the board.
Bassalleck categorically pointed out: "Flow Aluminum's technology has real promise and potential for many different industry sectors, including electric vehicles, stationary energy storage systems, and possibly even aviation. It's early days, and there are challenges ahead with fundraising, prototyping and proving the technology on a commercial scale. But if they're successful, it's very exciting."
UNM chemical engineering professor Shuya Wei led a team of researchers who received a National Science Foundation grant to develop an aluminium-based battery. UNM doctoral student Chris Fetrow worked with Wei to create a prototype for the non-lithium battery, which was published in a scientific journal. "We proved the battery works and provided the evidence to announce that in the research journal," Fetrow asserted. Practically, the battery revolution began after the publication of the research some years back.
"Studying the possibility of aluminium batteries has only been underway for about five to seven years...We still need to do more foundational (laboratory) research to fully explain how some of the chemical reactions inside the battery actually work," Fetrow vocalised.
Flow Aluminum, which launched last May, is currently seeking venture investment to finance the commercial development of its aluminium-CO2 battery. The UNM research team has already proven the battery's fundamental capabilities in the lab, and now they are looking to produce the first commercial aluminium battery in just six months. This first battery will be used to power up drones, which is a small-scale application that Flow Aluminum is targeting for its initial market.
The aluminum-CO2 battery can store and discharge twice the amount of energy that a lithium-ion battery of the same weight and size can, according to lab testing conducted by the UNM research team. This is due to the energy-storage capacity of the aluminium metal, as well as the absence of the weighty minerals and mechanisms found in lithium-ion batteries. An aluminium derivative provides an additional catalyst to speed up the process, and a liquid electrolyte called an "ionic liquid" efficiently moves the ions and electrons around in the battery.
Besides its high performance and long-lasting characteristics, this battery also eliminates the use of rare Earth minerals, creating abundant supply chains while significantly lowering manufacturing costs based on relatively inexpensive materials. Additionally, it sidesteps the environmental issues connected to lithium-ion batteries. Since aluminium is easily recycled, the company plans to rely largely on recycled materials in the manufacturing process.
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