Might be good for data centers, but unlikely to find application in electric vehicles anytime soon. Japanese battery maker FDK believes major improvements to its nickel-zinc batteries have proven they are durable enough for their use as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).
The batteries, which debuted in March, have undergone long-term testing and are said to have proven they retain 70% of their capacity after 800 charge-discharge cycles, twice the standard lifespan of lead-acid batteries, FDK said.
The batteries were also put through a test in which they were placed in an outdoor cabinet at temperatures that fluctuated between 0°C in winter and 50°C in summer. FDK said the test cells continued to operate safely while maintaining their initial capacity.
In addition to having a longer life cycle and withstanding larger temperature fluctuations, the Fujitsu-backed company says nickel-zinc batteries are lighter and have a lower environmental impact than the lead-acid batteries traditionally used in UPSs. However, we’re told they charge similarly. The battery maker is so confident in the product that it has pledged to upgrade facilities, expand sample shipments to customers and consider mass production.
Like other nickel-zinc batteries, FDK’s ZR-4/3FAUP is essentially a hydride battery with the negative electrode material replaced with a zinc compound, a change that creates a different chemistry than nickel-zinc batteries. These types of batteries combine a nickel- metal hydride positive electrode with a zinc negative electrode found in alkaline batteries. In the past, poor cycle life hindered the use of nickel-zinc batteries. Zinc tends to migrate and cause nasty dendrite growth, which is inconvenient because it creates a short circuit. But recent developments in energy storage technology—such as the use of additives in the anode and electrolyte, as well as improvements in separator design—have made this less of an issue in modern nickel-zinc batteries.
The advantage of nickel-zinc batteries is power density and their mass is twice that of lead-acid batteries. This means they can provide the fast charging needed for equipment such as UPSs in data centers and other situations where the need for fast charging outweighs considerations for equipment longevity.
“Nickel-zinc batteries are one of the most promising batteries for stationary applications. They use a water-based electrolyte (alkaline batteries) and are more cost-effective compared to lithium-ion batteries and certainly much better than lead-acid batteries in terms of energy density .” Dr. Richard Yazami, the inventor of the graphite anode, told The Register.
“Nickel-zinc batteries may find a niche market, especially in backup and energy storage systems. However, their use in electric vehicles remains uncertain,” Yazami added.
The energy density of nickel-zinc batteries is not close to that of lithium-ion batteries, which means they are unlikely to become the battery of choice for electric vehicles anytime soon.
While FDK said batteries could replace power supplies, the company didn’t mention use in servers, but more resilient options are rarely popular
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