The iron-air battery is from a Boston based startup called “Form Energy”. It is composed of cells filled with thousands of iron pellets. The pellets are exposed to air, to create rust. The oxygen is removed, turning the rust back into iron. The battery can be charged and discharged by controlling the oxygen in the pellets. It is less dense than the lithium-ion counterparts. Hence it is better for large grid-scale applications and lasts for 100 hours.
The world needs more long term energy storage that is efficient and effective. Finding a way to store energy using iron and air is a new and creative way to replace short lasting batteries and hopefully also fossil fuels in the near future.
How can we reach maximum effectiveness between clean energy and alternative energy storage?
Tanja's highschool blog 