Electric Vehicle Programs - Electric Fuel Zinc-Air Battery System
Zinc Air Fuel Cell Technology
Zinc-air is a high-energy, high-power
fuel cell technology that is safe and environmentally benign. The EFTC
zinc-air battery system for electric vehicles comprises three elements:
The Zinc-Air Module The on-board zinc-air module is built from
cells with replaceable zinc anode cassettes.
No. of cells
47
Open Circuit
Voltage
67V
Operating Voltage
57-40 V
Capacity
325 Ah
Energy Capacity
17.4 kWh
Peak Power
(@80% DOD)
8 kW
Weight
88 kg
Volume
79 liter
Energy Density
200 Wh/kg
Dimensions
726x350x310
mm
The Cell
The cell comprises a central static replaceable anode cassette
comprising a slurry of electrochemically generated zinc particles
in a potassium hydroxide solution compacted onto a current collection
frame and inserted into a separator envelope, flanked on two sides
by high-power air (oxygen) reduction cathodes that extract oxygen
from the air for the zinc-oxidation reaction.
Refueling The
discharged zinc-air module removed from the vehicle is "refueled"
or mechanically recharged by exchanging spent "cassettes"
with fresh cassettes. This is accomplished by a refueling machine
that returns the zinc-air modules to service.
Regeneration
The depleted cassettes are electrochemically recharged and mechanically
recycled external to the battery. Regeneration of the cassettes
will take place at centralized facilities serving regional networks
of refueling stations. In this way the zinc anode recharging/recycling
facility would assume a parallel role in a zinc-air based transportation
system to that held by oil refineries in today's fuel distribution
system, without the negative impacts.
The
discharged zinc-air module removed from the vehicle is "refueled"
or mechanically recharged by exchanging spent "cassettes"
with fresh cassettes. This is accomplished by a refueling machine
that returns the zinc-air modules to service.