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Aluminum-Power's Aluminum-Air Battery Performs Well in Power Output Tests

August 22, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

Aluminum-Power Inc. (Toronto, Canada) announced that its aluminum-air battery delivered unprecedented power output in recent commercial tests in a cellular phone. "In actual operating conditions, the aluminum-air fuel-cell-based battery delivered ground-breaking performance, powering a cellular phone to eight hours of talk-time and 5.5 days in standby mode," said Rafael Ferry, vice president of marketing for Aluminum-Power.The battery is a self-contained power source composed of an aluminum anode set in an alkaline solution and an oxygen diffusion cathode. It can be recharged to its original capacity simply by replacing its rechargeable cartridge. Full power is available instantaneously; the battery consists of a sealed, quick-change cartridge containing the aluminum and electrolytes. To refuel, users simply remove the spent cartridge and put in a new one, providing for continuous use. Key to the battery's greatly extended operating power is the energy density of aluminum, which at 8100Wh/kg is approximately 75 times more energy-dense than conventional lithium-ion cells. This density allows the aluminum-air battery to deliver far greater energy over much longer periods of time and at considerably reduced cost.