Can we build rechargeable batteries in concrete?

Some researchers want to build rechargeable batteries into concrete structures. Concrete, after water, is the world's most used material. Because it already surrounds us in the built environment, researchers have been exploring the idea of using concrete to store electricity—essentially making buildings that act as giant batteries.

Can a cement-based battery be rechargeable?

The researchers developed a prototype for a rechargeable cement-based battery, with an average energy density of 7 Wh/m2 (or 0.8 Wh/L) during six charge and discharge cycles. They tested several combinations for the electrodes, and found that an iron anode, and a nickel-based oxide cathode yielded the best results.

Could a concrete battery house humans?

Experimental concrete batteries have managed to hold only a small fraction of what a traditional battery does. But one team describes in the journal Buildings a rechargeable prototype material that could offer a more than 10-fold increase in stored charge, compared with earlier attempts. A concrete battery that houses humans might sound unlikely.

Could a concrete foundation power electric cars?

Researchers have come up with a new way to store electricity in cement, using cheap and abundant materials. If scaled up, the cement could hold enough energy in a home’s concrete foundation to fulfill its daily power needs. Scaled up further, electrified roadways could power electric cars as they drive.

Could concrete-based energy storage evolve?

The earliest batteries, including Thomas Edison's, were simple and bulky. Researchers experimented with new materials and designs for more than a century to develop today's small, efficient devices. Byrne suggests concrete-based energy storage could undergo a similar evolution.