Seawater battery sparks sub dreams

摘要

A revolutionary battery that exploits the reaction between lithium metal and seawater could soon be powering everything from autonomous submarines to buoys and deep-water sensors. Lithium is already widely used in batteries because it is lightweight and has a high electrochemical potential. This potential allows it to generate in excess of 3 volts compared with 2 volts for lead-acid batteries and 1.5 volts for zinc-carbon cells.