US EditionPrototype Sodium-Air Fuel Cell Could Power Electric Planes and Trains
- Researchers at MIT developed a prototype sodium-air fuel cell in 2025 that could power electric planes, trains, and ships with zero carbon emissions.
- This innovation addresses the energy density limitations of current lithium-ion batteries, which reach a maximum of roughly 300 watt-hours per kilogram—far less than the 1,000 watt-hours per kilogram required to make electric aviation viable.
- The fuel cell operates using molten sodium as a fuel source, which is both affordable and plentiful, and tests with a compact, single-cell prototype revealed it can deliver more than three times the energy density by weight compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
- Testing demonstrated that the cell stack achieved close to 1,700 watt-hours per kilogram, which corresponds to more than 1,000 watt-hours for the entire system, while offering enhanced safety and producing no carbon dioxide emissions.
- The research team formed Propel Aero to develop and commercialize the scalable technology, which could revolutionize regional electric aviation and other transportation sectors.
35 Articles
35 Articles
MIT Unveils High-Energy Sodium Fuel Cell That Could Redefine Electric Flight
Electric vehicles are becoming commonplace on roads worldwide, but powering larger-scale transportation—such as trains, ships, and airplanes—has remained a major technological challenge. Now, new research from MIT may offer a breakthrough solution using an innovative fuel cell system that could outperform traditional batteries in energy-to-weight efficiency. Rather than trying to push lithium-ion battery technology to new extremes, the MIT team …
Science Daily
New fuel cell could enable electric aviation
Engineers developed a fuel cell that offers more than three times as much energy per pound compared to lithium-ion batteries. Powered by a reaction between sodium metal and air, the device could be lightweight enough to enable the electrification of airplanes, trucks, or ships.
ABC FOX Montana
MIT’s new fuel cell could pave way for electric airplanes
Scientists say the devices could pack three times as much energy per pound as today’s best EV batteries.
Flying with electricity? So far only conceivable for short distances - modern batteries are not powerful enough. US researchers are now presenting an alternative: a fuel cell that is fuelled with sodium. The whole thing should even have another climate-friendly side effect.
'Crazy idea' proposed for high density, low cost fuel cell
An H-cell modified with electrodes and an ion-conducting ceramic membrane to conduct sodium-air fuel cell experiments. Credit: Gretchen Ertl Materials scientists have designed a fuel cell which they say could deliver 3 times as much energy per unit of weight as the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles today. Unlike a battery, the liquid sodium-air device only needs to be refuelled, not recharged. Luckily, sodium (a constituent of tabl…
Prototype sodium-air fuel cell could power electric planes and trains
Batteries are nearing their limits in terms of how much power they can store for a given weight. That's a serious obstacle for energy innovation and the search for new ways to power airplanes, trains, and ships. Now, researchers ...
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