AsianScientist (Apr. 26, 2016) – Researchers in South Korea have come up with a plan to repurpose the lithium ion batteries that usually outlive the smartphones they power. The logistics of this recycling and repurposing program were outlined in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.
Despite their hefty price tag, smartphones have an average consumer lifetime of about three years. Their batteries, however, can last for about five years—meaning that just about every discarded smartphone generates e-waste and squanders the battery’s twilight years.
To cut down on environmental waste and provide energy storage to rural communities, Professor Boucar Diouf from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea, has proposed a model for recycling unspent lithium ion batteries into energy storage units for solar-powered LED lamps.
The candle and kerosene lamps currently used to light the homes within many rural communities are harmful, inefficient and more expensive than a small solar home lighting system—provided the right approach is taken, explained Diouf.
“Using the battery of mobile phones in small solar home systems becomes obvious in order to make access to electricity easier to those who live without,” he said.
The proposed program consists of five general steps—battery collection, testing and selection, system manufacturing, commercialization, and installation. Each of these steps would provide opportunities for job creation, Diouf said.
Batteries are one of the more expensive components of a home solar system and contribute significantly to the cost barrier of decent lighting systems in rural communities. Old car batteries, which are lead acid-based, are commonly used as storage units in improvised systems, but don’t last very long.
In contrast, a standard lithium ion phone battery of 1,000 milliamp-hour capacity can power a one-watt LED lamp for about three hours, or a 0.5-watt lamp—bright enough for reading and writing—for about six hours. When wired to a small solar panel, this maintenance-free system can last for approximately three years.
Credit: Diouf/Kyung Hee University
The researchers also constructed a full 12-volt system made of three mobile phone batteries of 3,100 millliamp-hour capacity each, with a five-watt LED lamp and a small solar panel, for less than US$25. These systems have the capability to light up a room for about five hours each day, and can last for approximately three years without any maintenance.
Future work for Diouf and his colleagues in the field will involve setting up battery collection and e-waste recycling systems, as well as contributing to reducing the cost of solar systems for rural populations of developing countries. He plans to start pilot projects in Senegal and sub-Saharan African countries within the next year.
The article can be found at: Diouf (2016) A second life for mobile phone batteries in light emitting diode solar home systems.
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Source: American Institute of Physics; Photo: Shutterstock.
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