As our reliance on electricity continues to grow, the need for new, cutting-edge batteries to meet the rising demand for power storage is inevitable. John Misa and Giovanni Rogers, fourth-year Engineering students at the University of Auckland, are examples of the engineers working to fulfil that demand.

Together, the pair are working toward innovative research on seawater batteries for their Final Year Project at the Faculty of Engineering. They aim to address critical issues in energy storage by exploring alternative, more sustainable solutions that can be used for future developments in the industry.

John and Giovanni’s passions, even early on in high school, were engineering focused. They naturally excelled in chemistry, physics, and maths, so it was a clear choice for them where to go next.

Based on the University’s high ranking as the top Engineering programme in the country, John didn’t need to think twice,

"Considering the number of resources the University of Auckland has, their ranking, alongside the talented staff and researchers, there's no reason why I wouldn’t go,” John states, sharing his fascination with studying Chemical and Materials Engineering,

"As a chemical engineer, we are not only responsible for chemicals, but we also deal with materials and process engineering as well, alongside a lot of health and safety. We are the all-rounder."

Giovanni’s motivation for choosing to study Chemical and Materials Engineering stems from the real-world application and appeal of the field, "The thing I really like about Chemical Engineering is the practical nature of the job,”

“You're not just in an office scribbling away or typing on your computer. You're often on-site. You're solving problems and interacting with operators or other engineers; it’s a reliable job."

The University of Auckland’s proximity to their home also made it a convenient choice for study.

The pair encourages high school leavers interested in studying to give engineering a go, especially if they enjoy problem-solving,

"If you enjoy problem-solving and being a critical thinker, go for it!" John enthuses.

However, despite their intentions to study for a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), they both had limited perceptions of what engineers do.

"I thought engineers were people who just made stuff. But as a student at the University of Auckland, I now know that their jobs are so much more than that,”

“From accounting for the feasibility of a project from a financial perspective to knowing that just because you have a cool idea, it needs to be possible for you actually to do it. As a chemical engineer, you must look out for the people, planet and environment," John reflects.

"I realised that it's a lot more practical, especially when you pick your specialisation; you really understand what engineers do on a day-to-day basis,” Giovanni shares.

John and Giovanni’s project focuses on seawater batteries, a part of metal-air batteries that use seawater as the electrolyte.

"Current storage solutions, such as lithium-ion batteries, are not cost-effective. They have safety issues, and overall, they're not that efficient.”

“So, metal-air batteries serve as a promising alternative as you can use other metals that are more abundant, reducing costs, and they have higher energy capacities, which make them a better option," John explains.

The project aims to improve the efficiency of seawater battery cells by optimising certain design features. Giovanni highlights the parts used in their cells,

"We have three main components per cell: the anode, the electrolyte and the cathode. For the anode, we're using just a pure magnesium sample.”

“The electrolyte is seawater, and the cathode is what's called an air cathode, which is carbon knit that allows air to pass through and react with the magnesium anode."

Once an external circuit is connected to the cell, electrons flow from the anode to the cathode, generating electricity. John points out the possible use of batteries even in electric cars,

“It's an air battery, meaning that it's more lightweight, so you can have more of the battery to store energy, making it more feasible in the future."

By improving the efficiency of seawater batteries, John and Giovanni are working toward the development of more sustainable energy storage solutions. Their innovative work hopes to help pave the way for further integration of metal-air batteries.

Throughout their project, John and Giovanni acknowledge the challenges of their research project but emphasise perseverance.

Seawater batteries highlights the innovative and practical nature of studying Chemical and Materials Engineering. Their work not only addresses critical issues in energy storage but also demonstrates the potential to solve real-world problems.

John and Giovanni's values of perseverance, critical thinking, and the pursuit of impactful solutions within Engineering are some of the many characteristics encouraged here at the University of Auckland.