New battery design helps solar energy become a major supplier to the power grid
发布时间：2024-11-28 21:46:36 点击： 次
The new battery design helps solar energy become a major supplier to the power grid. Researchers from the US Department of Energy (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that can make solar and wind energy the main suppliers to the power grid.
Cui Yi, an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University and a member of the Stanford University School of Materials and Energy Sciences, said, "To achieve large-scale applications of wind and solar power, we need a battery made of economical materials that can easily achieve economies of scale while still being highly efficient. We believe that our new battery may be the best, able to better control the natural fluctuations of these alternative energy sources
The results of the research team's report were published in the May issue of Energy and Environmental Science, and some of the findings of this study were supported by the United States Department of Energy's Joint Center for Energy Storage Research.
At present, the power grid cannot withstand the large and sudden fluctuations in electricity caused by the wide amplitude of solar and wind power. Due to the fact that solar and wind energy provide nearly 20% of the total electricity to the grid, there must be an energy storage system to regulate the "intermittent" peaks and valleys - storing excess energy and releasing stored energy when input is insufficient.
Today, the most promising battery for intermittent grid storage is the "flow" battery, as it is relatively simple to expand storage tanks, pumps, and pipelines to meet the needs of handling large capacity energy. The new flow battery design developed by Cui Yi's research group has greatly simplified and is relatively inexpensive compared to previous batteries, providing a potential feasible solution for large-scale production.
Today's flow batteries typically inject two different liquids into an interconnected chamber, where dissolved molecules undergo chemical reactions to store or release energy. There is a membrane in this room that only allows non reactive ions to pass through the liquid while maintaining physical separation of active ions. This battery design has two main drawbacks: high liquid cost, as these liquids contain rare materials such as vanadium; Its membrane is also very expensive and requires frequent maintenance.
Stanford University/SLAC's new battery design uses only one type of molecular flow and does not require a membrane at all. Most of its molecules are composed of relatively inexpensive lithium and sulfur elements, which interact with a barrier that allows electrons to pass through without decomposing the metal. During discharge, molecules called lithium polysulfides absorb lithium ions; When charging, these molecules release lithium ions into the liquid. The entire molecular flow is dissolved in organic solvents, and there is no corrosion problem with water-based flow batteries.
Cui Yi said, "In the initial laboratory tests, the new battery also showed excellent energy storage performance, with over 2000 charge and discharge processes. If charged and discharged once a day, this is equivalent to more than 5.5 years
To demonstrate their concept, the researchers created a small system using simple glassware. Adding lithium polysulfide to the flask immediately generates electricity, which can light up an LED light.
In the future, Cui Yi's research team plans to create a laboratory scale system to optimize energy storage processes, identify potential engineering issues, and begin discussions with potential comprehensive on-site demonstration units.
Cui Yi, an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University and a member of the Stanford University School of Materials and Energy Sciences, said, "To achieve large-scale applications of wind and solar power, we need a battery made of economical materials that can easily achieve economies of scale while still being highly efficient. We believe that our new battery may be the best, able to better control the natural fluctuations of these alternative energy sources
The results of the research team's report were published in the May issue of Energy and Environmental Science, and some of the findings of this study were supported by the United States Department of Energy's Joint Center for Energy Storage Research.
At present, the power grid cannot withstand the large and sudden fluctuations in electricity caused by the wide amplitude of solar and wind power. Due to the fact that solar and wind energy provide nearly 20% of the total electricity to the grid, there must be an energy storage system to regulate the "intermittent" peaks and valleys - storing excess energy and releasing stored energy when input is insufficient.
Today, the most promising battery for intermittent grid storage is the "flow" battery, as it is relatively simple to expand storage tanks, pumps, and pipelines to meet the needs of handling large capacity energy. The new flow battery design developed by Cui Yi's research group has greatly simplified and is relatively inexpensive compared to previous batteries, providing a potential feasible solution for large-scale production.
Today's flow batteries typically inject two different liquids into an interconnected chamber, where dissolved molecules undergo chemical reactions to store or release energy. There is a membrane in this room that only allows non reactive ions to pass through the liquid while maintaining physical separation of active ions. This battery design has two main drawbacks: high liquid cost, as these liquids contain rare materials such as vanadium; Its membrane is also very expensive and requires frequent maintenance.
Stanford University/SLAC's new battery design uses only one type of molecular flow and does not require a membrane at all. Most of its molecules are composed of relatively inexpensive lithium and sulfur elements, which interact with a barrier that allows electrons to pass through without decomposing the metal. During discharge, molecules called lithium polysulfides absorb lithium ions; When charging, these molecules release lithium ions into the liquid. The entire molecular flow is dissolved in organic solvents, and there is no corrosion problem with water-based flow batteries.
Cui Yi said, "In the initial laboratory tests, the new battery also showed excellent energy storage performance, with over 2000 charge and discharge processes. If charged and discharged once a day, this is equivalent to more than 5.5 years
To demonstrate their concept, the researchers created a small system using simple glassware. Adding lithium polysulfide to the flask immediately generates electricity, which can light up an LED light.
In the future, Cui Yi's research team plans to create a laboratory scale system to optimize energy storage processes, identify potential engineering issues, and begin discussions with potential comprehensive on-site demonstration units.