Stanford researchers announce low-cost water-based batteries to facilitate grid storage

In the business world, the three most important factors are price, price and price. The world is waking up to how grid storage allows renewable energy not only to meet the needs of the utility industry, but also to be available at any time of day. However, the price of such large equipment is still an obstacle to the large-scale adoption of this technology.

Most batteries currently available use lithium-ion batteries. The technology and manufacturing process are well understood. They have very good response times. But they have some drawbacks. First of all, they spent a lot of money. Second, after a certain number of charge/discharge cycles, its performance begins to decline. Third, they require a cooling system, which adds complexity and cost to each installation.

Rsearchers at Stanford University say they may answer all three questions—a new type of battery that uses manganese, hydrogen, and water to store electrical energy. Now remember that this discovery can only work in the lab. It will not be available soon in the energy storage section of your local Home Depot. But it offers a cheaper energy storage commitment to withstand more charge/discharge cycles than lithium-ion batteries. This means that a door has been opened that could lead to more use of renewable energy in the future - an environment that is urgently needed.

The study was published in the April 30 issue of Nature Energy. Professor Yi Cui, a professor of materials science at Stanford University, said, “What we do is put special salt into water, put it into the electrode, and produce a reversible chemical reaction to store electrons in the form of hydrogen.” The basics of water batteries The component is manganese sulfate, a cheap and abundant industrial salt used in the manufacture of dry batteries, fertilizers, paper and other products, according to Stanford.

Based on the expected life of the new battery, Mr. Cui estimates that in order to provide 12 hours of power to a 100-watt bulb, storing a sufficient amount of electricity requires a penny. "We believe this prototype technology will be able to meet the Department of Energy's utility-scale power storage utility goals," he said.

The Department of Energy's grid-scale energy storage standard is capable of storing and discharging at least 20 kilowatts in an hour during at least 5,000 charge/discharge cycles and has a service life of 10 years or longer. The target cost that the US Department of Energy is looking for is $100 per kWh.

Steven Chu, the Nobel laureate of the US Department of Energy's Obama administration, said: "Although accurate materials and designs still need to be developed, the prototypes show science and engineering types that offer low-cost, long-lasting utility batteries new method."Zhu is now a professor at Stanford University but has not participated in this research project. Other rechargeable battery technologies that researchers are currently considering "are more than five times the cost of their lifetime," Cui added.

The Stanford water battery is not ready for prime time. The researchers used platinum as a catalyst, but they were expensive, but Cui explained: "We have determined that the catalyst will allow us to reach the US Department of Energy's target of less than $100 per kilowatt hour."

There is still a lot of research and development to be done before the Stanford water battery is ready for commercial use. Only a small part of the breakthrough in the laboratory allowed it to be put into actual production. The price threshold per kWh is of concern to every battery researcher. Even a lithium-ion battery may break in one day. But if the water battery can withstand more charge/discharge cycles, the overall total cost will be lower.

Will YiCui and his team's new technology take it out of the lab and put it into production? "We will see it," said the master.

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