With the help of nanomaterials, researchers found a way to improve the performance of hybrid flow batteries – making the store energy longer at a lower cost, fewer space constraints, and zero emissions.
Researchers from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, along with members of Imperial College London, have fabricated three hybrid flow cells using doped nitrogen graphene – graphene sheets exposed to plasma nitrogen – using a device -connected without binding. electrophoresis (EPD) device.
Long-term rechargeable batteries
The new approach could help with the wider use of renewable energy sources – such as hydroelectric and solar power – currently limited by interim problems that prevent the adoption of these sources. to larger power grids nationally. One idea that has been studied in working around this limitation is the use of long-lasting battery technologies, such as redox discharge batteries. However, despite its length and length of achievement, current costs have become important trade issues and are also hindering widespread adoption. According to data from the US Department of Energy states that a grid battery should cost around £ 75 / kWh or USD102.61 / kWh at an affordable price. Lithium-ion batteries, currently among the most popular options for grid energy storage, still cost around £ 130 / kWh or close to USD188 / kWh.
The WMG team, in their latest paper titled “Hybrid Redox Flow Cells with Electrochemical Performance Enhanced through Graphene Nitrogen-Doped Binderless and Electrophoretically Deposited on Carbon Paper Electrodes” feature in ACS Activated Materials and Interface, describes a new approach to developing hybrid flow batteries. Also known as renewable fuel cell (RFC) technology, these batteries are believed to store electricity for longer periods of time at just around a fifth of conventional energy storage technology. In addition, these batteries are flexible in position and have almost no environmental footprint.
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Cost-Effective Electrode Developments
In their new method, researchers used carbon-based electrons with cost-effective electrolyte products such as sulfa or manganese that were naturally abundant. They used a simple (efficient) electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method that incorporated nanomaterial carbon addition (via nitrogen-doped graphene). This greatly improves the stability and performance of electrodes, even in highly acidic or alkaline environments.
“Not only is this EPD method simple but it also improves the efficiency of three different economical hybrid flow batteries and thus increases the potential for widespread commercial adoption for energy storage at the level of grid, ”said Dr. Barun Chakrabarti, one of the lead authors and WMG researcher.
Researchers noted that, compared to other battery technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, the hybrid flow batteries in the study only have a total chemical charge of around 1 / 30th. Scaling up this new technology would allow it to store electricity from renewable sources from several days up to full seasons, costing just around £ 15 to £ 20 (20 to 27 USD) per kilowatt hour. In addition, the new batteries can be used for grid-level power applications – due to credit for design flexibility and the unique ability to increase its power independently of its energy capacity.
A hybrid flow battery, especially those using the S-Air or polysulphide / air system, has an energy density that is 500 times greater compared to pumped hydro storage. Its compact design allows it to be placed almost anywhere near a generated power source.
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