Although renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are essential to maintaining our planet, they have a significant drawback in that they don’t always produce power when it’s needed. To fully utilize them, we must find economical and effective ways to store the energy they generate, ensuring that we always have power, even in the absence of the sun or wind.
The goal of material scientists at Columbia Engineering has been to create novel battery types that will revolutionize the way that renewable energy is stored. In a recent study that was published on September 5 by Nature Communications, the researchers employed K-Na/S batteries, which combine sulfur (S), potassium (K), and sodium (Na), three inexpensive, easily obtained components, to produce a high-energy, low-cost option for long-duration energy storage.
The team’s leader, Yuan Yang, an associate professor of materials science and engineering in the Department of Applied Physics and Mathematics at Columbia Engineering, stated, “It’s important that we can extend the length of time these batteries can operate, and that we can manufacture them easily and cheaply.” “Increasing the reliability of renewable energy will support a more sustainable energy future for all of us, stabilize our energy grids, and lessen our reliance on fossil fuels.”
K-Na/S batteries store and release energy more effectively thanks to new electrolyte.
K-Na/S batteries face two main problems: their low capacity stems from the formation of inactive solid K2S2 and K2S, which obstructs the diffusion process; additionally, their operation necessitates very high temperatures (>250 oC), which require complex thermal management, raising the process’s cost. Previous research has struggled with low capacity and solid precipitates, so a novel method to enhance these kinds of batteries has been sought after.
Yang’s team created a novel electrolyte, an acetamide and ε-caprolactam solvent, to aid in the battery’s energy storage and release. The energy density and power density of K/S batteries operating at intermediate temperatures can be improved by this electrolyte’s ability to dissolve K2S2 and K2S. Furthermore, compared to earlier designs, it allows the battery to function at a temperature far lower (around 75°C) while still nearly reaching the maximum potential energy storage capacity.
“Our method delivers longer cycle life and virtually theoretical discharge capacities. In the realm of intermediate-temperature K/S batteries, this is quite interesting,” Zhenghao Yang, Yang’s PhD student and co-first author of the work, remarked.
Road map for the future of renewable energy
Yang’s team is associated with the Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center (CEEC), an organization that employs a multiscale strategy to find novel technologies and hasten their commercialization. Faculty and researchers interested in electrochemical energy from the School of Engineering and Applied Science are brought together by CEEC. Their areas of interest span from electrons to devices to systems. Realizing achievements in electrochemical energy storage and conversion is made possible by its industrial partnerships.
Considering expanding
Although the group is concentrating on tiny, coin-sized batteries for the time being, they eventually want to scale up this technology to store significant amounts of energy. If they are successful, these new batteries could provide a constant and reliable power supply from renewable sources, even during times of low sun or wind. Right now, the group is focusing on electrolyte composition optimization.
