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New batteries provide energy storage for renewable energy

Better Batteries Coming, No Jitter, 5 Jan 2011, . By Gary Audin, Delphi, Inc “……, “Charging Ahead: Advances in Battery Technology,” is excerpted below

In our increasingly mobile society, advanced energy storage is more important than ever. Batteries are used for plug-in vehicles, consumer electronics, renewable energy storage, back-up power, implantable medical devices, and a host of commercial and industrial applications. There is great demand for batteries that are smaller, last longer, and are more powerful…….

…..Scientists are developing a different type of battery known as lithium-air, which is designed to store much larger amounts of energy. The lithium-air battery is similar in structure to the lithium-ion battery, but includes a porous cathode that supplies oxygen. The lithium-air battery has the potential for energy storage five to ten times greater than conventional batteries. Scientific and engineering challenges remain in developing the technology, however, and it could be a number of years before actual commercialization.

A new hybrid battery technology combines the energy storage capacity of batteries with the nearly endless life cycle of supercapacitors to create a powerful new energy storage device. Supercapacitors store energy by physically separating positive and negative charges–unlike the chemical reaction used by batteries. Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the national science agency of Australia, have developed the UltraBattery, which merges a supercapacitor with a traditional lead-acid battery. Tests have shown that the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is four times longer and produces 50% more power than conventional battery systems. The UltraBattery has potential applications in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and as energy storage for renewable energy systems–such as solar and wind power.

The all-electron battery is a novel device that promises to present an entirely new class of energy storage technology
No Jitter | blog | Better Batteries Coming

January 7, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, renewable