EFRI-RESTOR: Regenerative Hydrogen-Bromine Fuel Cell System for Energy Storage

在美国，包括风能和太阳能在内的可再生能源可以提供大量的电能;然而，由于其间歇性，只有提供合适的储能系统，才能充分利用这两种能源的潜力。考虑到该应用的能量容量、效率和成本的要求，氢溴燃料电池被确定为最合适的电能存储系统。该系统具有许多优点，其中包括极快的反应动力学，高能量存储容量和高可靠性。这种潜力得到了试图开发商业系统的工业团队的认可;然而，在不稳定的电极支撑物上使用昂贵的Pt基催化剂，高成本，耐用和高性能的膜，以及非最佳的电池配置不允许这些燃料电池以所需的容量广泛部署，以影响美国的能源需求。该项目的目标是产生使能科学，并创造将可再生氢溴燃料电池系统开发成具有成本效益，高效和可靠的可再生能源大规模储能系统所需的工程技术。已确定了四个主要重点领域：设计和合成低成本和耐用的电催化剂，对氢和溴反应具有高反应性和选择性;开发用于氢溴酸操作的高选择性和耐用的质子传导膜;开发电极微结构和电池设计，以尽量减少传输影响并尽量提高转换效率;识别对于集成到电网最优的系统配置和操作。就更广泛的影响而言，提供经济的技术以促进从化石燃料向可持续能源的过渡是21世纪世纪的重大挑战。生产丰富、廉价、清洁、可靠的可再生能源是关键，对这些能源的探索和商业化将是下一个伟大的全球产业。从该项目中获得的发现、见解和知识将对其他电化学发电系统产生影响，并可能在电动汽车和住宅/商业电力等领域得到应用。该项目的教育和推广部分将有助于培养新一代多样化的工程师和研究人员，他们将在这项技术的发展和新能源产业的创建中发挥重要作用。 该项目的成果将有助于电催化、聚合物科学、电极设计、纳米制造和大规模储能与电网的集成等领域的基础性进展。支持该项目的2010财年EFRI-SEED主题由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）工程部（ENG）、数学和物理科学部（MPS）和社会科学部（Social Science）赞助。行为和经济科学（SBE），计算机&信息科学与工程与美国能源部（DOE）和美国环境保护署（EPA）合作。

Renewable energy sources including wind and solar can supply a significant amount of electrical energy in the US; however, because of their intermittent nature, the potential of these two energy sources can be fully exploited only if a suitable energy storage system is provided. Considering the requirements of energy capacity, efficiency and cost of this application, the hydrogen-bromine fuel cell has been identified as the most suitable electrical energy storage system. This system has many advantages among which are extremely fast reaction kinetics, high energy storage capacity, and high reliability. The potential was recognized by industrial teams which attempted to develop commercial systems; however, the use of expensive Pt-based catalysts on unstable electrode supports, the high cost, durable and high-performance membranes, and non-optimal cell configurations did not allow for widespread deployment of these fuel cells at the capacities required to have an impact on US energy requirements. The goal of this project is to generate the enabling science and create the engineering technologies needed to develop the regenerative hydrogen-bromine fuel cell system into a cost-effective, efficient, and reliable large-scale energy storage system for renewable energy sources. Four main focus areas have been identified: the design and synthesis of low-cost and durable eletrocatalysts with high reactivity and selectivity for the hydrogen and bromine reactions; the development of highly selective and durable proton conducting membranes for hydrobromic acid operation; the development of electrode microstructures and cell designs that minimize transport effects and maximize conversion efficiency; identification of system configurations and operation that are optimal for integration to the electrical grid. In terms of broader impacts, providing economical technologies to facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources is a grand challenge of the 21st century. Production of abundant, cheap, clean, reliable, renewable energy is the key, and the search for and commercialization of these energy sources will be the next great global industry. The discoveries, insights, and knowledge gained from this project will have impacts on other electrochemical power systems and may find applications in areas such as electric vehicles and residential/commercial power. The educational and outreach component of this project will help create a new diverse generation of engineers and researchers who will play a major role in development of this technology and the creation of a new energy industry. The outcome of this project will contribute to fundamental advances in electrocatalysis, polymer science, electrode design, nano-manufacturing and integration of large-scale energy storage to the electrical grid.The FY 2010 EFRI-SEED Topic that supports this project was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorates for Engineering (ENG), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Computer & Information Science and Engineering in collaboration with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).