Supercapacitor-battery hybrid based on multivalent vanadium for storage of renewable energy

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Canada has pledged to convert the economy to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The energy sector is one of the largest carbon dioxide emitters and the integration of renewable energy into electrical power generation is a promising strategy to reduce carbon emissions. However, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are irregular and do not only vary over short times (seconds to hours) but also over long periods (days to weeks). Hence, energy from renewables, which is not immediately consumed, has to be stored until it is used and supplied when required. Batteries can store and dispense relatively large amounts of energy but they don't work well at high electrical power. In contrast, supercapacitors can handle large power but do not store a lot of energy. Hence, both candidates are not ideal to support the integration of renewable sources into the grid.Our group recently invented a novel battery-supercapacitor hybrid which is simple to manufacture and consists of abundant, environmentally-benign and relatively cost effective materials. This hybrid combines the energy storage mechanisms of supercapacitors and battery and, in an ideal demonstration, combines their advantages. That is, it can store large amounts of energy like a battery and handle high power like a supercapacitor making it an ideal energy storage device for the integration of renewable energy sources in the existing electricity grid. The funding of this proposal allows for further development of the hybrid. We will improve the hybrid's energy density by developing a suitable electrode for a modified chemistry. We will also re-formulate the electrolyte and improve the contact interfaces to increase energy content and efficiency of the device. The funding of this proposal also trains two Highly Qualified Personnel and contributes to Canada's economic future by technology development.