SBIR Phase I: High Energy-Density Hydrogen-Halogen Flow Batteries for Energy Storage

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发高能量密度、低成本的能量存储技术。负担得起的长期能源储存是广泛采用可再生能源的关键。这是一个不断增长的细分市场，当前(例如锂离子电池)存储技术无法满足这一细分市场的需求。在电力中断影响严重的农村社区，能源储存可能非常重要。该项目寻求开发与太阳能或风能可再生能源相结合的能源储存，比以化石燃料为基础的发电更便宜。这样的发展将加速向现代清洁能源经济的过渡，将减少发电对环境的影响，并将增加农村社区的经济韧性。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目建议开发一种电化学储能装置。液流电池是一种引人注目的长期能量存储选择，因为能量存储(储罐中的化学品)与电力输送(在电化学电池中)是分离的。液流电池的一个主要障碍是用于储存的化学品(如钒)的高成本。这个第一阶段的项目开发了一种液流电池，它利用了常见的高能量密度的氢和卤素化合物。该项目将这种液流电池技术扩展到新的浓缩和流体动力系统中，使该技术能够实现商业规模。该项目还测试了由现代复合材料制成的新型双极板，考察了它们作为低成本、长寿命电池组件在商业生产中的适用性。实验室工作的补充是开发经过验证的数值模型，这些模型将用于优化电池设计。这些实验室实验和经过验证的高卤素浓度区域的数值模型将为社区和电网规模的电化学能量存储打开新的窗口。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of a high energy density, low-cost energy storage technology. Affordable long duration energy storage is critical to the wide adoption of renewable power. This is a growing market segment which is underserved by current (e.g., lithium-ion battery) storage technologies. Energy storage can be of importance in rural communities where the impacts of power disruption are severe. This project seeks to develop energy storage that, when paired with solar or wind renewable power, is cheaper than fossil fuel-based generation. Such a development would accelerate the transition to a modern clean energy economy, would reduce the environmental impacts of power generation, and would increase the economic resilience of rural communities.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop an electrochemical energy storage device. Flow batteries are a compelling option for long-duration energy storage, as the energy storage (chemicals in tanks) is decoupled from the power delivery (in an electrochemical cell). A major hurdle for flow batteries has been the high cost of the chemicals used for storage (e.g., vanadium). This Phase I project develops a flow battery that makes use of commonly available and high energy density hydrogen and halogen chemical compounds. The project extends this flow battery technology into new concentration and fluid dynamical regimes that will enable commercial scaling of the technology. This project also tests novel bipolar plates made from modern composite materials, examining their suitability as low-cost, long lifespan cell components in commercial production. Laboratory efforts are complemented by the development of validated numerical models which will be used to optimize cell design. These laboratory experiments and validated numerical models in the high halogen concentration regime will open new windows for electrochemical energy storage at community and grid scales.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.