SBIR Phase I: Viability of Low-Cost Cell Components for XL Batteries' Mild Aqueous Flow Battery

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发电网规模的电池，以实现大规模的能源存储。这种电池将提高现有电力基础设施的性能和可靠性，并最终实现从风能和太阳能等间歇性可再生能源中储存备用电力。目前，美国电网的储能容量不到日发电量的0.01%，其中95%是受地理限制的抽水蓄能技术，这些技术已经安装在可能的地方。越来越多地使用便携式锂离子技术作为权宜之计，可见对新的电网级储能的需求，2019年的储能部署与2018年相比几乎翻了一番。具体来说，该项目将使一种具有即时响应的新电池成为可能，这种电池价格低廉，具有20多年的稳定性，并且不易燃。该SBIR一期项目旨在验证在ph中性水有机氧化还原液流电池（RFB）的电池组件制造中使用廉价且易于制造的材料。目前的商用rfb，如钒系统，使用昂贵的材料来承受其腐蚀性电解质和极端pH值。这导致了电化学电池的高组件和制造成本，抑制了技术的转化。在ph中性条件下使用温和的化学反应可能使使用廉价的电池材料成为可能。该研究项目将致力于确保无处不在、廉价且易于制造的制造材料不会影响新型20年以上使用寿命的ph中性水有机液流电池的稳定性。这些材料，如聚乙烯、聚丙烯、聚氯乙烯和其他常见的橡胶和塑料，将系统地暴露于带电和中性电解质中，以进行后续的核磁共振、LC/MS、质谱、表面表征、应力测试和各种其他技术分析，以确保其化学或物理性质不会发生退化。将进行更多的性能测试，并将开发一个原型。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 grid-scale battery to enable large-scale energy storage. Such a battery would improve the performance and reliability of existing power infrastructure, and it would ultimately enable storing backup power from intermittent renewable sources, such as wind and solar. US grid storage capacity today is less than 0.01% of daily generation, 95% of which is geographically-limited pumped hydroelectric storage technology that is already installed where possible. The demand for new grid-level energy storage is seen in the growing use of portable lithium ion technology as a stopgap measure, with storage deployments in 2019 nearly doubling compared to 2018. Specifically, this project will enable a new battery with instant response that is inexpensive, has a 20+ year stability, and is non-flammable. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to validate the use of inexpensive and easy-to-manufacture materials in the fabrication of the cell components of a pH-neutral aqueous, organic redox flow battery (RFB). Current commercial RFBs, such as vanadium systems, utilize expensive materials to withstand their corrosive electrolytes and extreme pH levels. This leads to high component and fabrication costs for the electrochemical cell, inhibiting translation of the technology. Using mild chemistry in pH-neutral conditions is likely to enable the use of inexpensive cell materials. This research project will work to ensure that ubiquitous, inexpensive, and easy-to-manufacture fabrication materials do not impact the stability of a novel 20+ year lifetime pH-neutral aqueous organic flow battery. These materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and other common rubbers and plastics, will be systematically exposed to both the charged and neutral electrolyte for subsequent analysis by NMR, LC/MS, mass spectrometry, surface characterization, stress tests, and various other techniques to ensure that no degradation of their chemical or physical properties occurs. Additional performance tests will be conducted and a prototype will be developed.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.