Development of novel supercapacitor-battery hybrid systems for renewable energy storage

能源部门是最大的二氧化碳排放部门之一，将可再生能源纳入发电经济是减少碳排放的一项有前途的战略。然而，风能和太阳能等可再生能源是不规则的，不仅在短时间内变化，而且在长时间内变化。因此，来自可再生能源的能源，不是立即消耗的，必须储存起来，直到需要时使用和供应。电池可以存储和分配相对大量的能量，但它们在高电力率下不能很好地工作。相比之下，超级电容器可以处理大功率，但不能存储大量能量。因此，这两个候选人都不是支持可再生能源融入电网的理想人选。该建议涉及一类新型混合动力汽车的开发，该混合动力汽车将超级电容器和电池的能量存储机制联合收割机结合起来。在理想的演示中，这种混合动力车可以像电池一样存储大量能量，并像超级电容器一样处理高功率。这些特点使其成为将可再生能源整合到现有电网中的理想储能设备。我们提出了高表面积电极与非水电解质的组合，其允许混合动力的超级电容器样操作。非水电解质还含有氧化还原物质-一种可以电化学转化的化学试剂-这赋予了混合物类似电池的机制。 混合开发伴随着对潜在基本面的调查。详细地说，我们将探索在有限的几何形状，因为我们发现他们在电池，超级电容器和它们的混合动力车的电荷和质量转移。从衍生的理解中，我们可以为未来设备的设计改进制定指导方针，使其更加高效。该研究还培养了9名高素质的人才，并为加拿大的经济未来做出了贡献。

The energy sector is one of the largest carbon dioxide emitters and the integration of renewable energy into the electrical power generation economy 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 but also over long periods. Hence, energy from renewables, which is not immediately consumed, must 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 rates. In contrast, supercapacitors can handle large power rates but do not store a lot of energy. Hence, both candidates are not ideal to support the integration of renewable sources into the grid. This proposal is concerned with the development of a novel class of hybrids which combine the energy storage mechanisms of supercapacitors and battery. In an ideal demonstration, such a hybrid can store large amounts of energy like a battery and handle high power rates like a supercapacitor. These features make it an ideal energy storage device for the integration of renewable energy sources in the existing electricity grid. We propose the combination of high-surface area electrodes with a non-aqueous electrolyte which allows for the supercapacitor-like operation of the hybrid. The non-aqueous electrolyte also contains a redox species - a chemical agent which can be electrochemically converted - which grants the battery-like mechanisms to the hybrid. The hybrid development is accompanied by investigation of the underlying fundamentals. In detail, we will explore charge and mass transfer in confined geometries as we find them in batteries, supercapacitors and their hybrids. From the derived understanding, we can develop guidelines for design improvements of future devices to make them more efficient. The research also trains nine Highly Qualified Personnel and contributes to Canada's economic future.