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Molten-Salt Battery Freezes Energy Over a Whole Season

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Scientists have been looking for solutions in gravity energy storage , thermal or geothermal storage , and also molten-salt batteries. A recent study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) looks at molten-salt batteries that can “freeze” their charge for months until required.

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U Waterloo team shows four-electron conversion for Li-O2 batteries for high energy density; inorganic molten salt electrolyte, high temperature

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Nazar and her colleagues switched the organic electrolyte to a more stable inorganic molten salt and the porous carbon cathode to a bifunctional metal oxide catalyst. In addition, the superoxide consumes the organic electrolyte in the process, which greatly limits the cycle life.

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PNNL: single-crystal nickel-rich cathode holds promise for next-generation Li-ion batteries

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Researchers are working on ways to store more energy in the cathode materials by increasing nickel content. Nickel-rich cathode materials have real potential to store more energy. These carry advantages for storing and discharging energy faster. (Image courtesy of Jie Xiao | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory).

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Novel Li-metal electrode design could lead to more powerful solid-state batteries

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One of the biggest problems is that when the battery is charged up, atoms accumulate inside the lithium metal, causing it to expand. When the lithium expands in the charging process, it flows into the empty space in the interior of the tubes, moving like a liquid even though it retains its solid crystalline structure.

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Energy storage: the key to a decarbonised future

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Just like we put food in the refrigerator, we can store it for days or weeks without eating it immediately or discarding it. Technologies include energy storage with molten salt and liquid air or cryogenic storage. Storage devices can save energy in many forms (e.g., Mechanical storage.

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Researchers propose new aluminum–sulfur battery with molten-salt electrolyte; low-cost, rechargeable, fire-resistant, recyclable

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An international team of researchers led by Quanguan Pang at Peking University and Donald Sadoway at MIT reports a bidirectional, rapidly charging aluminum–chalcogen battery operating with a molten-salt electrolyte composed of NaCl–KCl–AlCl 3. But this particular salt, it happens, is very good at preventing that malfunction.

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Thermal Energy Storage Is No Longer Just Hot Air

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The company is building these shipping container systems, which work like giant batteries that store energy as heat and pressurized air , rather than a chemical reaction (Cheesecake’s name is derived from a nerdy acronym for their technology.) The compressed air, now cool and easier to store, is housed in a large air tank.