Apparently, this company (EOS) has overcome the recharge limitation that exists in conventional zinc-air batteries, and supposedly has several patents on the technology. If true, this technology would be a big boost for all sorts of battery powered technology, not just grid storage. The big question: what is the conversion efficiency? – Anthony
Guest post by Mathias Aarre Mæhlum
In the next few years, an increasing amount of wind turbines and solar panels is expected to be built all around the world, reducing the stress that coal, fossil fuels and other polluting methods of harnessing energy does on our environment.
There are several challenges related to the electrical grid we face when solar, wind and other renewable energy sources reaches 10, 15 and 20% of the total useful energy generated. This article focuses solely on energy storage. Why is energy storage important?
Wind and solar energy (other renewable energy sources as well) are highly fluctuating. We are having a hard time predicting the flow of the energy resulting in two main problems:
How can we assure that we have enough energy to satisfy the rate of consumption? Imagine days where the amount of energy harnessed does not reach the demand. Or if we flip the coin, days where we generate too much electricity and want to store the surplus for times when energy is scarce.
A stable flow of energy is also important. If we are to exchange our current base load energy systems with renewable energy sources, we need some kind of device between the electricity generation and consumer, ensuring a stable and controllable flow.
Batteries have previously not been applicable for utility-scale energy storage. There are several reasons for this, but most important is the price tag. In the last ten years, technological advancements have been made in a battery that utilizes zinc and air as reactants. The key here is that the air comes from the outside rather than acting as a reactant within the battery.
This result in one very interesting thing: Since there is only one reactant in the battery itself, we can expect an increased energy density. In theory, this can be up to ten times the density of ion-lithium batteries. In addition to this, zinc-air batteries are expected to have a lifetime of 30 years. This things all help with lowering the costs, allowing us to use the technology on larger scale.
It looks like zinc-air batteries on utility-scale could be a valuable addition to our renewable energy systems and help us transition towards the smart grid. The first utility-scale zinc-air batteries are promised to be on the market within 2013:
Sorry, but you lost me when you implied that solar panels and windmills were not “polluting” but that coal and fossil fuels are. Certainly, a gas-powered generating station is hardly a source of pollution, unless you want to count CO2 as “pollution”. On the other hand, windmills are intrinsically visually polluting and otherwise throw off a lot of pollution when built and decommissioned.
Excellent, new patented battery technology. Now an oil company can buy it and sit on it for the next 20 years.
Hmmm, another “break-through” in the field of energy tech promising to deliver us unto salvation … yawn.
Zonc-air batteries? 😉
REPLY: typo – fixed -A
If photovoltaic cells were free, their installation costs would still make them cost uncompetitive. Thermal solar is even more expensive. Wind is by far the most variable, and will still need back up generation for the many extended periods when wind generation is not sufficient to bridge the gap between product and demand. Of course, the batteries will not be free, and will add substantial expense to the whole process. One natural gas, next generation coal, or nuclear plant – such as the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) that China, India, and the United States are committing enormous resource to develop – would provide inexpensive power without expensive battery and other generating backup.
Hydro, pressurized gas, and battery storage are not needed, and never will be. Even if the world continues on its Quixotic quest to eliminate CO2, nuclear will always be by far the best option.
Zinc is found underground, usually with other metals such as lead.
Wikipedia claims: “ At the current rate of consumption, these reserves are estimated to be depleted sometime between 2027 and 2055.”
So, along with all the other problems of solar and wind there will be additional mining and a price increase as use ramps up. Somehow this all sounds like a solution for special situations and not one for “utility-scale” deployment. Color me skeptical.
An interesting development, if they can get them to market as advertised, eventually.
But the hype over such developments enabling big wind and big solar is a bit overdone. The problem is the huge expense of being forced to back up intermittent, unreliable power sources.
The expense is huge whether you are using natural gas turbine backup or you are using exorbitantly expensive battery backup such as this technology. And they never include that in “levelised cost comparisons.”
They artificially hold down the proposed costs of the big wind and big solar projects — on paper — until it is too late to do anything about it. Then power consumers are forced to accept huge cost increases as just something to be expected in the new order of things.
At the same time, crafty investors who know how to game the system — such as Warren Buffett — make out like bandits from government subsidies, guarantees, tax breaks, etc. Did you know that 12 of President Obama’s favourite green companies are in big financial trouble, after receiving over $5 billion in federal help? At least 5 are bankrupt, and the others are going down.
What’s a “zonc-air battery”? 😉
Pretty cool if it works well.
I want to believe this is going to happen, I would line up at midnight in a January blizzard outside Bestbuy, Toyota or Obama’s battery factory? But a little voice inside me is singing “Won’t be fooled again”
Dam my skeptical heart!
“In the next few years, an increasing amount of wind turbines and solar panels is expected to be built all around the world, reducing the stress that coal, fossil fuels and other polluting methods of harnessing energy does on our environment.”
Soooooo. Just how and with what are these bird killers and weed collectors being made? Pixie dust and unicorn farts? Ready by 2013?
I know something about accumulators of many different types. And I keep up with the developments.
I do not know what patents these people have, but I do know about the basic technology. And I have heard such claims time and again. It is a bit like fusion power or a cheaper better solar cell, it is always about thirty years in the future and has been all my life.
Zinc air cells work after a fashion with the particular advantage of offering very high discharge rates which is why they were the pet on one motor car company forty years ago: when electric cars were fashionable the last time around and going to free us from oil. Sound familiar?
Otherwise it is an utterly useless cell with drawbacks too many to mention.
It is just a salesman’s puff presumably to separate wealthy but otherwise innocent investors from their hard earned cash. Or possibly politicians who love to spend other peoples’ money on what they call investment. All of which is nothing new.
It’s balderdash in short.
Kindest Regards
Jake says:
January 16, 2012 at 9:09 pm
“Excellent, new patented battery technology. Now an oil company can buy it and sit on it for the next 20 years.”
You surely have some examples of oil companies doing that, and are happy to provide some links?
John F. Hultquist says:
January 16, 2012 at 9:19 pm
“Zinc is found underground, usually with other metals such as lead.
Wikipedia claims: “ At the current rate of consumption, these reserves are estimated to be depleted sometime between 2027 and 2055.”
So, along with all the other problems of solar and wind there will be additional mining and a price increase as use ramps up.”
When the price goes up, some of the known resources become known reserves, so the date of depletion is a moving target.
For stationary applications, zinc-air batteries may have a significant role. But for “rolling” energy, its problem is the air part. Their volume is far too great for anything on wheels to drag through air-resistance.
All of this will go “Poof” in a couple of years, though. The costs are going to crush renewables and their hangers-on. Britain, especially Scotland, will be at the bottom of the pile.
P.S.;
to explain the “volume” comment above, standard “energy density” stats are given on a per-kg basis. Zinc-air gets rid of lots of the Kgs, but at the expense of puffing up to huge size with air.
Al Gore’s Zinc Mine
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-18-goremine_N.htm
Magic wands, if we invested enough in research and development then by 2100 ish all our problems would be solved. Its just a matter of investment. Pixie dust and wishing on a star could be the answer to our energy needs, and if ET comes calling then the skies the limit. So no need to modernise existing energy tech and utilise current energy stocks because with magic wands and pixie dust and wishing on a star we will all be in wonderland before we can click our heels three times.
Coming back to earth, the USA has enough shale gas reserves to last centuries and the UK has enough coal for gasification to last as long and making both nations future energy hubs, now that is what I call energy security. And in 100yrs who knows what power sources will be available, think back 100yrs and todays tech was not even a dream. What is missing from the energy planning equation is common sense, or for that matter any sense at all, our leaders are living in what can only be described as a mental fantasy island and advised by certified loonies and cretins.
There should be no problem, no worries, no fear, just hope and confidence. But then again the modern political class has found that by selling fear and guilt and uncertainty to the public they can exert a far greater control over us. What we need is a viable hard headed long term policy of real energy security, what we get is an incoherent mess of pseudo science and half baked politically inspired make believe doomed to fail.
In Alberta at 11:11 PM MST Jan 16, wind farms were operating at 1.85% of design capacity!
It will be -30°C across the south tonight and -35 across the north. There is/will be a slight breeze…not enough to make wind turbines spin well, but enough to drop the windchill to -40°C in many places tonight. We can expect the same for a few days.
Gonna take some incredible supply of batteries to keep us from dying. ☺
John F. Hultquist says:
January 16, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Neither zinc nor lead are at a price point that justifies investment in significant exploration, hence reserves are minimal. Were this technology to catch on and prices increase for either or both metals, there would be a significant increase in the reserve base. Neither of these metals are currently on any “endangered” list.
When we try and look into the future, we forget that history has shown us that most of what we know and enjoy today was not even remotely imagined a hundred years ago.
Our knowledge is growing exponentially. Computing speed is increasing exponentially. Computer size is decreasing exponentially.
To me, this means solutions to problems, such as energy, will be soon be solved, and, those solutions will be exponentially beyond where we are today.
I highly recommend to ayone interested in the future of energy, including energy storage, to take in this lecture:
The future’s so bright, we’re going to wear shades.
Both solar and wind should have been considered for practical application after related technologies such as this have been perfected.
We have still plenty of time, and all the troubles with solar and wind, IMHO, originate in the unnecessary hurry.
Electricity Declines 50% in U.S. as Shale Brings Natural Gas Glut: Energy
I think this battery is going to have a BIG problem. Thanks to fracking, we have NG at less than $2.60 per mm/Btus. which leaves coal, nuclear, wind and PV WAY behind.
“With abundant new supplies of gas making it the cheapest option for new power generation, the largest U.S. wind-energy producer, NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE), has shelved plans for new U.S. wind projects next year and Exelon Corp. (EXC) called off plans to expand two nuclear plants. Michigan utility CMS Energy Corp. (CMS) canceled a $2 billion coal plant after deciding it wasn’t financially viable in a time of “low natural-gas prices linked to expanded shale-gas supplies,” according to a company statement…….”. Wind is only competitive with NG when it is over $6.00 and that will be some time !
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-17/electricity-declines-50-in-u-s-as-shale-brings-natural-gas-glut-energy.html
This is all pretty redundant now that NASA have finally perfected “cold fusion” http://technologygateway.nasa.gov/media/CC/lenr/lenr.html
According to another source, which appears to be a pamphlet produced by a Swedish mining company: “The best estimates say the world’s reserves of economically recoverable zinc ores are about 3,400 million tonnes, equal to about 400 years of use even if no recycling took place.”
So how big would one of these zinc-air batteries be for a small one megaWatt storage plant with say 10 days of full output capacity.
An example of the “scale” of some practical full scale renewable energy sources, would be the PV solar cell plant proposed for placement in the waste desert area in the so-Cal to 4-corners region of the USA, which was described in detail in the Jan 2008 issue of Scientific American Journal. Well they described two plants a PV solar cell one and a smaller, about 1/2 size one using a solar furnace of mirrors, and a high pressure steam turbine system, which is a very highly developed technology; aka US Navy nuclear carriers, and submarines. The numbers are classified, but it is believed that practical steam turbines with 40% solar to electrcity is about the limit.
The larger PV plant is 30,000 square miles, while the smaller solar furnace plant is only 16,000 square miles.
To get a grip of approximately what those sized mean; 30,000 square miles is 19.2 million acres. To picture that size, it is 12 times the area of the State of Delaware; well it’s exactly the size of the entire Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.
Actually the 40% efficiency for the mirror solar furnace system is grossly overstated. If you have ever seen a photo of such a plant, such as one in I believe Israel, what is immediately apparent, is that the mirrors will shadow each other, over the range of movement of the sun, so you have to space them very widely apart. There is more empty space, than there is mirror reflectors.
So the incoming solar to electric output is not even close to being 40%; well unless you imagine that there could be some other practical use for the interstitial land; like raising rabbits for food.
There is an inherent problem with solar furnaces, they are limited by the Carnot efficiency, and it is inherently impossible to convert 100% of the “heat” generated in the “working fluid” into electricity.
On the other hand PV solar cells are not so limited, and multijunction, multi bandgap solar cells recently achieved a new record of 43.5% solar EMR to electricity conversion. Offhand I don’t know the solar conditions assumed, but that is publicly available information. Also the crazy folks working on these PV structures, believe that they can reach 60% conversion efficiency; and frankly, I believe they will do exactly that in maybe the next five years. It would not surprise me, if one day they reach 75%. In theory, you can convert 100% of EM radiation to electricity; but in practice, the available material bandgaps and the difficulty of the structures, will keep them a good way below that. The short wavelength end of the stack should be doable with a GaN/InGaN junction, which is coming along nicely at UC Santa Barbara, under the guidance of Shuji Nakamura. I don’t think there is much advantage in going to Aluminum Nitride, because the UV end of the solar near black body spectrum is heavily attenuated in the earth atmosphere, so there can only be dregs to get at with AlN, and the Aluminum alloys are a bitch to work with.
So the bulk of the gain after they get the GaN/InGaN working will be in properly partitioning the longer wavelenght workload. There is a tendency to place too much of the spectrum in the hands of silicon, and some of the short end of that is better moved to the GaN.
At the long wavelength end, there is no need to go beyond about 4 microns.
The cost of these exotic technologies is somewhat irrelevent, since they can operate under many suns insolation. At UC Merced, they have multijunction cells running at hundreds of suns, with non-imaging optical concentrators. So you won’t need acres of the cell materials, which can thus be relatively expensive.
In solar PV, absolutely nothing matters except conversion efficiency (and safety/environment of course). So cheap PV materials that you can spray on a wooden fence from a garden hose for pennies, and get 5-10% efficiency, by plugging a couple of banana jacks into your coated paper tile roof, simply won’t fly. The Solyndra scam was an engineering and science scam, long before it became a finance and political scam. They could have offered those panels for peanuts, and nobody in their right mind would buy one.
If you have solar energy available on land that you own; why the hell would you waste that space on a Rube Goldberg solar system. It’s the land that costs the money.