Scientists have discovered a sugar-based flow battery by incorporating β-cyclodextrin, a dissolved simple sugar derived from starch. This sugar battery can store energy for more than one year. Researchers have achieved a remarkable 60% increase in peak power compared to existing methods. This new method could speed up the shift to clean energy sources by offering storage for times when solar or wind power is not available.
A group of scientists has successfully utilized sugar in the creation of an exceptionally powerful battery that can store grid-scale energy for over a year. This breakthrough could help accelerate the shift to renewable energy sources. These sources need a lot of battery storage to prevent relying on fossil fuels when solar or wind power is not available.
Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently made a new finding during their study on flow batteries. Flow batteries are a type of energy storage system that use two chambers filled with liquid to store and release energy through an electrochemical reaction.
Flow batteries serve as potential energy storage solution. They possess the capacity to expand to the dimensions of football fields while storing immense quantities of energy. Nevertheless, the present techniques employed to produce them heavily rely on mining minerals that are both challenging and expensive to acquire.
A battery researcher leading the new method investigation, Weo Wang said, “This is a brand-new approach to developing flow battery electrolytes. We showed that you can use a totally different type of catalyst designed to accelerate energy conversion.â€
In order to enhance the longevity and capacity of their flow battery, the researchers utilized β-cyclodextrin, a dissolved simple sugar derived from starch. The system has accomplished a remarkable 60 percent increase in peak power when compared to existing methods. Moreover, it possesses the remarkable capability of continuously storing and releasing energy for over a year.
This new innovation can set new standards in energy storage. According to the researchers, “The latest advance makes the next-generation battery design “a candidate for scale up.â€
Imre Gyuk, director of energy storage research at DOE’s Office of Electricity, said, “We cannot always dig the Earth for new materials. We need to develop a sustainable approach with chemicals that we can synthesize in large amounts – just like the pharmaceutical and the food industries.â€
Source Proton-regulated alcohol oxidation for high-capacity ketone-based flow battery anolyte
