黑料吃瓜网

 

Big Batteries For Powering Our Homes听And Businesses

 

JUNE 11, 2018

 

FEATURING:

 

Robert F. Savinell,听Distinguished听University Professor

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 黑料吃瓜网

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EVENT INFORMATION:

Batteries are very听much in the news these days because of the increased numbers of electric听vehicles on the roads, a trend that will only听accelerate. But one of the most听pressing issues in battery technology is not with cars but with the power grid听and how to store energy听generated at times when supply exceeds demand to use听later when the reverse is true. The power grid needs to adjust immediately in听response听to the hourly, daily, and seasonal variations in demand, such as听increased use of lights at night or the heavy use of air conditioners in the听summer.

While the supply of听electricity must always match demand at any time, turning power plants on and听off, or up and down to do so is terribly听inefficient.听听And, in the case of听renewable energy sources听like wind and solar, nature controls when power can be produced by turbines and听solar cells.听听But big batteries can convert听electric energy into a听chemical form that can be stored, which can then be听converted back into electricity when needed, somewhat like Amazon warehouses听that store millions of products so that听they are immediately available whenever听a customer needs them.

In this talk Dr. Savinell will听first address the challenges of using a conventional lithium-ion battery, like听we have in our phones and computers, for very听large storage systems. These听batteries store electricity in very high energy density materials surrounded by听combustible materials, which have听the potential to explode and cause fires.听听A safer and听potentially lower cost battery听being developed during the past decade is the “flow battery”, and at 黑料吃瓜网 we听are developing one such battery using just iron as the chemical听to store the听electricity.听听He will describe how this听battery converts electricity into dissolved iron salt in water which can then听be stored in large tanks, and discuss its many听features that make it promising听for very large energy storage.

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LINKS OF INTEREST:

. Scientific American. December 1, 2017

. New Scientist. September 20, 2017

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CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK PICKS:

If the discussion topic for this month's Science Cafe has the gears turning and you are interested in continuing your quest for information, for just a small sample of what's available at the Cleveland Public Library on the subject and/or related topics.

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EVENT DETAILS:

 

WHERE:

The Music Box Supper Club - Concert Hall

1148 Main Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

 

WHEN:

June 11, 2018

 

WHO:

Sponsored by Case Western Reserve University chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream, and the Music Box Supper Club.

 

Event flyer - (.pdf)

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