Successfully manufactured the world's first 'thermal energy battery'

This cheap, high capacity, high-capacity, fully recyclable thermal energy battery could be a key tool to lead us to a clean energy future.

South Australia recently brought the world's largest lithilium battery into operation - but they should have waited. A local startup said it has successfully built the world's first thermal energy battery, a device with a life expectancy of at least 20 years, a storage capacity of six times and a cost of only 60-80%. compared to lithium-ion batteries.

Climate Change Technologies , also known as CCT Energy Storage , has launched TED (Thermal Energy Equipment) with a host of remarkable features. TED is an energy storage device that can be compatible with any type of power - solar, wind, fossil fuel or directly from the grid - and is used to melt silicon with an insulation source. strong. Whenever needed, the energy will be pulled out by the heat engine. A TED device contains up to 1.2 MWh of energy, with power input / output located right on the body, and can easily fit into a 20-ft (6-m) container.

CCT CEO Serge Bondarenko, introduced thermal energy batteries to the South Australian Department of Energy and Mining.(Credit: CCT Energy Storage).

CCT claims: For certain volumes, TED can store 12 times more energy than her acid battery, and several times more than the lithium-ion solution. Installation machinery can range from 5 kW applications up to unlimited sizes. Connect hundreds of megawatt instantly, easily control your energy source - all you need is to plug in multiple units, plug-in and run. In the event of a power outage, each TED device can maintain operation for up to 48 hours.

It can also charge and discharge at the same time, and since there are only three moving parts on each battery pack, device maintenance is almost negligible. While lithium-ion batteries and others are "bottled" over time, even reducing their capacity by about 5,000 cycles or more, the TED system shows no signs of deterioration after about 3,000 cycles of service. The trial, and CCT CEO Serge Bondarenko, said the company expects these devices to be maintained for at least 20 years.

CEO Serge Bondarenko (on the left) and COO Graham Warburton (on the right) of CCT with TED Equipment.(Credit: CCT Energy Storage).

"Non-degradable silicon molten as lithium," Bondarenko said. "It's a chemical cycle, what we do is simply change the thermal stages. In fact, it seems that silicon stores better heat per cycle. And if you don't use TED equipment anymore. It is 100% recyclable, which will not create environmental problems like lithium. "

Competitive prices of products also play an important role in large-scale use. It only costs about 60-80% of the cost you pay for the lithium solution similar to Tesla's Powerpack, while the area of ​​use is less. The TED device can be easily customized with an earthquake-resistant environment by installing on a vibration-proof base, and even in more severe cases, we just need to turn it off, wait for it to cool down until can be used again. It is very safe. However, it should be noted that, because the melting temperature of silicon is higher than 1,400 degrees Celsius (2,550 degrees Fahrenheit), this device should not be pulled or dragged on the ground.

CCT signed an initial agreement to supply TED for Stillmark Telecommunications equipment, as well as agreeing to produce mutual support with MIBA Group, which will have exclusive rights to manufacture and sell technology through Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. and continued negotiations on adding other European countries to this list. The production process is expected to begin this quarter, and according to Bondarenko, once the equipment is promoted to trade, the company will plan to grow rapidly and be ready to install machines over 100 megawatts in within a few years.

Clearly, this is a good sign for the renewable energy industry. Wind, sun, tide and other renewable energy technologies can be very effective in generating energy, but only if it is available rather than based on demand. Grid-level energy storage solution can store energy when the temperature reaches maximum when the sun reaches the peak at noon, then restore heat to the grid during peak evening hours, creating real renewable energy source in 24 hours.

Can this huge amount of electricity reduce the load to power the electric vehicle?"No," Bondarenko replied, "It is too big. The container, the insulation, the heat engine, it needs a certain size to create benefits." But we can certainly charge the vehicle running smoothly, and we are also in discussions with several major power-breaking manufacturers about charging at the dock and using it to power the ship.

If everything happens in the way CCT anticipates, this cheap, high-power, high-capacity, and fully recyclable thermoelectric battery could be the key tool that will lead us to an energy future. clean.