Government battery experts have developed what could be the equivalent of an "easy button" for anyone interested in creating the next power pack breakthrough.
In fact, the team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington called it the EZBattery Model, and it's a fast-paced research tool available for free online.
"This new model is like a superpower for energy storage researchers," Pacific project lead Jie Bao said in a news release.
The in-depth calibration and diagnostic software is for redox flow batteries, a type of pack picking up interest in labs around the world.
They aren't like typical batteries. Flow setups have two tanks that hold specialized liquids. Pumps, piping, vanadium metal, and a membrane that prevents unwanted liquid transfers are the main parts, according to CleanTechnica and ScienceDirect.
It works by converting chemical energy into electricity.
"Flow battery systems are designed [with] two external electrolyte storage reservoirs and separated from the electricity converter unit. The electricity conversion process takes place within the electrochemical cell after the electrolytes are being transported to the cell with the aid of [a] pump," per ScienceDirect.
The description makes it easy to see why a cheat sheet for development could be helpful.
And CleanTechnica reported that flow packs have the potential to answer growing power demand from data centers, which consume about 4.4% of U.S. electricity, according to the government. That's because they could store renewable energy for much longer stretches. Energy officials would prefer 10 or more hours compared to the four- to six-hour timeframe commonly available, per the story.
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Absolutely 💯 Pacific's software is made to reduce testing time by completing simulations that had taken hours or days in less than a second. It provides for analysis of multiple design types, as well, all according to the team.
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"The physics-based approach lends itself to easily integrate and capture intricate details of [the] battery," Bao added.
Researchers from around the world are digging deep into their chemistry, physics, and kinetic energy data banks as they try to find reliable and efficient ways to store intermittent power from the wind and sun. Scotland's government is investing in so-called water batteries that consist of two large reservoirs. When there's a glut of wind power, the juice is leveraged to pump water into the top reservoir, representing stored energy that can later be released to the bottom one, turning a turbine as it falls.
For their part, lithium-ion batteries — such as Tesla's Megapacks — are being deployed stateside and abroad. Each one can power 3,600 homes for an hour, according to Tesla. A sodium battery in China can power 12,000 homes.
Storing cleaner energy for later use is important as we continue to switch from dirty fuels, which limits production of heat-trapping air pollution. The fumes are linked by NASA to increased risks for power-cutting severe weather, among other hazards.
Even homeowners can utilize battery tech to save money and as blackout protection. Powerwall and other home-based packs can store electricity from rooftop solar panels, which a government study estimated saves the average user $691 a year after expenses. EnergySage is a free online tool that can help you find the best deals and any tax incentives that are available.
At Pacific, the goal is to make sure there's a steady flow of better tech thanks to quick research.
"To get the best-performing long-duration energy storage system that will power our homes and the grid, we need to be able [to] iterate quickly and efficiently," Bao said.
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