11 Oct '08 15:59>2 edits
I have only just found out about a new type of battery which is a "sodium sulphur battery"(which I certainly never heard of before despite successfully completing a C&G in electronics) that could overcome one of the main problems with renewable energy such as wind and solar because it is a very compact way of storing a huge amount of energy. If you just put “sodium sulphur battery” into Google you will get several websites about it including:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2007-07-04-sodium-battery_N.htm
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2008/03/sodium-sulfite.html
And:
http://www.mpoweruk.com/high_temp.htm
Where it states these huge advantages of using this type of battery:
“Since the mid 1960s much development work has been undertaken on batteries using Sodium for the negative electrodes. Sodium is attractive because of its high reduction potential of -2.71 Volts, its low weight, its non toxic nature, its relative abundance and ready availability and its low cost. All these factors offer the prospect of batteries with very high power and energy densities.”
-but it also states a small catch:
“Unfortunately in order to construct practical batteries using sodium electrodes, the sodium must be used in liquid form. Since the melting point of sodium is 98 °C this means that sodium based batteries must operate at high temperatures, typically in excess of 270 °C. This in turn brings problems of thermal management and safety and places more stringent requirements on the rest of the battery components.”
-never the less, unless I am missing something here, I think this is still an extremely promising development!
I think I have just become a "sodium sulphur battery fan"! 🙂
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2007-07-04-sodium-battery_N.htm
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2008/03/sodium-sulfite.html
And:
http://www.mpoweruk.com/high_temp.htm
Where it states these huge advantages of using this type of battery:
“Since the mid 1960s much development work has been undertaken on batteries using Sodium for the negative electrodes. Sodium is attractive because of its high reduction potential of -2.71 Volts, its low weight, its non toxic nature, its relative abundance and ready availability and its low cost. All these factors offer the prospect of batteries with very high power and energy densities.”
-but it also states a small catch:
“Unfortunately in order to construct practical batteries using sodium electrodes, the sodium must be used in liquid form. Since the melting point of sodium is 98 °C this means that sodium based batteries must operate at high temperatures, typically in excess of 270 °C. This in turn brings problems of thermal management and safety and places more stringent requirements on the rest of the battery components.”
-never the less, unless I am missing something here, I think this is still an extremely promising development!
I think I have just become a "sodium sulphur battery fan"! 🙂