Predictable battery output is becoming critical for energy storage applications in the rollout of renewable energy. Large battery farms will appear near local communities to minimize transmission losses. They must also be compatible with local seasonal temperatures too. Sci Tech Daily had great news for us on May 28, 2022, regarding low temperature battery performance enhancement.
Low Temperature Battery Performance in Electrolytes
Authors Liwei Jiang, Dejian Dong, and Yi-Chun Lu of China University, Hong Kong have been investigating properties of aqueous electrolytes. These are moist, as opposed to solid separators allowing ion exchange between battery electrodes.
This exchange must occur for energy to flow to and from the battery during charging and recharging. Moreover, the physical and chemical properties of aqueous electrolytes have a bearing on high, medium and low temperature battery performance.
The likelihood of aqueous electrolytes freezing under cold conditions has historically been a major factor preventing rollout in battery farms. Furthermore, this causes the ions to diffuse slowly, leading to sluggish ion transfer between electrodes. Research Grant Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region funded the research.
Temperature-Dependent Properties of Aqueous Electrolytes
Jiang, Dong, and Lu systematically compared performance of a variety of aqueous electrolytes to understand their anti-freezing mechanisms. Then they compared their phase diagrams to detect changes across relevant temperature ranges.
They looked for the best combination of freezing temperature and super-cooling ability, so the batteries were also effective on hot days. They discovered they could improve this situation further, by adjusting the concentration of electrolytes and other factors too complex to try to explain here.
Jiang, Dong, and Lu’s most important contribution was unraveling factors critical to energy storage batteries. Factors that will enable renewable energy to flourish at the coldest, and hottest points on the planet Earth we call home.
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