What are the development directions and prospects of energy storage technology? -Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment
The development of energy storage technology is the key to ensuring the large-scale development of clean energy and the safe and economic operation of the power grid. Energy storage technology can add electric energy storage links to the power system, making the "rigid" power system with real-time power balance more "flexible". In particular, it can suppress the volatility caused by the connection of large-scale clean energy power generation to the power grid and improve the operation of the power grid. safety, economy and flexibility. Energy storage technology is generally divided into thermal energy storage and electrical energy storage. In the future, electrical energy storage will mainly be used in the global energy Internet.(Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment)
Electrical energy storage technology is mainly divided into three categories: physical energy storage, electrochemical energy storage and electromagnetic energy storage.
physical energy storage
Pumped hydro storage is currently the most mature energy storage technology with low energy storage costs and has been applied on a large scale. At present, the total installed capacity of pumped storage units in the world exceeds 100 million kilowatts, with Japan, the United States and China ranking among the top three in terms of installed capacity. The world is rich in hydropower resources. By rationally utilizing the terrain, larger-capacity pumped storage units can be built to better ensure the security of power grid supply.
Compressed air energy storage uses the remaining electricity during low valley periods in the power system to drive the air compressor and press the air into a large-capacity air storage chamber, which converts electrical energy into storable compressed air potential energy. When the system power generation capacity is insufficient, the compressed air is It is mixed with oil or natural gas and burned to drive the gas turbine to generate power to meet the peak load regulation needs of the system. Compressed air energy storage has the advantages of large capacity, long service life, and good economy, but it consumes fossil energy when generating electricity, resulting in pollution and carbon emissions.
electrochemical energy storage
Electrochemical energy storage is currently the most cutting-edge energy storage technology. In recent years, electrochemical energy storage technologies such as sodium-sulfur batteries, flow batteries, and lithium-ion battery energy storage have developed rapidly, with huge development potential and broad application prospects. They are expected to be the first to enter the commercial development stage. In the future, it is necessary to achieve technological breakthroughs in battery materials, manufacturing processes, system integration, operation and maintenance, etc. to reduce manufacturing and operating costs.
Lead-acid batteries have a history of more than 140 years. They are mature in technology, low in price, and highly safe. They are the most mature battery energy storage technology. They currently account for more than half of the battery market and are mainly used in electric bicycles. However, lead-acid batteries have low energy density, high mass, and toxic materials, making them unsuitable for grid energy storage.
Sodium-sulfur batteries have high energy density, facilitate modular manufacturing, transportation and installation, and are suitable for emergency power supply for special loads.
Flow batteries have large capacity, recyclable electrolyte, long cycle life, and can be designed separately for capacity and power.
Lithium-ion batteries are batteries that use compounds containing lithium ions as the positive electrode and carbon materials as the negative electrode. Lithium-ion batteries have excellent cycle performance, long service life, and do not contain toxic and harmful substances. They are called green batteries. At present, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in mobile phones, notebook computers, electric vehicles and other fields. However, the cost of a single charge and discharge cycle exceeds 1 yuan/kWh, and it is not economical to apply it to power systems and large-scale energy storage.
Metal-air battery is a new type of fuel cell that uses metal fuel to replace hydrogen energy in traditional fuel cells. It has the characteristics of non-toxic, non-polluting, stable discharge voltage, high energy density, low internal resistance, long service life and relatively low price. It has many advantages such as low cost and low process technology requirements. Metal-air batteries have cheap and abundant raw materials that can be recycled and are expected to become a new generation of green energy storage batteries.
Electromagnetic energy storage
Supercapacitors are electrochemical components developed in the 1970s and 1980s that store energy through polarized electrolytes. No chemical reaction occurs during the energy storage process. Because the energy storage process is reversible, supercapacitors can be repeatedly charged and discharged hundreds of thousands of times. Supercapacitors have high power density, short charge and discharge time, long cycle life, and wide operating temperature range, but have low energy storage capacity and are not suitable for large-scale energy storage in power grids.
Superconducting electromagnetic energy storage is an energy storage device made by taking advantage of the zero resistance characteristics of superconductors. It has the advantages of large instantaneous power, light weight, small size, no loss, and fast response. It can be used to improve the stability of the power system and improve the quality of power supply. . However, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage has low energy density, limited capacity, and is subject to superconducting material technology, so the future prospects are still unclear.
Development direction and prospects
Large-scale energy storage can be used for peak shaving and valley filling in the global energy Internet. Large-scale, long-term energy storage facilities such as pumped hydro energy storage and compressed air energy storage can be used for peak shaving in large power grids. Flow batteries have large energy storage, many cycles, and long lifespan, and can be used as a supplement to power grid peaking energy storage devices. Hydrogen energy storage can be used to store excess wind and solar energy to power fuel cell vehicles.
Large-scale power energy storage can be used to smooth the volatility of large-scale clean energy. Power energy storage equipment such as supercapacitors, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage, flywheel energy storage, and sodium-sulfur batteries mainly operate in conjunction with large-scale renewable energy. They can quickly respond to the output of wind power and photovoltaic power generation and smooth out the fluctuations of renewable energy. , ensuring the real-time operation safety of the power grid.
Small energy storage batteries can be used in electric vehicles. Energy storage equipment such as lithium batteries, new lead-acid batteries, and metal-air batteries have high energy and power densities, but the batteries have poor identity and are difficult to form large-capacity battery packs. They are not suitable for large power stations and are mainly used in electric vehicles. With the extension of battery life and reduction in cost, energy storage batteries can meet the needs of large-scale development of electric vehicles. In the future, electric vehicle energy storage batteries will be connected to the global energy Internet, and by reasonably arranging charging time, they will assist in peak load regulation of the power grid and achieve valley charging and peak discharge.
The key to progress in energy storage technology lies in breakthroughs in material technology. With the continuous innovation and development of new energy storage materials, important breakthroughs are expected to be made in extending the service life of energy storage components, increasing energy density, shortening charging time, and reducing costs.
Electrical energy storage technology is mainly divided into three categories: physical energy storage, electrochemical energy storage and electromagnetic energy storage.
physical energy storage
Pumped hydro storage is currently the most mature energy storage technology with low energy storage costs and has been applied on a large scale. At present, the total installed capacity of pumped storage units in the world exceeds 100 million kilowatts, with Japan, the United States and China ranking among the top three in terms of installed capacity. The world is rich in hydropower resources. By rationally utilizing the terrain, larger-capacity pumped storage units can be built to better ensure the security of power grid supply.
Compressed air energy storage uses the remaining electricity during low valley periods in the power system to drive the air compressor and press the air into a large-capacity air storage chamber, which converts electrical energy into storable compressed air potential energy. When the system power generation capacity is insufficient, the compressed air is It is mixed with oil or natural gas and burned to drive the gas turbine to generate power to meet the peak load regulation needs of the system. Compressed air energy storage has the advantages of large capacity, long service life, and good economy, but it consumes fossil energy when generating electricity, resulting in pollution and carbon emissions.
electrochemical energy storage
Electrochemical energy storage is currently the most cutting-edge energy storage technology. In recent years, electrochemical energy storage technologies such as sodium-sulfur batteries, flow batteries, and lithium-ion battery energy storage have developed rapidly, with huge development potential and broad application prospects. They are expected to be the first to enter the commercial development stage. In the future, it is necessary to achieve technological breakthroughs in battery materials, manufacturing processes, system integration, operation and maintenance, etc. to reduce manufacturing and operating costs.
Lead-acid batteries have a history of more than 140 years. They are mature in technology, low in price, and highly safe. They are the most mature battery energy storage technology. They currently account for more than half of the battery market and are mainly used in electric bicycles. However, lead-acid batteries have low energy density, high mass, and toxic materials, making them unsuitable for grid energy storage.
Sodium-sulfur batteries have high energy density, facilitate modular manufacturing, transportation and installation, and are suitable for emergency power supply for special loads.
Flow batteries have large capacity, recyclable electrolyte, long cycle life, and can be designed separately for capacity and power.
Lithium-ion batteries are batteries that use compounds containing lithium ions as the positive electrode and carbon materials as the negative electrode. Lithium-ion batteries have excellent cycle performance, long service life, and do not contain toxic and harmful substances. They are called green batteries. At present, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in mobile phones, notebook computers, electric vehicles and other fields. However, the cost of a single charge and discharge cycle exceeds 1 yuan/kWh, and it is not economical to apply it to power systems and large-scale energy storage.
Metal-air battery is a new type of fuel cell that uses metal fuel to replace hydrogen energy in traditional fuel cells. It has the characteristics of non-toxic, non-polluting, stable discharge voltage, high energy density, low internal resistance, long service life and relatively low price. It has many advantages such as low cost and low process technology requirements. Metal-air batteries have cheap and abundant raw materials that can be recycled and are expected to become a new generation of green energy storage batteries.
Electromagnetic energy storage
Supercapacitors are electrochemical components developed in the 1970s and 1980s that store energy through polarized electrolytes. No chemical reaction occurs during the energy storage process. Because the energy storage process is reversible, supercapacitors can be repeatedly charged and discharged hundreds of thousands of times. Supercapacitors have high power density, short charge and discharge time, long cycle life, and wide operating temperature range, but have low energy storage capacity and are not suitable for large-scale energy storage in power grids.
Superconducting electromagnetic energy storage is an energy storage device made by taking advantage of the zero resistance characteristics of superconductors. It has the advantages of large instantaneous power, light weight, small size, no loss, and fast response. It can be used to improve the stability of the power system and improve the quality of power supply. . However, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage has low energy density, limited capacity, and is subject to superconducting material technology, so the future prospects are still unclear.
Development direction and prospects
Large-scale energy storage can be used for peak shaving and valley filling in the global energy Internet. Large-scale, long-term energy storage facilities such as pumped hydro energy storage and compressed air energy storage can be used for peak shaving in large power grids. Flow batteries have large energy storage, many cycles, and long lifespan, and can be used as a supplement to power grid peaking energy storage devices. Hydrogen energy storage can be used to store excess wind and solar energy to power fuel cell vehicles.
Large-scale power energy storage can be used to smooth the volatility of large-scale clean energy. Power energy storage equipment such as supercapacitors, superconducting electromagnetic energy storage, flywheel energy storage, and sodium-sulfur batteries mainly operate in conjunction with large-scale renewable energy. They can quickly respond to the output of wind power and photovoltaic power generation and smooth out the fluctuations of renewable energy. , ensuring the real-time operation safety of the power grid.
Small energy storage batteries can be used in electric vehicles. Energy storage equipment such as lithium batteries, new lead-acid batteries, and metal-air batteries have high energy and power densities, but the batteries have poor identity and are difficult to form large-capacity battery packs. They are not suitable for large power stations and are mainly used in electric vehicles. With the extension of battery life and reduction in cost, energy storage batteries can meet the needs of large-scale development of electric vehicles. In the future, electric vehicle energy storage batteries will be connected to the global energy Internet, and by reasonably arranging charging time, they will assist in peak load regulation of the power grid and achieve valley charging and peak discharge.
The key to progress in energy storage technology lies in breakthroughs in material technology. With the continuous innovation and development of new energy storage materials, important breakthroughs are expected to be made in extending the service life of energy storage components, increasing energy density, shortening charging time, and reducing costs.
