Event
ChBE Special Seminar: Sri R. Narayan
Friday, September 2, 2011
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Room 1110 Kim Engineering Building
Professor Chunsheng Wang
cswang@umd.edu
Materials Challenges for Realizing Inexpensive and Robust Batteries for Large-Scale Energy Storage
Sri R. Narayan
Research Professor
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
Department of Chemistry
University of Southern California
Large-scale electrical energy storage systems are needed to support the electricity grid as the fraction of renewable energy generation from sources such as solar and wind energy increases. The three principal requirements for such energy storage systems are scalability, low life-cycle cost, high efficiency, and fast response time. A comparison of the major advantages and disadvantages for various battery systems shows that none of the existing technologies can meet the cost and lifetime requirements today. In our comparison, the iron-air battery stands out as a promising candidate because of its low cost, sustainability, and environmental friendliness. With improved efficiency and cycle life, the iron-air battery will be viable battery for large-scale energy storage. The specific technical issues with the iron-air battery and the progress towards meeting the requirements for large-scale energy storage will be discussed.
