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A very Finnish thing’: Big sand battery to store wind and solar energy using crushed soapstone

Posted on April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 by dishanth

The battery will be able to store a week’s heat demand in winter – how does it work?

A huge sand battery is set to slash the carbon emissions of a Finnish town.

The industrial-scale storage unit in Pornainen, southern Finland, will be the world’s biggest sand battery when it comes online within a year.

Capable of storing 100 MWh of thermal energy from solar and wind sources, it will enable residents to eliminate oil from their district heating network, helping to cut emissions by nearly 70 percent.

“It’s exciting to build a large-scale thermal energy storage, which will also act as a primary production plant in Pornainen’s district heating network,” says Liisa Naskali, COO at Polar Night Energy, the company behind the innovation.

“This is a significant step in scaling up the sand battery technology.”

Sand batteries are getting bigger in Finland

The new 1 MW sand battery has a precursor. In May 2022, Polar Night Energy rigged a smaller design to a power station in Kankaanpää town.

Launched just as Russia cut off gas supplies in retaliation for Finland joining NATO, the project was a timely example of how renewable energy could be harnessed in a new way.

Euronews Green previously spoke to the young Finnish founders, Tommi Eronen and Markku Ylönen, who engineered the technology.

“We were talking about how – if we had the liberty to design a community for ourselves – how could we solve the energy problem in such a confined environment?” Markku said of the inspiration behind Polar Night Energy in 2018.

“Then quite quickly, especially here in the north, you run into the problem of energy storage if you’re trying to produce the energy as cleanly as possible.”

The friends started playing around with ideas, landing on sand as an affordable way to store the plentiful electricity generated when the sun is shining, or the wind blowing at a high rate.

Finding a way to store these variable renewables is the crux of unleashing their full potential. Lithium batteries work well for specific applications, explains Markku, but aside from their environmental issues and expense, they cannot take in a huge amount of energy.

Grains of sand, it turns out, are surprisingly roomy when it comes to energy storage.

The sand battery in Pornainen will be around 10 times larger than the one still in operation at Vatajankoski power plant in Kankaanpää. The start-up also previously connected a pilot plant to the district heating network of Tampere city.

So how do sand batteries work exactly?

It’s quite a simple structure to begin with, Polar Night Energy said of its prototype. A tall tower is filled with low-grade sand and charged up with the heat from excess solar and wind electricity.

This works by a process called resistive heating, whereby heat is generated through the friction created when an electrical current passes through any material that is not a superconductor. The hot air is then circulated in the container through a heat exchanger.

The sand can store heat at around 500C for several days to even months, providing a valuable store of cheaper energy during the winter. When needed, the battery discharges the hot air – warming water in the district heating network. Homes, offices and even the local swimming pool all benefit in Kankaanpää, for example.

“There’s really nothing fancy there,” Markku says of the storage. “The complex part happens on the computer; we need to know how the energy, or heat, moves inside the storage, so that we know all the time how much is available and at what rate we can discharge and charge.”

How will the sand battery serve residents in Pornainen?

Having refined its charging algorithms, Polar Night Energy is now ready to scale up the storage tech in Pornainen.

Once completed, the new battery will be integrated with the network of Loviisan Lämpö, the Finnish heating company that supplies district heating in the area.

“Loviisan Lämpö is moving towards more environmentally friendly energy production. With the Sand Battery, we can significantly reduce energy produced by combustion and completely eliminate the use of oil,” says CEO Mikko Paajanen.

The project also aligns with Pornainen’s plans for carbon neutrality. Many of its buildings, including the comprehensive school, town hall, and library, rely on district heating.

Mayor of Pornainen Antti Kuusela says the municipality “welcomes all innovative development projects that reduce emissions in district heating operations and contribute to network expansion.”

In total, the sand battery is expected to knock off 160 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year. As well as weaning the town off oil, woodchip burning is expected to drop by 60 per cent as a result.

The battery’s thermal energy storage capacity equates to almost one month’s heat demand in summer and a one-week demand in winter in Pornainen, Polar Night Energy says.

Construction and testing of the 13 metres high by 15 metres wide battery is estimated to take around 13 months, meaning it should be keeping residents warm well before winter 2025.

Is sand a sustainable material?

“We wanted to find something that can be sourced nearly everywhere in the world,” Markku said. But is sand as ubiquitous as we might think?

Demand for the construction material is set to soar by 45 per cent in the next 40 years, according to a recent Dutch study. Building sand is typically extracted from rivers and lakes, and ‘sand pirates’ are speeding up its loss from these ecosystems.

But as far as the Finnish engineers are concerned, it doesn’t really matter where the sand comes from. Though builders’ sand was used initially (to limit transport emissions), sand batteries work with any sand-like material that has a high enough density, within certain thermodynamic parameters.

In Pornainen, Polar Night Energy has found a sustainable material in crushed soapstone; a by-product of a Finnish company’s manufacture of heat-retaining fireplaces.

“Tulikivi is a well-known and traditional company,” says Naskali. “The soapstone they use is a very Finnish thing.”

“We always choose the thermal energy storage medium based on the customer’s needs. Examining and testing different materials is crucial for us to use materials that are suitable in terms of properties, cost-effectiveness, and promotion of circular economy,” she adds.

Polar Night Energy has big ambitions to take its technology worldwide.

As Markku told us back in 2022, “we want to build a hundred times larger storages around the world as fast as possible.”

Source euronews.green

What is water cremation? UK now offers eco-friendly burial alternative

Posted on February 19, 2024 by dishanth

The UK’s biggest funeral care provider is now offering water cremation. But what exactly is it and what is its impact on the environment?

Water cremation is now available in the UK following rising demand for more environmentally friendly end-of-life options.

When you die there are currently only two options in most of Europe – burial or a traditional fire cremation.

But new options are becoming more popular.

What is water cremation or resomation?

Water cremation, also known as aquamation, resomation and alkaline hydrolysis, uses water to bring the body back to the skeletal remains.

The body is placed in a steel vessel filled with water and an alkaline solution.

It is then heated up which takes the flesh back to its chemical components – amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts.

After about three to four hours, only the bones remain. They are then ground down to a white powder, placed in an urn and given to the family.

Last summer the UK’s biggest funeral provider, Co-op Funeralcare, announced that it would start offering the service. This made them the first business to do so.

Water cremation was already legal in the UK subject to compliance with health, safety and environmental regulation.

It’s the method that South African anti-apartheid hero Desmond TuTu chose following his death in 2021.

He wanted an eco-friendly funeral and according to UK-based firm resomation, it uses five times less energy than a fire cremation.

What is the environmental impact of the funeral industry?

“For decades there have been just two main choices when it comes to [peoples’] end-of-life arrangements: burial and cremation,” says Julian Atkinson, director of resomation company Kindly Earth.

“[We] will be providing people with another option for how they leave this world because this natural process uses water, not fire, making it gentler on the body and kinder on the environment.”

And there appears to be an appetite for such a service.

Research by YouGov, commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare, found that 89 per cent of UK adults hadn’t heard of the term resomation. But once explained, just under a third (29 per cent) said they would choose it for their own funeral if it was available.

“The rise in ecological and sustainability concerns over the past decade combined with a desire to be part of nature or laid to rest in a natural setting, means more people are considering the environmental impact of their body once they die,” says Professor Douglas Davies from the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.

Around 245kg of carbon emissions are generated by one traditional cremation, the equivalent of charging your smartphone over 29,000 times.

Traditional burials also have negative environmental consequences. The chemicals used in the embalming process can leak out and pollute the surrounding soil and waterways.

Which European countries offer water cremation?

The UK is not the only European country to make waves in the resomation scene.

Ireland is set to open its first water cremation facility this year. The service is also available in the US, Canada and South Africa.

Belgium and the Netherlands are among the other European countries looking to introduce resomation, but there are regulatory hurdles that must be overcome first.

Source euronews.green.com

Mars on a Procurement Pathway to Net-Zero

Posted on February 1, 2024 by dishanth

Mars has published its open-source action plan to accelerate the drive towards achieving Net Zero emissions, including a new target to cut carbon in half by 2030 across its full value chain. The strategy also involves investing US$1bn over the next three years alone to drive climate action

The strategy incorporates an understanding of how supplier engagement, supply chain and procurement impacts their environmental footprint, as 80% of it comes from their inputs such as raw materials, packaging and logistics.

“The carbon footprint of our entire supply chain from farming through to the end of life of our packaging and everything in between is the same as that of a small country – Finland has almost exactly the same footprint,” explains Barry Parkin the Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer at Mars Inc. “When we look at where our footprint was ten years ago, 70% or more of it is embedded in the goods or services we buy. So, procurement is therefore absolutely critical.”

This means the role of procurement, supply chain, and supplier engagement is integral to the company reaching their ambitious sustainability targets, and Parkin is acutely aware that means it is essential for them to do things differently. “Our job is to re-imagine and re-design supply chains so that they have a dramatically lower carbon footprint,” he says. “To put it another way, unless we change what we buy, or where we buy it or how we buy it we are not going to really change our carbon footprint. ”

Their roadmap involves removing approximately 15 million metric tons by 2030 and then another 15 million metric tons by 2050 when they reach net zero. Since 2015 Mars have already reduced emissions by 8%, whilst growing the business by 60%, showing that it is possible to decouple emissions from growth and success of a business.

Supplier relationships

As for any major organisation trying to address their sustainability strategy, it is impossible for Mars to make significant progress with their carbon footprint without the help and buy-in from their enormous supply networks.

“As a global company, we rely on suppliers across our value chain as essential partners in our journey to reach net zero,” says Parkin. “Like most companies, addressing our Scope 3 emissions is challenging because of their indirect nature and our lack of direct control or visibility. Only by working with our Tier 1 suppliers can we make progress with them on their own emissions and on their upstream emissions with our Tier 2 suppliers and beyond.”

Mars was a founding member of the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition coalition, that is a dedicated body for instigating climate action through industry-wide supply chains. This allows companies like Mars to use their scale and influence to guide, mentor and train suppliers with emissions strategies and also celebrate their best practice.

This reflects the collaborative approach Mars is trying to adopt with all their stakeholders to reach their climate targets. “Suppliers that demonstrate substantial progress in reducing their environmental footprint are recognised and rewarded with additional business,” explains Parkin. “This metrics-driven strategy ensures that our suppliers have a significant role in our journey towards sustainability, aligning their efforts with our commitment to addressing the climate crisis.”

To achieve this relationship, Mars sets clear expectations for suppliers regarding emissions reduction, renewable energy adoption, and sustainable sourcing. They then incorporate those climate performance metrics into some of their biggest supplier’s evaluation criteria.

Recipe optimisation

For one of the global leaders in food products, pet supplies and confectionery, they are also able to leverage product design and ingredients into their net-zero strategy. Mars describes that as ‘optimising recipes’ and procurement is again integral in making that aspect of the plan a success.

“Our procurement team actively collaborates with suppliers to identify and source new ingredients in a way which lowers emissions and advances our sustainability goals,” says Parkin. “This collaborative approach helps improve our supply chain sustainability performance, including the procurement of ingredients that have a reduced carbon footprint.”

This approach of working closely with the suppliers who provide the ingredients, allows Mars to enhance their product offerings while at the same time finding new ways to reduce the emissions associated with the recipes.

Buying-in to the road map

Parkin is praising the positive reaction from their suppliers to the Net Zero Roadmap, but that is also because many of those partners have been on a sustainability journey with the company for a number of years, since setting out their first scope 3 targets for their full value chain back in 2017.

“Suppliers have expressed their appreciation for the transparency and specificity of our roadmap,” explains Parkin. “It has enabled them to better understand our expectations and how their contributions fit into the broader picture of achieving net zero emissions. The roadmap’s emphasis on collaboration and collective responsibility has resonated with our suppliers, fostering a spirit of partnership in our shared journey towards sustainability.”

The partnership allows procurement partners to take proactive steps in their organisations and strategies to address their emissions, and be part of a collective responsibility to finding both a sustainable future and a productive business relationship.

Aside from the influence such an ambitious net-zero strategy has on the culture and direction of a company like Mars Inc, it also creates a larger impression on other companies in their business ecosystem as other brands and businesses look to follow their lead.

Barry Parkin is aware of the value of that influence, and how their procurement and supply chain can help lead others to greater sustainable achievements.

“Global companies like Mars play an important role in shaping sustainability standards and advancing climate action at scale,” he explains. “Our influence extends across the globe, allowing us to inspire change on a wider scale. When companies set high sustainability standards, it encourages others in their industries to follow suit.”

He adds: “Companies like Mars have the resources, expertise, and innovation capabilities needed to pioneer sustainable practices and technologies.

“We can invest significantly in research and development, pilot groundbreaking initiatives, and implement sustainable solutions beyond the reach of smaller organisations. This proactive approach not only benefits the environment but also builds a positive reputation with environmentally conscious consumers and attracts like-minded partners.”

If a globally recognised brand like Mars can leverage their sprawling supply and procurement network for better environmental outcomes, it can only help to bring others on the same journey. “This ripple effect fosters industry-wide transformation, promoting a more sustainable future,” finishes Parkin. “If a business such as Mars can halve it’s footprint by 2030, that matters.”

Source Sustainability

Sustainable Cooling: Electrocaloric Cooling Breakthrough

Posted on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 by dishanth

As heatwaves intensify across the globe, the demand for air conditioning and refrigeration skyrockets. The ballooning demand for cooling strains energy infrastructure and escalates emissions from vapor compression systems. These conventional refrigerators and AC units rely on greenhouse gases and inefficient mechanical compressors that have reached their efficiency limits. With little room for improvement, vapor compression technology cannot sustainably shoulder doubling cooling demands. Scientists urgently search for climate-friendly innovations before the warming world overheats.

In a breakthrough discovery, researchers at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) pioneer a radically different cooling approach harnessing the electrocaloric cooling effect. This phenomenon describes particular ceramic materials that heat up or cool down when electric fields flip on and off. By cleverly leveraging this conductivity toggle, the LIST team designed an assembly that can pump heat without noisy, energy-draining compressors.

Electrocaloric cooling is a fascinating phenomenon where certain materials experience a reversible temperature change when an electric field is applied. In simpler terms, you can directly use electricity to manipulate their temperature, creating a cooling effect. This opens up exciting possibilities for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cooling technologies.

The regenerative system developed by LIST alternates layers of electrocaloric capacitors with liquid coolant. Switching an electric field pulls heat from the fluid into the capacitors, cooling the system. Cutting voltage then dissipates the heat, so the cycle repeats. The smooth back-and-forth between hot and cold replaces high-maintenance mechanical parts with solid-state reliability. Scientists calculate that electrocaloric cooling efficiency leapfrogs vapor compression refrigeration by directly shuffling heat instead of wasting effort compressing refrigerants.

Since fluids naturally stratify by temperature, no added energy input is required to cycle hot and cold. The passive electrocaloric cooling generator minimizes electricity demands by exploiting thermodynamics rather than fighting against them. With game-changing energy savings over traditional refrigerator designs, this electrocaloric cooling technology paves the way for truly sustainable cooling.

Seeking real-world integration, LIST researchers collaborate with manufacturing partners to develop prototypes. The original discovery featured a single electrocaloric part, which limited heat transfer speed. The current regenerator assembly overcame this by interleaving many capacitors with parallel coolant channels. This boosts heat pumping capacity for powerful, real-world performance. Ongoing enhancements also aim to lower costs and extend operating lifetimes to enable widespread commercialization.

While the immediate goal focuses on eco-friendly refrigeration, the applications likely won’t stop there. Any process generating unwanted heat could benefit from electrocaloric cooling technology. Air conditioners, electronics cooling, industrial processes and even solar energy storage represent prospective opportunities. Because electrocaloric cooling systems thrive when miniaturized, microchip-level cooling also offers possibilities for computing breakthroughs.

For example, electrocaloric cooling films could provide on-chip cooling for high-performance computer processors, enabling faster computing speeds. Electrocaloric cooling systems can also be used to condense water vapor in air conditioning and dehumidification applications. This could allow environmentally-friendly refrigerants like water instead of HFCs to be used in vapor compression HVAC.

Additionally, the flexibility of electric-powered cooling lends well to renewable energy integration and smart grid load balancing. Electrocaloric heat pumps powered by wind or solar electricity during times of excess generation could store thermal energy for later dispatch while synchronizing supply and demand on the grid. With materials and system configuration innovations, electrocaloric cooling technologies show promise for revolutionizing thermal management across many sectors.

Despite enormous promise, unanswered questions remain regarding large-scale manufacturing and durability. However, early indications suggest the regenerator’s simple solid-state design will prove reliable over long stretches. By dodging complex mechanical components, the approach naturally steers towards sustainability. Cooling demand will only climb higher as climate change continues, but creative solutions like the LIST electrocaloric cooling regenerator offer hope we can innovate our way to a cooler future.

Source Happy Eco News

New York State’s Largest Rooftop Solar Installation Ever

Posted on November 23, 2023November 23, 2023 by dishanth

New York State has taken a big renewable step forward with its largest rooftop solar installation yet. Recently, the state unveiled its largest rooftop solar project stationed atop the Medline Industries distribution center. This landmark achievement not only fortifies New York’s commitment to green energy but also serves as a beacon for other states to follow.

Tucked away at the expansive Medline Industries distribution center, this massive project is a testament to clean energy’s tangible benefits. With the capability to power an impressive 1,600 homes annually, the project is undeniably significant; it is the largest rooftop solar installation in New York state. This initiative boasts a production capacity of 7.2 megawatts to break down the numbers derived from its 17,000 solar panels.

Furthermore, the environmental implications of this largest rooftop solar installation project are profound. New York State expects to reduce its annual carbon footprint by 6,000 metric tons by harnessing the sun’s energy. To contextualize this, it’s akin to removing several thousand cars from the roads each year, paving the way for cleaner air and a healthier environment.

While individual projects like the one at Medline Industries are pivotal, they form part of a much grander scheme in New York’s green energy blueprint. Under the New York Climate Act Goal, the state has set its sights on an ambitious target: generating 6 gigawatts of solar energy by 2025. The largest rooftop solar installation in NY goes beyond just energy production—it’s about redefining the state’s relationship with power consumption and making clean energy an accessible commodity for all.

No significant venture comes to fruition without solid financial backing, especially the state’s largest rooftop solar installation. With its $8 million price tag, the Medline project required considerable investment. PowerFlex, a renowned entity in the clean energy domain, took the lead with a hefty $5 million investment. Their faith in the project’s potential was echoed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which further infused $3 million through its NY-Sun initiative. Such investments underscore the belief that sustainable projects are ecologically beneficial and economically viable.

Solar energy, while beneficial, remains elusive to many due to the upfront costs associated with panel installation and maintenance. This is where community solar projects step in as game-changers. These initiatives eliminate the need for individual households to install their own panels. Instead, they allow consumers to benefit from solar power by tapping into a shared grid, which receives energy from community-based solar installations.

By integrating solar power into the local grid, residents, irrespective of their housing situations or financial standings, can access clean energy. This communal approach democratizes solar energy access and fosters a sense of community collaboration towards a sustainable future.

New York’s endeavors in solar energy have solidified its reputation as a frontrunner in the U.S. community solar market. The statistics are telling: since 2012, the state has witnessed an astonishing 3,000% surge in solar access. Beyond the environmental accolades, this growth trajectory has ushered in economic prosperity. Over 13,400 individuals now find employment in the solar sector in New York. Additionally, as technologies and methodologies have improved, there’s been a notable 72% decrease in costs associated with solar energy, making it even more accessible.

The unveiling of Medline Industries’ largest rooftop solar installation is not merely a testament to New York State’s green ambitions; it’s a clarion call for other regions to intensify their renewable energy pursuits. As New York strengthens its renewable energy portfolio, its strategies and successes offer valuable insights for broader national and global adoption.

For stakeholders, investors, and the general public, there’s never been a more opportune time to delve deeper into the realm of solar energy. By understanding its intricacies and potential, one can contribute to and immensely benefit from the burgeoning solar sector.

Source Happy Eco News

Cement Energy Storage – Two Ways

Posted on November 20, 2023 by dishanth

Cement, the binding agent in concrete, is the world’s most widely utilized construction material and may soon be used as cement energy storage. However, emerging research reveals its overlooked potential to serve as a cement energy storage medium in two completely different ways: solid thermal batteries and supercapacitors (when combined with carbon).

Cement Blocks as Thermal Batteries

According to an article in the Journal of Composites Science, scientists have developed a method to produce cement-based blocks that effectively function as thermal batteries. Their technique infuses cement blocks with the ability to soak up renewable electricity when manufactured and then discharge it later on demand as usable heat.

The researchers use chemical alterations during the concrete mixing process to integrate phase change materials into the cement binder matrix. These phase-change materials have the ability to store and release thermal energy.

The resulting cement energy storage blocks contain phase change materials that can absorb electricity when it is most abundant and inexpensive from the grid or renewable sources. The charged blocks can then act as solid thermal batteries, releasing their stored energy as heat when needed for space and water heating systems.

In initial tests, the team achieved energy densities comparable to lithium-ion batteries in their cement energy storage-based blocks. This stored energy is emitted as gentle heat when water is added, with adjustable discharge rates. The blocks can offer long-duration energy storage across daily cycles or entire seasons.

By incorporating waste materials like plastic ash during production, the researchers achieved lower costs than conventional concrete blocks or batteries. Additional waste heat captured during block fabrication can provide self-generated power.

The creators say that scale adoption of such cement energy storage thermal batteries could provide renewable energy storage for buildings while lowering grid demand peaks. The cement blocks offer an alternative to mining metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are finite and environmentally destructive to extract.

This novel approach redirects one of cement’s existing useful properties – its high thermal mass – towards storing renewable energy rather than fossil fuels traditionally used for heat in cement kilns. It points to one-way cement could aid sustainable energy transitions through material innovation.

Conductive Cement-Carbon Composites

Researchers at MIT have also demonstrated cement energy storage’s potential as an energy storage medium by transforming it into a highly efficient supercapacitor. Their method infuses cement with carbon-based additives to create cement-derived composites with enhanced conductive properties.

The MIT team found that the resulting material attained supercapacitor-like behaviors by mixing cement with inexpensive carbon black additives. This was due to carbon black creating a conductive surface area network throughout the composite.

With just 3% carbon black content by volume, cement’s conductivity spiked to levels comparable to powerful supercapacitors. The team states that a cement block around 45 cubic meters in size could potentially store up to 10 kilowatt-hours of energy – equal to an average home’s daily usage.

While still experimental, the researchers say these carbon-infused cement energy storage composites could enable integrated energy storage in concrete structures. Walls, foundations, or roadways made with such cement mixtures might capture solar, wind, or waste energy onsite for later usage.

The carbon provides the charge-storing capacity, while ubiquitous cement allows for scalable, inexpensive production since these composites do not rely on scarce materials like lithium or cobalt. Combined, they offer unique advantages as sustainable energy storage solutions.

Conclusion

Together, these two emerging techniques demonstrate that one of the planet’s most abundant building materials – cement – can potentially provide flexible, large-scale energy storage as demands grow.

While still in the early stages, both research trajectories showcase cement’s latent abilities to store energy through novel manufacturing processes and composite ingredients. With further advancement, cement energy storaget-based batteries and supercapacitors may offer new tools for enabling greater renewable energy integration across infrastructure. The present global ubiquity of concrete construction means cement-derived energy storage could be rapidly deployable once perfected. Unlocking the hidden attributes of cement through materials science and engineering may yield key innovations to support grids in an electrified, renewable future.

Source Happy Eco News

Renewable energy battery systems could harness eggshell proteins for electricity conduction

Posted on October 26, 2023 by dishanth

Chicken eggshells may be the answer to developing safer, sustainable and cost-effective rechargeable battery storage systems, according to new research.

Murdoch University Associate Professor Dr. Manickam Minakshi Sundaram, from the Center for Water, Energy and Waste at Harry Butler Institute, for a doctoral thesis has successfully developed a new mechanism associated with electrode materials and electrolytes, offering an alternative to the expensive and impractical power storage technologies of the past and present.

“We’ve found that chicken eggshells can be used as electrodes—a conductor of electricity—in powering batteries. Eggshells contain a high level of calcium carbonate, and when they are baked and crushed, their chemical compositions change and they become a more efficient electrode and conductor of power,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“The current lithium-ion batteries used for renewable energy storage typically use fossil fuels.

“Repurposing a bio-waste product like eggshells could add considerable value to the renewable energy market. They also offer a potentially safer option, as the current lithium battery technologies are high-cost and potentially unsafe in the event of catastrophic failure.”

As the world continues to prioritize renewable energy sources, this breakthrough marks a significant step forward, offering hope for a greener and more sustainable future.

The study, conducted by Dr. Minakshi as part of his higher doctorate thesis with Flinders University, focused on the development of sustainable electrodes in aqueous-based energy storage technology.

“The implications of this study go beyond scientific discovery,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“Chicken eggs and related products are used in large quantities in the food processing and manufacturing sectors, households, the nutrition industry and even in the pharmaceutical industry, but their shells are typically sent as solid waste to landfill.

“However, eggshell and shell membranes contain a range of active chemical compounds that can be used. The reversibility of this new approach allows for efficient energy storage and retrieval. The study demonstrates that highly conductive aqueous lithium and sodium electrolytes with varying salt concentrations have the potential to replace existing non-rechargeable primary batteries. The discovery holds the promise of high energy capacity, long cycle life and affordability in aqueous batteries.”

By incorporating suitable additives such as biodegradable redox polymers, titanium boride/sulfide (TiB2, TiS2), or bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) compounds, the electrodes can be further modified to improve their performance.

“The potential applications of this breakthrough are immense,” Dr. Minakshi said. “We could transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, reducing, reusing and recycling waste improving both sustainable development and addressing waste management.”

The studies on sustainable electrode materials have also been extended to other biowaste including chitosan derived from crustaceans, mango seed husk, and grape marc from wineries. From these biowastes, N-doped carbon was derived, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance.

Source – Tech Xplore

Phosphazene-based electrolytes for high-voltage lithium batteries that work in extreme environments

Posted on September 28, 2023 by dishanth

Lithium metal batteries have numerous notable advantages over other existing battery systems, including high energy density. Nonetheless, the use of most existing high-energy lithium metal batteries in extreme environments is typically deemed unsafe or unfeasible, due to the volatility and flammability of their electrolytes.

Researchers at Bar-Ila University, University of Technology Sydney, CIC energiGUNE, and Tsinghua University recently set out to develop new electrolytes that could support the safe and stable operation of lithium metal batteries in a broader range of environmental conditions. These electrolytes, introduced in Nature Energy, were synthesized by using the fireproof phosphazene-derivative polymeric matrices.

“Replacing the graphitic anodes with metallic Li is considered a viable path to further increase the energy density of Lithium batteries,” Professor Doron Aurbach, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Tech Xplore.

“However, the growth of dendrites on Li anode during cycling triggers catastrophic safety hazards, which severely hinders their practical applications. To solve this issue, ether-based electrolytes have been widely employed in Li metal batteries because of their relatively low reactivity with Li metal.”

Ether-based electrolyte solutions have a low viscosity and high ionic conductivity. These favorable properties can facilitate the rapid conduction of Li-ions and the exchange of interfacial charges in lithium batteries.

Ether-based electrolytes are also highly compatible with Li metal anodes, thus they can suppress the growth of dendrites while batteries are charging. Despite these advantages, many ether solvents are highly flammable, thus their use can greatly reduce the safety of battery cells.

“The low boiling points of ethers pose safety risks including fire, explosion, and liquid leakage,” Doron said. “Besides, the insufficient oxidation stability of ether-based electrolytes may lead to uncontrollable solvent decomposition on the cathode surface at high voltage (>4 V vs. Li/Li+), greatly deteriorating the cyclability of high-voltage Li metal batteries.”

In recent years, some research teams also introduced localized high-concentration electrolytes, which limit free solvent molecules in Li+ solvation structures. While these alternative electrolytes can reduce the time it takes to extinguish any fires that might arise, they do not fully eliminate the risk of fires or leakages.

“Polyphosphazene flame retardants with excellent flame-retardant effects have been widely used in the field of polymer flame retardants,” Doron said. “Combined with localized high-concentration electrolytes, the hybrids of polyphosphazene can effectively improve the flame-retardant effect with low addition contents. And the safety of the full cells can be largely promoted.”

In their recent paper, Professor Guoxiu Wang and their colleagues introduced a new versatile strategy to optimize ether-based electrolytes, preventing them from catching fire or leaking while also improving their compatibility with electrodes. This strategy entails a co-solvent and gelation treatment using butenoxycyclotriphosphazene (BCPN) monomers.

“To solve the inherent disadvantages of flammability and poor oxidation stability for ether-based electrolyte, fluoromethyl 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl ether (SFE) was introduced as a co-solvent (served as an anti-solvent) with an ether solvent to improve the oxidation resistance and cathodes’ stability,” Wang said. “Then, these binary electrolytes were gelled in situ by polymerization of BCPN monomers to achieve flame retardancy and interfacial compatibility.”

In initial tests, Wang and his collaborator Dr. Dong Zhou found that their proposed treatment using fluorinated co-solvent and fireproof polymetric matrices fully eliminated risks of fire and electrolyte leakage in lithium metal batteries. The team were also able to achieve electrolytes that are highly compatible with high-energy cathodes using a carefully designed Li+ solvation sheath, along with the BCPN-derived protective surface films formed on the cathodes.

“We manufactured high-energy-density Li||NCM811 batteries using our gel electrolyte and these batteries achieved high-capacity retention, superior low-temperature performance, good cyclability under high pressure and steady power supply under abusive conditions,” Dr. Dong Zhou said. “We successfully solved the safety problem for high-energy lithium metal batteries.”

The recent work by this team of researchers could have important implications for the development of next-generation lithium batteries. The electrolytes introduced in Nature Energy and their underpinning design strategy could soon open a new path for fabricating high energy, durable and safely rechargeable Li metal batteries that can operate in extreme environments.

“In our next studies, we intend to continue our research on improving battery safety and low temperature performance, which would help to expand the extreme environment application of high energy density batteries, for instance allowing their integration in aerospace vehicles, submarines and polar region devices,” Wang added.

Source Tech Xplore

Baking Bread in a Solar Oven

Posted on July 14, 2023July 18, 2023 by dishanth

Since 2019, Lebennon has been facing an economic crisis. Following decades of corrupt government financial mismanagement, banks started to impose restrictions on withdrawals. They stopped giving short-term loans to businesses and no longer provided them with US dollars for imports. As a result, this reduced the country’s ability to pay for imports, including essentials such as wheat and oil.

Moreover, many of Lebannon’s bakeries rely on expensive diesel generators for electricity because the ongoing economic crisis has devastated its power grid. In 2021, the country’s two main power plants ran out of fuel and shut down. Most households only receive about one hour of electricity per day, and the cost of food increased by 350 percent in April 2023. Many people in the country cannot even afford basic foods like bread. In some cases, the cost of a loaf has increased seven times in the space of a month.

To help feed the country’s population, an inventor, Toufic Hamdan, created a commercial bakery to bake bread in solar ovens. The startup “Partners With Sun” has installed a solar convection oven on the bakery’s roof. The Solar Oven uses large silver mirrors to capture and magnify the sun’s rays to build heat.

The heat is transported by a transfer fluid which is then used to help operate a convection oven, allowing it to reach a baking temperature of between 300 and 400 Celsius. The heat is used directly in food and beverage production. They have successfully made milk loaf, French bread and anything that can be cooked at this temperature. The Solar Oven is designed for industrial use in the baking industry.

The Solar Oven is able to cut up to 80% of the bakery’s fuel bill and improve its production efficiency. As a result, it also reduces the amount of diesel the country would have to import. As a result, it will reduce the price of the bread bundle that reaches the customer. Moreover, each bakery would save at least around 10 tonnes of diesel a month. By 2030, Toufic hopes to completely eliminate the use of diesel ovens in bakeries and rely only on solar ovens.

Lebanon is also increasing the use of solar energy for individuals and businesses. The country went from generating zero solar power in 2010 to having 90 megawatts of solar capacity in 2020. An additional 100 megawatts were added in 2021 and 500 megawatts in 2022. This is a sustainable way for people to move away from diesel and has become a stand-in for both grid-supplied electricity and private diesel generators.

Although the switch towards relying on solar power in Lebanon is now a response to the economic crisis than a reaction to climate change and air pollution, it is an inspiring way to show how we can use the earth’s resources to help our societies in times of crisis. The country now has a target to source 30% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. This switch will help provide electricity and food at reduced costs to the people of Lebanon during this economic crisis.

Source Happy Eco News

Space-Based Solar Power Works!

Posted on July 4, 2023 by dishanth

The concept of space-based solar power (SBSP) has been around for over five decades, but it’s only now that scientists have achieved a major milestone in its development. In June 2023, scientists at the California Institute of Technology successfully transmitted solar power to Earth from space using a prototype spacecraft called Maple. This breakthrough could pave the way for energy to be sent to remote regions and areas affected by war or natural disasters where access to electricity is limited.

The idea of space-based solar power involves capturing the energy produced by the sun in space and transmitting it wirelessly to Earth using microwaves. The technology required to achieve this is complex, but the potential benefits are enormous. Since the sun shines 24 hours a day in space, space-based solar power would provide a constant source of renewable energy that’s not affected by weather conditions or time of day. It could also be used to power space missions and settlements.

The first engineering design for a solar power satellite was produced by Czech-born NASA engineer Peter Glaser in 1968 and published that year in the journal Science. Since then, there have been several attempts to develop the technology required for SBSP, but progress has been slow due to the high costs involved and technical challenges. However, recent advances in space technology and wireless power transmission have renewed interest in space-based solar power as a viable source of clean energy.

The Maple spacecraft launched into orbit in January 2023 was designed to test the technology required for SBSP. It consisted of two parts: a solar panel that captured sunlight and converted it into electricity, and a microwave transmitter that beamed the energy to a receiving station on Earth. The power was transmitted wirelessly over a distance of 1.2 miles, which may not seem like much, but it’s a significant achievement given the technical challenges involved.

One of the main challenges of space-based solar power is the need to transmit energy wirelessly over long distances without losing too much power. This is achieved using microwaves, which are similar to the waves used in microwave ovens but at a much higher frequency. Microwaves can travel through the atmosphere and are not affected by weather conditions, making them ideal for transmitting energy from space. However, they can also be dangerous if not properly contained, so safety measures need to be put in place.

Another challenge of Space-Based Solar Power is the cost involved in launching the necessary equipment into space. Solar panels and microwave transmitters are bulky and heavy, which makes launching them into space expensive. However, recent advances in space technology have made it possible to launch smaller and more efficient satellites at a lower cost. This could make SBSP more economically viable in the future.

The potential benefits of SBSP are numerous. Since it provides a constant source of renewable energy, it could help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It could also be used to power remote regions and areas affected by war or natural disasters where access to electricity is limited. In addition, it could be used to power space missions and settlements, making long-term space exploration more feasible.

However, there are also concerns about the potential drawbacks of SBSP. One concern is the environmental impact of launching large numbers of satellites into space. Space debris is already a major problem, and adding more satellites could exacerbate the problem. Another concern is the potential health risks of wireless energy transmission. Although microwaves are generally safe, there’s still some uncertainty about their long-term effects on human health.

Despite these concerns, the successful transmission of solar power from space to Earth using Maple is a major achievement that could pave the way for more research into SBSP and its development into a viable large-scale energy source. The next step is to scale up the technology and test it over longer distances.

While there are still challenges to overcome, the potential benefits of SBSP are enormous and could play a critical role in our transition to a low-carbon future.

Source Happy Eco News