Self-Heating Conductive Ceramic Composites for High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage

Yang, Lin [Peking University, Beijing (China); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000348385213); Peng, Peng [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165542247); Weger, Nathaniel [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000250602590); Mills, Sean [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry]; Messeri, Clément [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)]; Menon, Akanksha K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)] (ORCID:000000031979507X); Zeltmann, Steven [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry]; Babbe, Finn [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:000000029131638X); Zheng, Qiye [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (Hong Kong)]; Dun, Chaochao [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000232156478); Zhang, Chuan [Peking University, Beijing (China)] (ORCID:0000000185416029); Urban, Jeffrey J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000349092869); Minor, Andrew M. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000336068309); Prasher, Ravi [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000232827147); Breunig, Hanna [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:000000024727424X); Lubner, Sean [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Boston Univ., MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000288279688)

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.4c03270

DOE OSTI · 2529433

Self-Heating Conductive Ceramic Composites for High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage

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Abstract

The absence of affordable and deployable large-scale energy storage poses a major barrier to providing zero-emission energy on demand for societal decarbonization. High temperature thermal energy storage is one promising option with low cost and high scalability, but it is hindered by the inherent complexity of simultaneously satisfying all of the material requirements. Here we design a class of ceramic–carbon composites based on co-optimizing mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Further, these composites demonstrate stability in soak-and-hold tests and direct self-heating up to 1,936 °C and 750 thermal cycles from 500 to 1,630 °C without degradation. This thermal performance derives from their composition and microstructural design as verified by in situ high-temperature transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. They offer both higher energy density and lower cost than conventional storage technologies with a projected system Levelized Cost of Storage below the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2030 target 5 ¢/kWh (electric).

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Yang, Lin [Peking University, Beijing (China); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000348385213), Peng, Peng [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165542247), Weger, Nathaniel [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000250602590), Mills, Sean [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry], Messeri, Clément [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)], Menon, Akanksha K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)] (ORCID:000000031979507X), Zeltmann, Steven [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry], Babbe, Finn [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:000000029131638X), Zheng, Qiye [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (Hong Kong)], Dun, Chaochao [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000232156478), Zhang, Chuan [Peking University, Beijing (China)] (ORCID:0000000185416029), Urban, Jeffrey J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000349092869), Minor, Andrew M. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry] (ORCID:0000000336068309), Prasher, Ravi [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000232827147), Breunig, Hanna [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:000000024727424X), Lubner, Sean [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Boston Univ., MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000288279688). 2025-01-27. Self-Heating Conductive Ceramic Composites for High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.4c03270

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