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DOE OSTI · 3377226

Storing Electricity with Salt and Iron (CRADA Final Report)

Sonsteng, Melanie·Baclig, Antonio
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Abstract

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, Inlyte Energy, Inc. investigated low-cost energy storage for the electricity grid via batteries manufactured from abundant materials. Low-cost energy storage can solve the problem of the intermittency of wind and solar power, thereby allowing these sources of energy to scale more rapidly. The project team explored development of a Na-FeCl 2 battery—which had as its starting redox-active materials the abundant materials table salt (NaCl) and iron—that can operate safely and efficiently over a long lifetime, and be produced at very low-cost. The Na-FeCl 2 battery is architecturally similar to the commercialized Zebra (Na-NiCl 2 ) batteries, which have demonstrated safety, efficiency, and long lifetime. This project explored and assessed key design changes, including the use of planar Na-β’’-alumina solid electrolyte and lower temperatures (~200 °C) with polymer seals aimed at decreasing costs.

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Sonsteng, Melanie, Baclig, Antonio. 2023-10-04. Storing Electricity with Salt and Iron (CRADA Final Report). https://doi.org/10.2172/3377226

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