Materials and Devices for Energy Storage

To overcome the challenges of direct usage of renewable electricity in power grids, the distributed electricity production requires the similarly distributed electricity storage system. Here, large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) can be used for buffering loads at strategic network nodes to alleviate congestion in storage-as-transmission. 

In the quest for cleaner and sustainable energy, aluminium metal batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to the widely used lithium-ion batteries. Aluminium is abundant, affordable, and has the potential to store large amounts of energy. However, developing efficient aluminium batteries comes with challenges, such as instability when exposed to water-based solutions. 

High-voltage capacitors play a critical role in ensuring stability and efficiency within modern electrical power systems. However, the materials used in these capacitors often encounter significant challenges under extreme conditions, including high electric fields and temperature fluctuations. 

Li-ion batteries are currently the dominant energy storage technology from portable electronics to large-scale grid energy storage. However, the utilization of LIBs within grid units working at high temperature is hindered by the rapid decay of their electrochemical performance. 

PEM (proton exchange membrane) devices convert chemical energy in electricity (fuel cells) and vice versa (electrolysers), using hydrogen as an energy vector. PEM devices are currently extremely relevant for the transition into a sustainable energy system with decarbonization as a central aim.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), the only CO2 free hydrogen production source that is adapted to renewable energy sources, is dependent on the rare noble metals Ir and Pt. We aim to develop porous catalyst layers to decrease the noble metal content while maintaining or increasing critical performance parameters.

We design new organic slurries for the charge storage in redox flow batteries. Those are made of conducting polymer or carbon conductor particles and other redox organic additives. We adapt the architecture of the redox flow cell to be appropriate to slurries and avoid obstruction phenomenon.

We propose a Zinc-Lignin battery as a new, low-cost energy storage solution using two of the most affordable electroactive materials: zinc and the biopolymer lignin, which makes up 30% of plants.

In this project various storages, with a basis in Li-ion technologies are investigated in terms of their power and energy ability, linked to their environmental impact. 

This project aims to develop a physics-based AI framework for the characterization, performance evaluation, and lifetime prediction of energy storage devices, including high-voltage power capacitors, batteries, and supercapacitors.