The Surprisingly Retro Future of Batteries

TL;DR

Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are intermittent, so alternative battery technologies, such as compressed air, rail energy, and flywheels, are being explored for energy storage.

Transcript

Thanks to Brilliant for supporting this episode of SciShow. Go to Brilliant.org/SciShow to learn more. [♪ INTRO] Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are awesome, but they have a downside—they’re intermittent. That means, if we want to make our grids more sustainable, we need to store some of the energy they produce for later. Not everybody... Read More

Key Insights

• 💨 Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are intermittent, requiring energy storage solutions for grid sustainability.
• 👱 Alternative battery technologies, such as compressed air, rail energy storage, and flywheels, are being explored because they offer clean and reliable energy storage.
• 🪫 Compressed air batteries offer large-scale capacity but have lower efficiency compared to chemical batteries.
• 💦 Rail energy storage provides decent round trip efficiency and can work on inclines with at least a five percent gradient.
• ✋ Flywheels have high round-trip efficiency and can be used in various applications, although they are not suitable for large-scale power-plant storage.
• 👱 All three ancient battery technologies - compressed air, rail energy, and flywheels - offer promising solutions for renewable energy storage.
• 👨‍🔬 Continued research and development are needed to improve the efficiency and scalability of alternative battery technologies.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do compressed air batteries work?

Compressed air batteries pump air into a large chamber, and when energy is needed, the air is released to run an electricity-generating turbine. They offer large-scale capacity but have lower efficiency compared to chemical batteries.

Q: How does rail energy storage work?

Rail energy storage uses the gravitational energy of a weighted train rolling downhill to generate electricity through regenerative braking. It offers decent round trip efficiency and can work on inclines with at least a five percent gradient.

Q: What are the advantages of flywheel energy storage?

Flywheels store energy as kinetic energy and can be siphoned off when needed. Modern flywheels use advanced materials and technology to increase efficiency and storage capacity. They have high round-trip efficiency and can be used in various applications.

Q: Why are alternative battery technologies being explored for renewable energy storage?

Renewable energy sources are intermittent, meaning storage solutions are needed for times when energy production is low. Alternative battery technologies offer clean and cheap storage options that can complement renewable energy sources.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, are intermittent, necessitating energy storage solutions.

• Compressed air batteries store energy by compressing air in a chamber and releasing it to run an electricity-generating turbine. They offer large-scale capacity but have lower round-trip efficiency compared to chemical batteries.

• Rail energy storage uses the gravitational energy of a weighted train rolling downhill to generate electricity through regenerative braking. It offers decent round trip efficiency and can work on inclines as low as five percent.

• Flywheels store energy as kinetic energy and can be siphoned off for use. They have higher round-trip efficiency than compressed air batteries but are not suitable for large-scale power-plant storage.