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Examining the Benefits of Graphene Batteries

 

You’ve likely heard of some common battery types, such as lithium ion, that are helping to power the future.

However, there’s a new contender for most-promising battery solution – graphene.

Graphene batteries leverage their namesake material, which sees carbon atoms bind together in a honeycomb lattice pattern to form an extremely strong, yet thin sheet. Graphene has a long list of beneficial properties – it conducts electrical and thermal energy extremely well, is lightweight and flexible, and is chemically inert.

That, in combination with the fact that it’s sustainable, make batteries leveraging the material an attractive option. So attractive, in fact, that graphene startup Nanotech Energy closed a funding round earlier this year at $27.5 million.

So, what benefits might graphene batteries’ widespread use bring?

Graphene's structure

Graphene Improves a Battery’s Surface Area

Because the material is so flexible and features such a large surface area, its use in complementing and supporting li-ion batteries’ anodes and cathodes brings an improvement to the overall surface area of the battery.

This improvement, which is possible because graphene can be coated on essentially any substrate, leads to better power and energy density, among other benefits.

Graphene Boosts Conductivity without Elevated Temperatures

Again, the beneficial property of graphene leads to the battery, itself exhibiting that property.

Since graphene is such an excellent conductor (without requiring the larger amounts of carbon traditional solutions do or increasing the temperature of the material when conducting energy), it leads to more optimized energy transfer and performance.

Graphene Brings Longer-Lasting, Faster-Charging Batteries

Finally, introducing graphene allows batteries to last for more charge cycles and to charge more quickly, leading to efficient, long-lasting batteries that could open up new possibilities in the world of technological innovation.

Picture electric vehicles that could charge quickly and drive longer, a common goal of the EV industry – graphene could help make that vision a reality.

Learn More Today

Arbin Instruments is committed to supporting the battery industry and the solutions that are powering our world, and this role will be even more critical as cutting-edge solutions like graphene become more commercially available.

To learn more about Arbin’s role in high-precision battery testing and more, contact us today.

Why is it important to have a Battery Management System?

Arbin battery test equipment

A battery management system allows users to monitor individual cells within a battery pack. As cells work together to release energy to the load, it is crucial to maintain stability throughout the whole pack.

This is where a battery management system (BMS) comes into play. A BMS allows for constant monitoring, gathering, and communicating information to an external interface where users can observe the status of each cell and the health of the battery pack as a whole. The BMS monitors and manages a battery pack in order to protect it from damage, prolong its life, and keep the battery operating within its safety limits. These functions are key to efficiency, reliability, and safety. 

What does a BMS measure?

A BMS can measure different figures such as current, voltage, temperature, and coulomb count. With these measurements the system can assess the health of the battery and readjust operations as needed to protect the pack. 

For instance, a drop in cell voltage at a given load can indicate an increase in internal resistance. This then can point toward dry-out, corrosion, plate separation, or other diagnoses. 

A sudden increase in the temperature of one cell could indicate the possibility of a thermal runaway event within the whole battery pack. The BMS could then stop the flow of energy and alert the user to a potential problem so that it can be contained before it gets out of control.

Coulomb counting can help to estimate the available capacity of a battery. This is done by measuring the amount of energy leaving and entering the battery during charge/discharge cycles. A decrease in coulomb count during a full cycle when compared to a new battery cell indicates a drop in battery capacity.

What indicators can be inferred with a BMS?

State of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) are important indicators for assessing the usability and capabilities of a battery. Together the SoC and SoH provide a state of function, an overview of the battery and the pack’s capabilities as a whole.

State of charge is probably the most straightforward and common measure that a person would come across. The battery percentages on phones or laptops are the states of charge. In electric vehicle batteries, the SoC is used to determine the remaining range left of the car before it needs to be recharged. This, however, by itself, is not indicative of the overall health of the battery. While SoC can show the short term capability of the battery -- showing how much energy there is left -- it cannot indicate the true capacity of the battery cell or pack. Cell capacity decreases with age so while SoC may read 100%, after a while the true capacity is likely less than that.

Nonetheless, SoC is still an important measure in managing batteries. For instance, the SoC of individual cells in the battery chain needs to be known in order to balance the load evenly across cells within the pack.

Complimentary to SoC, State of Health measures the long-term capabilities of the battery pack. Taking into account charge acceptance, internal resistance, voltage, and self discharge, SoH is an estimation of how much longer a battery can operate optimally. It is usually measured against a fresh battery cell in order to infer the cell’s position within its lifecycle. 

There are no standard parameters to indicate SoH as it would depend on the function and applications of the battery cell. Different parameters such as cell resistance or self-discharge may be individually weighted to assess the overall SoH.

As SoH is usually measured against a new cell, the BMS must keep a record of the initial conditions of the battery and a log of measurements throughout the lifecycle of the battery in order to provide a more accurate indication of battery health.

Why is a BMS important?

Not only is a BMS important in indicating the health of a battery, but it also functions to protect the battery while in operation. 

Each battery cell and chemistry has voltage, temperature, and current range within which it can safely operate. When a cell drops below or exceeds these ranges, it can be detected and controlled by the BMS. For instance, lithium is a highly reactive substance; thus the BMS should monitor each lithium cell to ensure that it remains operating within predefined limits. This keeps the battery safe and preserves it in the long run.

Another important safety feature of a BMS is cell balancing. Individual cells within a battery pack do not operate equally. One cell may be weaker or stronger than the other, charging or discharging faster than others within the chain. Without proper compensation, this could degrade the health of the overall pack. If one cell short circuits or fails, this affects the stability of the whole pack. Cell balancing equalizes the charge between individual cells based on each cell’s capability. The BMS helps to monitor and control the charge demanded from each cell in the chain, ensuring that SoC remains evenly distributed. 

The role of a BMS in battery testing 

A BMS has a key role in battery pack testing to monitor the status of each individual cell and its operation with the pack as a whole. It can help detect the faults and weaknesses of a cell within the pack, as well as better monitor how current, voltage, temperature, and other parameters change throughout the testing process. SoC and SoH are important indicators in testing to see how the battery fares throughout charge/discharge cycles. Good battery testing software will be able to communicate these statistics with external interfaces to give researchers a good understanding of the battery pack’s operations.

Tesla’s Upcoming Battery Innovations

https://www.tesla.com/models

Tesla’s Battery Day, where upcoming projects and innovations are announced to investors, was held at the end of September. There were two anticipated announcements: the million-mile battery and a battery price point of $100/kWh, the price at which analysts believe would officially place Electric Vehicles on par with Internal Combustion Engines. 

While no official announcement of a million-mile battery was made, Tesla did announce that the company aims to put out a battery that costs only $60/kWh within the next three years, two years sooner than experts project a battery at this price would be ready to go to market. According to the company, this price would be made possible by reducing battery manufacturing cost. Not only does Tesla intend to eventually move battery production in-house and implement complete vertical integration, but also make use of a newly-patented battery design to bring down costs. 

All in all, Tesla outlined a five step plan to improve batteries.

Cell design

One of the pivotal changes Tesla is making to reach their goal is the design of a tabless battery.

Tesla recently filed a patent for their new battery design that removes the tabs connecting the electrodes to the energy load. This cell structure supposedly has multiple benefits: simpler manufacturing, fewer parts, and a 5x reduction in the electrical path, meaning that energy can flow faster and more efficiently. 

But how would this technology achieve these goals? The current design of a cylindrical battery cell involves layers of cathode and anode material separated by a separator layer and rolled into a cylinder. Tabs are connected to the cathode and anode sheets respectively and stick out to connect to the load.

Tesla’s new battery design takes the cathode and anode foils and arranges them in a shingled spiral pattern. The placement pattern increases the surface area of the active material that it’s touching, facilitating faster movement of ions within the cell. 

In the traditional battery design, the electrode tabs also create a bottleneck problem as ions only have a single path through which to travel to the load. By removing the tab, the ohmic resistance is decreased, allowing energy to travel more efficiently. It also reduces the chances of heat build up in certain areas of the battery due to a concentration of chemical activity. The new design allows these reactions to be spread out evenly within the cell, reducing the possibility of overheating.

Cell manufacturing

The next stage in Tesla’s plan to revamp their batteries is how the cell is manufactured. This means simplifying the process as well as reducing their carbon footprint and energy consumption. 

Currently most battery electrodes are made with a wet process, which entails the electrode powder being mixed with water or another solvent, then placed in an oven to dry. 

Tesla is in the process of perfecting a dry process, which directly converts the electrode powder into film. While Elon Musk stated that this is a much more complex method to master, once perfected it would mean a much simpler manufacturing process and a reduction in energy use in the process.

Anode materials

Tesla, like many battery manufacturers and researchers, is interested in using silicon as a replacement for graphite for the battery anode. Not only is it inexpensive, it is also abundant in the earth’s crust, making it a more sustainable choice in the long-run. Silicon has been found to have 9x the electron capacity compared to graphite, meaning that it has a much higher energy capacity. However, it has been known to expand within the cell and eventually degrade after a number of cycles, rendering the battery obsolete.

To combat this, Tesla stated that it will use raw silicon and an elastic, ion-conductive polymer coating to stabilize the material. Theoretically, this would increase an EV’s range by 20%. 

Cathode materials

Current batteries use cobalt as the cathode material because of its stability and high energy density. However, Tesla had already spoken before on their desire to move away from using this metal due to its toxicity and mining which is often associated with human rights abuses. Instead Musk spoke about turning to focus on nickel as the alternative. Nickel is cheaper and has a high energy density, but by itself is unstable. The company is working on stabilizing the material which would eventually help to bring down battery costs.

Furthermore, Tesla spoke about not wanting to be constrained by the availability of nickel and is planning a flexible approach to the material used in their batteries, using other metals such as iron and magnesium in their energy storage solutions depending on its application.

Cell-Vehicle integration

The final step in Tesla’s plan is to integrate the battery pack directly into the structure of the car itself. Coining the term “structural batteries”, the electric vehicle battery pack is not only storage for energy, but is also an integral part of the vehicle’s structure. This aims to reduce the vehicle's mass and increase range by allowing for cells to be packed more densely without adding extra structure. 

While it will be a few years before we see a fruition of Tesla’s vision, it is exciting to see how these innovations will continue to challenge the EV and energy storage industry as Tesla, and the rest of the world, looks forward to adopting greener and cleaner technologies.

MRI Scanning and Batteries

One of the biggest challenges in the development and optimization of battery technology is difficulty in observing what’s happening inside of the battery itself.

However, there’s a new ally in the movement toward the future of energy storage – magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI. This technology, which commonly conjures up images of medical diagnosing equipment, allows researchers to diagnose any happenings inside of current lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and aids in the development of what may be the battery of the future, sodium batteries.

Lithium-Ion Diagnosis via MRI

As portable technology advances and changes in form factor, new challenges arise in the shape and size of the required Li-ion batteries for these devices. Over the past years, stories have dotted the news about battery malfunctions, including overheating, swelling, and even explosions. Unfortunately, examination and diagnosis of any problems that might be occurring within a battery is almost impossible without destroying the battery in question.

That’s where MRIs come in. The technology is used to measure miniscule alterations in a magnetic field map, which is perfect for analyzing the workings of a battery while it’s in motion.

Using MRIs, researchers are able to determine charge states and an assortment of defective or missing components that might occur during manufacturing. These diagnoses can then be implemented in improving the batteries, reducing failure rates, and improving performance.

Sodium Monitoring with MRI

One of the leading candidates to replace the current Li-ion batteries, sodium batteries, has a promising future in the evolution of alternative energy devices and technology. However, understanding the inner workings of sodium batteries also presents the same problems as diagnosing the processes within Li-ion batteries – you simply can’t observe the innards in motion without destroying the battery.

Fortunately, a process has been developed using MRIs to detect and track the movements of sodium metal ions, allowing researchers to get a look at what’s happening inside of sodium batteries while it’s happening. This observation method offers a way to monitor the interactions between sodium and various anode and cathode materials, as well as the growth of branching structures called dendrites that might cause the battery to fail or even catch fire.

With the interactions within the sodium batteries visible, scientists will be able to detect failures and develop ways to prevent those failures, all while optimizing the capabilities of sodium battery technology.

Battery Technology for Today and Tomorrow

With these relatively recent applications of MRI technology in the fields of energy storage and optimization, new paths for advancement have opened before our very eyes.

Not only does using MRIs for looking into the inner machinations of working batteries allow us to see on a whole new scale, it also allows us to glimpse into the future of energy.

To learn more about how Arbin is supporting that future, visit https://www.arbin.com/.

Batteries: A Day in the Life

You may not realize it, but batteries – and the latest innovations in the battery industry – impact nearly every part of your day-to-day life.

Batteries have always helped power the world, but their applications and importance are growing all the time, particularly in the wake of movements for cleaner energy, sustainability, efficiency and more.

Batteries, particularly cutting-edge lithium ion batteries, those used in key grid storage applications, and those that power electric vehicles (EVs) have a pretty high calling. However, they also fuel some of the seemingly small things that bring you comfort and functionality every day.

Let’s take a look.

The Role of Batteries in Powering Everyday Life

Consider your cell phone. It’s often also the alarm clock that begins your day, and it’s probably basically attached to your person at all times, right? It wouldn’t function at all without a battery, and it wouldn’t be capable of such a long lifespan or of so many incredible feats of connectivity without a battery providing fuel for the fire.

As you begin your day and interact with the ever-smarter elements of your likely “smart home,” batteries continue to make previously unheard-of automation and functionality more possible than ever.

Batteries help Internet of Things-enabled devices to communicate with one another, making your life simpler, and power the alarm systems, air purifiers, door controls and digital doorbells, medical devices, and more that keep you healthy and safe.

Even if you don’t drive an EV to work, batteries help your car provide the experience you’ve come to rely on. From digital displays and in-car WiFi and navigation to power windows, batteries are present.

And you don’t need this blog to tell you how critical batteries are in your work life. In fact, you might be reading this blog on a laptop or desktop PC that – you guess it – needs power, either in the form of an actual battery or an uninterruptable power supply.

Finally, on a larger scale, batteries are powering the things that keep you safe. From military and defense applications to construction and logistics that shape the world around us and medical and emergency personnel use cases that literally save lives, batteries play an integral role in the fabric of society. They power radios, robotic artificial limbs, machinery and more.

How Arbin Supports the Battery Industry

At Arbin, we recognize how critical batteries are to our modern way of life – and the future of our society. That’s why we continually support battery research and work diligently to craft innovative battery testing equipment designed to make sure that, when batteries are called upon, they simply work.

To learn more about Arbin’s role in supporting the batteries that power our lives, visit https://www.arbin.com/

 

Introduction to Supercapacitors

Though most common, chemical batteries are not the only way to store energy. Another device that is constantly being researched and improved is the supercapacitor. The supercapacitor stores electricity as static rather than chemical energy. While they can’t match up to batteries in energy capacity, they do have clear advantages that secure them a place in our energy-efficient future.

 How does a supercapacitor work

A supercapacitor is made up of two metal electrode plates separated by a thin and porous insulator usually made from carbon, paper or plastic that has been soaked in an electrolyte.

When a charge is applied, ions in the electrolyte migrate toward the plate with the opposite polarity. An electrical field is created by this movement, and energy is stored in the intense electric field between the ions and electrodes that keeps them together. During discharge, electrons move toward the circuit load, releasing the ions from the plate.

What is the difference between supercapacitors and batteries?

While both store energy, the supercapacitor and battery are extremely different. The energy density of the supercapacitor is only around 1 to 30 Wh/kg, compared to the 100 to 265 Wh/kg of modern lithium ion batteries. 

Conversely, the supercapacitor greatly surpasses batteries in power density. Because it does not rely on chemical reactions to release energy, the supercapacitor can release a large amount of energy in a short amount of time. The specific power of a supercapacitor can be up to 10,000 W/kg, while that of general lithium-ion batteries is around 1,000 to 3,000 W/kg.

This also means it can charge very quickly. The average charging time of a supercapacitor is 1-10 seconds, whereas batteries would need to charge for 10 minutes to up to an hour to reach full charge. 

Supercapacitors have a much longer cycle life because the materials do not degrade through the energy release process. In batteries, the chemical reactions would eventually wear down the materials and cause loss of capacity. 

Supercapacitor Applications

Despite all these advantages over batteries, the one thing that greatly holds back supercapacitors are their energy capacity. Nonetheless, they are well suited to high power applications that need to charge and discharge quickly without the need for long-term storage. 

Some small devices that make use of supercapacitors include flashes for cameras and small electrical tools. Because these devices do not need a constant flow of electricity but rather quick bursts of energy, the supercapacitor is perfect in these instances.

Though not energy dense, supercapacitors are used in certain types of electric transportation. In China, some of their electric buses in Shanghai run on supercapacitors, charging up at stops while passengers alight and board. Because they can charge in seconds, buses can keep running for the whole day without worry of running out of charge. Certain trams and light-rails in various places across Europe also make use of the same principle. 

In electric vehicles, supercapacitors can be used in regenerative braking systems, quickly absorbing and releasing energy. In this way, the supercapacitor would support the battery in powering the car, especially during acceleration where a quick burst of power would be needed.

In grid applications, another important area in the future of energy storage, supercapacitors can also be paired with batteries to bridge power gaps when there is a sudden surge of demand for energy. The supercapacitor would act as a buffer between the grid and load, quickly releasing energy when there is a sudden surge of demand so as to limit disruption of the energy flow, as well as the strain on the grid.

Testing supercapacitors

Because of supercapacitors’ many advantages, exploring ways they can play a role in energy storage is an important part of the conversation. Arbin has high quality supercapacitor testing equipment for research and development purposes. Like all of our other equipment, the supercapacitor test systems support real-world simulation charge/discharge cycles. Available for cell, module and pack testing up to 800v.

Robotics in Prosthetics

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-space-station-motors-robotic-prosthetic.html

When you think of batteries and, more specifically, Arbin’s role in the research that is driving the battery industry forward, it’s likely you picture electric vehicles and other stalwarts of the industry that have gained momentum and become more visible over the past several years.

However, Arbin’s role in the battery industry extends well beyond those boundaries.

Prosthetics and the robotics they’re using to accomplish never-before-seen feats of engineering are using advanced battery innovations to deliver all sorts of incredible results for users, and Arbin is proud to support that progress via support for the battery research making it possible.

Progress in Using Robotics for More Advanced and Beneficial Prosthetics

Recently, the use of advanced batteries has opened up doors to a variety of advances in prosthetics, including:

  • Extending battery lifespan for more practical use
  • Supporting robotics making prosthetics quieter and more energy efficient
  • Leveraging modular batteries

In particular, one robotic prosthetic leg prototype uses small and powerful motors originally designed for use on a robotic arm at the International Space Station to more than double a user’s walking needs on a single charge – without giving up comfort, power, or functionality.

Biomechatronic prosthetics have also improved and innovated upon non-robotic prosthetics, which have traditionally been made of plaster and steel.

These prosthetics combine biosensors, mechanical sensors, a microprocessor-powered controller, and actuators to deliver a more lifelike result for users.

How Batteries Are Helping to Shape the Future of Robotic Prosthetics

Among other industries and technologies, innovators in biomechatronic prosthetics are constantly looking for advances in battery and battery pack technology that can help support their mission to provide lifelike, functional, and comfortable prosthetics.

These robotic prosthetics need more compact, high-density battery solutions not only to provide longer battery life, but to increase overall comfort. As they're quite literally a part of the user’s body, no amount of incredible engineering can make a prosthetic more bearable if it’s too heavy to be used comfortably.

Arbin’s Role in Battery Progress for Robotic Prosthetics

In addition to conducting materials research for a variety of industries and innovations, Arbin helps conduct research in the field of prosthetics and shares the common vision of producing more comfortable, lifelike, powerful, and functional solutions through advancements in batteries.

To learn more, visit https://www.arbin.com/.

Range Anxiety-Free Electric Vehicle

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/19/21375308/lucid-motors-air-ev-charging-time-miles-minutes

Weeks after a potential million-mile battery was announced, automotive company Lucid Motors has announced a new all-electric vehicle with a range of 517 miles. Most EVs currently on the market have a range of 200-300 miles. Currently, Tesla has the EV with the longest range at about 400 miles. The extra distance could significantly move the EV market further.

Set to debut in 2021, Lucid Motors has also announced a range of other key features of the Lucid Air sedan that could place it at the top of the luxury electric vehicle market. They not only address present concerns, such as range anxiety, but also look toward the future of energy storage solutions.

Here is what we know so far:

Long range

Lucid Motors claims that their Lucid Air Sedan will have a range of 517 miles in one single charge. With range and frequent charging being some of the major reasons why many are hesitant to invest in an electric vehicle, this could be a significant push to EV adoption.

The company began as battery maker and supplier Atieva. With all-electric racing series Formula E as a customer, it is clear why they are capable of designing such a battery and vehicle. Electric racing cars would require stable and durable batteries to meet high power and energy demands of the race. Moreover, because of the added risks in racing, the battery would certainly have to be extra safe and reliable. The experience accumulated from designing race-car batteries would certainly be valuable in creating a long-range, safe, and sturdy electric vehicle.

A battery with this capacity would also place the Air Sedan on par with internal combustion engine vehicles in terms of range, further making EVs a much stronger competitor against traditional cars.

Rapid charging

Not only has Lucid Motors promised a long-range vehicle, they have also said the new sedan will be the “fastest charging electric vehicle ever offered.” The charger that they have designed is a 900-volt charger with a peak charging rate of over 300 kW. This translates to charge rates of about 20 miles per minute, meaning that it can reach the full 517 miles charge in about half an hour. 

There are many different levels of EV chargers available; the time it takes to charge an EV can range from anywhere between 30 minutes to a full day depending on the charger. Lucid Motors is planning to build a network of public fast-charging stations that provide for their 900-volt charger, perfect to top up mileage on-the-go during long-range trips.

Bi-direcitonal charging

For now, rapid charging is mainly available from public charging stations but has not yet been adapted for home use. This is because home electric systems are not yet adapted to handle the power demands of rapid charging. However, Lucid Motors is designing a home charger that looks ahead toward the future.

The motor company is developing a home charging system that offers bi-directional charging. Most chargers are unidirectional, moving energy from the electrical grid to the car. A bidirectional charger allows the car to double as an energy source, powering the home off-grid when needed. It also means that energy could be sold back to the grid when there is a demand. 

Innovations in technology set the tone and define the future of the industry. In a maturing industry such as that of EVs, features like rapid and bi-directional charging might soon become must-haves in the near future. This in turn could redefine how energy is used, stored, and generated, 

Learn more about the Electric Vehicle Revolution.

What is a flow battery?

What is a flow battery?

A flow battery, also known as a redox flow battery (from the words reduction and oxidation), is a liquid-based rechargeable cell. In a traditional battery, the electrolyte is the medium through which electrons can travel between the cathode and anode. In a flow battery, the anode and cathode themselves are electrolyte solutions.

In the most simple iteration of a flow battery, the electrochemical cell consists of two half-cells that are each connected to an electrolyte tank. The two tanks are filled with the negatively charged cathode and the positively charged anode respectively. The half-cells are separated by a porous membrane through which ions are exchanged. They are also each attached to the current collector which joins the cell with the power load. Energy is released or stored by the continuous circulation of the electrolyte solution through the half-cells. 

Common materials for flow batteries include vanadium, which is favored because of its ability to exist in four states of oxidation, crucial in the reduction and oxidation process. Iron chromium, zinc bromine, and zinc ion, are also typical materials for flow batteries.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of flow batteries?

Flow batteries are still being researched, but studies suggest that they lack the same degradation that can be found in lithium batteries. This means that they potentially have a much longer lifespan. Some project that flow batteries can last up to 30 years. This makes it a good choice for larger and longer-term applications.

The flow battery is also easily scalable. Larger tanks and a more concentrated electrolyte solution can be used. However, because of its large mass, flow batteries are not as conveniently portable as lithium-ion batteries, making them more suitable to stationary energy storage uses.

Because flow batteries do not use the same flammable electrolyte material as lithium-ion, they are supposedly safer, removing the issue of flammability of the battery cell. They are also less likely to experience thermal runaway.

One key disadvantage of flow batteries is its lower energy capacity. With the convenience and high capacity of lithium batteries, it can be difficult for flow batteries to compete. Another disadvantage is its greater upfront cost. Because the setup itself is larger, it can cost more to install flow batteries. However, because of its long lifespan, it is possible that the cost of ownership is more affordable in the long run.

Flow Battery Applications

The main application of flow batteries that is being looked at is for energy storage. This ranges from small-scale uses for homes that use renewable energy, to large-scale grid storage. 

Some are also looking into flow batteries for electric vehicles. The technology is still immature, but the concept would borrow from traditional fuel powered cars where the fluid inside the battery would be replenished with a fresh electrolyte solution. This arrangement would remove the long time it takes to recharge an EV battery, potentially becoming a much more convenient solution.

Testing Flow Batteries

Arbin’s FBTS has been designed specifically for flow batteries. The charge/discharge flow battery testing system can range from small research-grade single cells up to 300kW stacks. Like Arbin’s other battery test equipment, the FBTS is highly customizable to individual research needs. Third party pumps and other hardware can be easily integrated with the system, and the electronic circuitry is easily programmable using Arbin’s MITS Pro Software. 

While the adoption of flow batteries is still slow, and lithium-ion still holds the largest market share for the foreseeable future, it is possible that flow batteries will play an important role in the future of energy storage as the world moves towards green energy sources. As flow battery research continues to grow, new chemistries and improvements will be made, pushing flow batteries to be a stronger contender in the field of energy storage solutions.

Speak with an expert today!

The Role of Grid Storage in Smart Grids and Smart Cities

Grid Storage

What would the city of the future look like? With the advent of technology, people have been speculating for decades what a future fully integrated with technology would look like. Nowadays, a city of the future is expected to not only integrate technology and the Internet of Things into every aspect of everyday life, but be energy resilient and eco-friendly at the same time This requires not only adopting renewable energy or cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles; creating a smart city requires a comprehensive and flexible approach to energy management. This is why many places are looking into smart grids that allow for two-way communication between energy producers and consumers. When paired with grid storage, smart grids can be an effective way to regulate and monitor energy consumption, creating a grid system that is efficient overall for all parties involved.

How does a smart grid work?

Most electricity grids fall behind energy and resiliency needs. A traditional grid carries energy from a power plant through a series of interconnected power lines to the consumer. Energy is produced and delivered according to real-time demand. During peak hours, energy production is high, and off-peak it lowers. This can cause a strain on the grid, especially if demand outweighs what the power plant can produce. If there is disruption on the power lines, a blackout could occur and power would need to be rerouted manually. 

A smart grid aims to address these response and resiliency issues found in traditional grids. A smart grid uses two-way communication technologies, sensors and advanced digital meters to assess grid stability and efficiency. Not only will energy producers be able to monitor energy demand and consumption, consumers themselves can also monitor their energy usage. As energy costs can also fluctuate throughout the day, consumers can schedule energy usage around the cost of energy. This would allow them to make better choices to conserve energy and reduce costs. If homes or buildings are equipped with renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, they can also sell energy back to the grid, reducing their own costs.

Sensors on the smart grid would be used to detect any disruptions and automatically reroute power if necessary. This speedy response could reduce the occurrence of accidents and casualties in the event of a blackout. 

How does having grid storage support the smart grid?

Without grid storage, a smart grid would ultimately still only act and react according to the demands on the grid. In the past, when a power plant cannot meet the needs of a grid, the solution would be to build new power plants to increase energy production. With grid storage, energy can be stored on the grid and released when necessary. During off-peak hours when demand is low, extra energy can be produced and stored on the grid. Stored energy can be released when demand is high so as not to overstrain real-time energy production. It is also a potentially cheaper and more efficient way to secure back up energy should other sources fail. Currently, backup plants and generators that come online when there is a power failure are costly to maintain. This could also help keep energy costs low by producing energy when demand is low and energy cheap.

Besides this, grid storage would facilitate the integration of multiple energy sources, as well as address the issue of inconsistent availability of renewable sources such as wind and sun. Without grid storage, energy must be produced and consumed immediately. If the demand is less than the energy production capacity, then the unused capacity is wasted. A smart grid coupled with grid storage would be able to gather multiple sources and adjust collection and release of energy with the information gathered through the different sensors and monitors.

Grid storage would also help with the decentralization of energy, allowing rural places further away from main sources of energy to store energy. Should power lines between the main grid and the remote area fail, there would still be energy available before power lines come back online.

Cities are moving towards smarter, more efficient consumption and production of energy. The flexibility and resiliency that grid storage can provide these key elements is creating stronger and safer electricity grids and greener, smarter cities.

Learn how Arbin is helping to create these smarter cities of the future.