Low-cost Grid-Scale Electrical Storage using a Flow-Assisted Rechargeable Zinc-Manganese Oxide Battery
The Energy Institute at the City University New York (CUNY), in partnership with Rechargeable Battery Corporation (RBC Technologies) and the Ultralife Corporation, plans to develop and construct a water-based flow-assisted electrical storage battery for the grid scale. Megawatt-class batteries are essential for evolution of the U.S. electrical grid, as well as the seamless grid-level integration of periodic renewables such as solar and wind power.
Key innovations developed at CUNY and RBC Technologies allow for the rechargeable use of the same low-cost materials found in consumer-grade primary batteries, namely zinc and manganese dioxide. The safety and modularity of the design makes this technology suitable for distribution throughout urban environments at the home, building, or utility scale. A 3 kWh demonstration-scale battery using zinc and nickel oxide has been in use at CUNY, proving the concept of flow-assist for enabling zinc to repeatedly store electrical energy (photo). Replacement of nickel by reversible manganese oxide electrodes will hit cost targets of <$100/kWh, allowing near ubiquitous implementation of the technology across the country.
Use of manganese dioxide in this fashion is possible due to a key technical innovation by RBC Technologies. The participation of the Ultralife Corporation, a world-class battery and charger manufacturer located in upstate New York, will enable the construction of full-up 5000-cycle 25 kW models following research and development, providing a source of next generation battery jobs within the United States.