Chemical Engineering December 2011 - 20

DOE SPURS ENERGY STORAGE ADVANCES
Newsfront
when the reverse is true. This
allows traditional fossil-fuel
power generators to operate
at more consistent levels,
where they are most efficient,
and produce lower emissions.
Other potential applications
of energy storage include energy arbitrage,
support of electricity transmission
and distribution systems, and
backup power. With the large number
of applications possible for maximizing
grid reliability and asset utilization, it
is likely that multiple energy-storage
technologies that meet cost, performance
and durability requirements
will find significant uses.
The needs of a particular application
can often be characterized by the
power and energy matrix, an assessment
of the level of power required
over a period of time. A significant
engineering challenge for energy storage
technology developers is broadening
the capabilities of a technology to
ith series of research grants, conferences
and projects at its network of national laboratories,
DOE has fostered development of
energy storage technologies for the grid. In addition
to the flow battery and Li-ion battery projects mentioned
in the main text, the DOE is supporting work
on many types of grid-energy storage technologies,
from grid-scaleable lead-acid batteries to a lowcost,
rechargeable iron-air battery.
Aside from batteries, DOE is also supporting dehandle
a wide range of energy versus
power demands. Extending the versatility,
while reducing costs for energy
storage technologies, represent the
main goals for developers.
Until costs for deploying energy storage
technologies come down, technologies
that can perform well for several
applications may have the inside track
on commercial uptake. " Energy-storage
technologies will play a critical buffering
role in the next-generation power
grid, " but costs remain high, says Chris
Kuhl, an applications engineer at ZBB
Energy Corp. (Menomonee Falls, Wisc.;
www.zbbenergy.com).
" The industry
still has a long way to go to get down
to $500 and $250 per kWh installed, "
W
velopment of advanced flywheel technology, a mechanical
means of energy storage whereby energy
from a motor is used during a charging phase to
accelerate a rotor assembly to high speed with minimal
friction. For discharging, energy can be extracted
from the spinning rotor, which is attached to
a generator. The inertial energy of the spinning rotor
drives the generator, which can inject power back
to the grid, rather than by electrochemical means.
Startups like Amber Kinetics (Fremont, Calif.; www.
the cost points put forth by engineers
at Sandia National Laboratory and
DOE as the target for economic competitiveness
of commercially sited and
grid-scale (utility-owned) energy storage
assets, respectively.
New compressed air approach
After pumped hydro, the next most
common energy-storage technology
is compressed-air energy-storage
(CAES). Classical CAES uses electric
motors to pump air into underground
caverns adiabatically. When electricity
is needed, air is released, driving
a turbine to generate power. Disadvantages
of classical CAES include its
requirement for specific geologic sites,
SPEC IT AND
FORGET IT.
Check-All Valve is your
one-stop supplier for the
check valves you need in the
materials you require. Better
yet, every valve includes the
experience, engineering, and
application know-how you need
for " spec-it-and-forget-it " reliability.
After all, you have better things to
do, and check valves are all we do.
Call us at 515-224-2301 or
e-mail us at sales@checkall.com.
www.checkall.com
Circle 8 on p. 62 or go to adlinks.che.com/35072-08
20 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2011
Since 1958
West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
http://www.zbbenergy.com http://www.checkall.com http://adlinks.che.com/35072-08 http://WWW.CHE.COM
Chemical Engineering December 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering December 2011
