Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - 43

sive elements. That electrode allowed them to recreate NADH and
NADPH from their corresponding oxidized forms. In the lab, NADPH
was used as a cofactor in producing an alcohol from another
molecule, a test they did intentionally to show that the electrode
they built could help convert biomass - plant cells - to biofuels.
Because NADH and NADPH are at the heart of so many energy
conversion processes inside cells, this discovery could aid
other synthetic applications. Previous work shows that electromagnetic
fields can slow the spread of some breast cancers. It
might be possible for scientists to more easily and affordably
control the flow of electrons in some cancer cells, potentially
slowing their growth and ability to metastasize.
Plants use NADPH to turn carbon dioxide into sugars, which
eventually become oxygen through photosynthesis. Making
NADPH more accessible and more affordable could make it
possible to produce an artificial photosynthesis reaction.
For more information, contact Laura Arenschield at arenschield.
2@osu.edu.
Maximizing the Performance of Battery Cells for Better
Energy Storage
Battery research tackles new challenges for behind-the-meter stationary storage systems.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
E
nergy efficient buildings of the future are turning to behind-the-meter
storage (BTMS) system designs to minimize
costs and grid impacts due to their ability to integrate
electric vehicle charging, photovoltaic generation, and building
demands using controllable loads to generate and store
energy on-site.
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's BTMS Consortium,
researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
are leading the development of new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery
designs specific to the stationary storage requirements.
" We already know a lot about Lithium-ion batteries, but
batteries for different applications have different requirements, "
said NREL Researcher and Project Leader Yeyoung
Ha. " Our research looks at how to leverage the developments
from electric vehicle battery research for new applications in
stationary storage. "
BTMS systems have different charging and discharging patterns
than a typical electric vehicle and require Li-ion battery
materials that meet these unique priorities. Li-ion battery designs
using a Li4
Ti5O12 (LTO) anode and LiMn2
O4 (LMO) cathode
are promising critical-material-free candidates that offer
the safety and long lifespan required of BTMS systems.
While these cells in conventional design have a comparatively
low energy density, new research at NREL, published in the
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, delved further into promising
opportunities, as well as limitations, of using LTO/LMO
battery cells for stationary storage use.
This project evaluated the temperature-dependent performance
of LTO/LMO cells with various electrode loadings. Researchers
determined that using thicker electrodes in battery
designs can increase the cell capacity and energy density, while
decreasing overall cell costs. However, these thicker electrodes
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Stationary batteries allow buildings to reduce reliance on grid power by
storing energy that can be used during times of peak demand. (Image:
Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
Tech Briefs, August 2022
43
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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022

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