Rechargeable photon-enhanced batteries for solar storage
rechargeable batteries, photovoltaic, energy, technology, 2022
Japanese scientists have analyzed storage systems that combine photovoltaics and metal batteries with high energy capacity. Batteries have advantages such as low charging voltage and high density, but stability and safety must be addressed before they reach the market.
Researchers from the National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan examined various photo-enhanced rechargeable metal batteries that feature high-density photovoltaics and metal batteries for direct solar-to-electrochemical energy storage.
They looked at devices that incorporate storage systems photovoltaic and lithium ions, zinc ions, lithium-sulfur, lithium-iodine, zinc-iodine, lithium-oxygen, zinc-oxygen and lithium dioxide.
“Despite significant progress in batteries and techniques photovoltaic in recent decades, integrating different rechargeable batteries with solar energy in an efficient and low-cost manner remains a major challenge,” they said.
The Categories
They separated the battery technologies into two categories: closed-type photo-enhanced rechargeable metal batteries and open-type photo-enhanced rechargeable metal batteries. They analyzed the pros and cons of each type of battery.
As a general rule, photon-enhanced batteries can provide better performance for low charging voltage and high energy density, which makes them suitable for smart electronics and optoelectronics. However, stability and security will need to be improved to help such devices reach commercial viability.
"For example, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which we all know because they are used in many modern electronic devices, including laptops, phones and electric vehicles, are efficient, but would be difficult to harness for solar energy use due to their complex structure." , they said.
The scientists noted the importance of standardizing experimental conditions and developing efficient heat management systems for stable operation.
“Standard experimental conditions should be established that favor the comparison of overall performance in different systems. For photo-enhanced batteries, illumination is essential,” they explained.
Thy introduced the battery technology with the study "Photoenhanced High-Density Metal Rechargeable Batteries for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage," recently published in Nano Energy.
