A 3D electrode design has seemingly unlocked new potential for Battolyser researchers. Their invention is a battery-electrolyser combination spawned in labs at the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology, according to the spinoff company's website.
Battolyser has been in development since 2013 with great potential to store renewable energy from the sun and wind while also creating so-called green hydrogen through electrolysis, per Delft.
Electrolysis uses electricity, in this case generated from renewables, to split hydrogen from water. It's a cleaner method than the more common approach that uses dirty energy sources, as described by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The battery can store power for shorter-term use. Creating hydrogen provides power for longer storage. The latest improvement allows the device to store twice as much power four times faster than before, all per Delft and the company website.
"This aligns well with the needs of the green energy market in the future, as peaks in energy surplus and shortages typically occur over approximately four hours. During this time, both (dis)charging and hydrogen production must be realized," Battolyser inventor and professor Fokko Mulder, said in the lab report.
Battolyser can charge up to 82% in about 12 minutes, be discharged for up to four hours, and be toggled between functions. As a result, it can make hydrogen or electricity on demand, depending on market conditions. The versatility comes with fewer costly parts, Delft and a summary published by Cell Reports Physical Science noted.
The 3D electrodes are in an alkaline iron-nickel battery. The fairly techy lab summaries detailed how the team achieved optimum microporosity as well as macroscopic channels inside the pack for best conductivity. This is part of the way researchers improved performance with a scalable process.
"This saves space … as these more powerful electrodes mean we need to produce fewer cells. Consequently, fewer cells are required to store the same amount of charge while they can produce more hydrogen," Mulder said.
Hydrogen is being researched stateside, as well. The U.S. government backed a demonstration project in Texas to vet its manufacture and use. Trucks, ships, and even planes could all be more commonly energized by hydrogen in the future if fascinating innovations in development pan out.
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Environmental watchdog Sierra Club cited cons to burning hydrogen to power a turbine, for example. The club noted that combustion creates harmful nitrogen dioxide, a risk to human lung health. When used in a fuel cell, however, hydrogen produces only heat and water vapor as byproducts. Fuel cells work sort of like batteries but use hydrogen as the power source, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The first step is cleanly making hydrogen, and the dual-approach Battolyser seems capable. By harnessing intermittent renewable energy for later use, we can prevent heat-trapping air pollution production from burning dirty fuel. It's all part of the transition to a cleaner power system, necessary to avoid what climate experts said could be worst-case environmental scenarios if pollution production goes unchecked. The fallout includes increased risks of severe weather, per NASA.
Simply switching out your old light bulbs for LEDs at home is a great way to contribute, potentially saving you hundreds of bucks a year while cutting five times the air pollution compared to regular bulbs.
For Battolyser's part, abundant materials and a smart design have provided a small footprint and lower costs. The tech is being vetted through a test site at a Dutch power plant, with more set to go online, according to the company.
"The Battolyser is never idle and is always working for you," CEO Mattijs Slee said in a news release.
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