Meet clean energy’s unlikely secret weapon: Scented candles
Batteries derived from organic materials are clean energy’s fresh focus.
It turns out scented candles may be the key to unlocking clean energy.
A compound widely used in scented candles could be used to store massive amounts of electricity in batteries.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have found that a bright yellow powder, known as common fluorenone, is a frontrunner in using low-cost organic compounds that step away from traditional lithium-ion batteries.
The material has proven to be a stable, energy-dense source when partnered with flow battery systems that store energy for grids, despite taking some “chemical persuasion” at first.
This could address lingering problems the use of traditional energy grids have with lacking sustainability and longevity.
Promising outcomes suggest the material could one day be used to power solar panels and electric cars.
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How does the battery work?
Common fluorenone is readily available as a waste product from coal tar and from the manufacture of benzoic acid, a common food additive.
It can successfully synthesise into a tiny battery no larger than a postage stamp that holds incredible energy density, losing only 3 per cent of its energy capacity throughout the duration of the experiment.
PNNL’s battery operated continuously for 120 days, ending only when other equipment unrelated to the battery itself wore out. The battery went through 1,111 full cycles of charging and discharging, the equivalent of several years of operation under normal circumstances.
The speed and high energy retention of this battery could sidestep many of the issues that come with keeping clean energy grids going in the face of structural and severe weather challenges.
"This is a great demonstration of using molecular engineering to change a material from one widely considered impossible for use into something useful for energy storage," says Wei Wang, who leads the flow battery team.
"This opens up important new chemical space that we can explore."
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Exploring the alternatives
Customized/OEM/ODM Service
HomSolar Supports Lifepo4 battery pack customization/OEM/ODM service, welcome to contact us and tell us your needs.
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Our line of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries offer a solution to demanding applications that require a lighter weight, longer life, and higher capacity battery. Features include advanced battery management systems (BMS), Bluetooth® communication and active intelligent monitoring.
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ABS plastic housing, aluminium housing, stainless steel housing and iron housing are available, and can also be designed and customised according to your needs.
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Intelligent Battery Management System for HomSolar Energy Storage System. Bluetooth, temperature sensor, LCD display, CAN interface, UART interface also available.
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A wide range of terminals and plugs can be customised to suit the application needs of your battery products.
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We will design the perfect energy storage system solution according to your needs, so that you can easily solve the specific industry applications of battery products.
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We supply customized & OEM battery pack, assemble cells with wiring, fuse and plastic cover, all the cell wires connected to PCB plug or built BMS.
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We can provide you with customized services. We have the ability to provide a vertical supply chain, from single cells to pack/module and to a complete power solution with BMS, etc.
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