Energy Storage Technology - 2019 entry

Renewable energy is expected to provide a central solution to our need for a sustainable fuel. However, major challenges presented by renewable energies, such as fluctuations in output, unavailability, and unpredictability, limit their popularity. As a solution to these problems, energy storage technology (EST) is growing in significance. EST is to convert/store energy and to release energy in a controlled fashion when required, which improves energy efficiency and stabilizes operation of electricity grid.

In this module students will obtain general understanding of a number of energy storage systems. Technologies such as pumped hydro, compressed air, hydrocarbon storage, batteries, hydrogen & fuel cells, flywheel, and thermal storage will be studied in terms of principles of operation, characteristics, development progress and challenges.

The aim of this module is to introduce and evaluate major energy storage systems. Some key concepts, techniques and strategic choices will be explored including principles and fundamentals of EST, operation parameters, design consideration and system optimisation. In addition, cost effectiveness, environmental compatibility and energy/materials sustainability will be taken into consideration.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1.     show knowledge, understanding, and ability to quantify the relative capacities and efficiencies of various types of energy storage technologies.

2.     apply the knowledge and understanding of energy storage systems to identify optimal energy storage solutions in varying application areas.

3.     understand key concept of battery design, e.g. redox couples, electrode materials, electrolyte, etc. 

4.     compare various batteries in the light of characteristics such as open circuit potential, power density, energy efficiency and charge-discharge behaviour.

5.     understand redox flow battery (RFB): RFB concepts and principles, classification, timeline of its development, progress and remaining challenges.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

6.     recognise existing and developing technologies for energy storage.

7.     describe the fundamentals of energy storage system.

8.     suggest an appropriate battery technology for a particular application.

9.     identify and size an energy storage system for a given application.

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge:

10.   mathematical – taught in lectures, practiced through worksheets, assessed in assignment and exam.

11.   access the literature on energy storage technology and write reports on their development.

12.   appreciate an industrial perspective of technology development.

13.   plan and execute practical tests of energy storage equipment and critically analyse the results of tests.

• Overview of energy storage technologies.
• Pumped hydro storage - strategic / capacity considerations; total capacity, tunnel, shaft and reservoir design calculations; topographical and geological siting considerations; integration with nuclear and fossil fuelled power sources.
• Compressed air storage – similar to pumped hydro, and consideration of smaller local scale facilities.
• Hydrocarbon storage – storage of LPG, LNG and liquid fuels for strategic / security needs; design details for solution mined and excavated caverns; volume and pressure calculations for required energy storage capacity.
• Carbon capture and storage – locations and types of suitable CCS reservoirs (notably North Sea); calculations for CCS capacity based on reservoir porosity, thickness, area and pressure.
• Fundamentals of electrochemistry – electrochemical principles and reactions, electroanalytical techniques, factors affecting battery performance.
• Conventional batteries - lead acid, nickel-cadmium batteries, etc.
• Advanced batteries - redox flow battery, lithium ion battery, sodium-sulphur battery.
• Fuel cells - hydrogen fuel cell, direct-methanol fuel cell, molten carbonate fuel cell, solid oxide fuel cells, etc.
• Hydrogen economy – hydrogen production, storage, infrastructure, safety, cost, environmental concerns.

As above 1 piece of coursework 50% and 1 in class test 50%.

Basic reading:
Energy Storage Technologies Roadmap (DRAFT) February 2017

http://ease-storage.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/EASE-EERA-recommendations-Roadmap-LR.pdf

Energy Flow Chart 2017:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727620/Energy_Flow_Chart_2017.pdf from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS, published 26 July 2018)

Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES): Energy 2018

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729419/Ch1.pdf

from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS, last updated 26 July 2018)

Department of Energy & Climate Change (2010): 2050 pathways analysis report

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/42562/216-2050-pathways-analysis-report.pdf

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Web based and electronic resources:

U.S. Department of Energy (2013): Grid Energy Storage

http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/12/f5/Grid%20Energy%20Storage%20December%202013.pdf

U.S. DOE/EPRI 2013 Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA. Sandia National Laboratories Report,SAND2013-5131. Retrieved from: http://www.sandia.gov/ess/publications/SAND2013-5131.pdf

Reading list for this module: