Energy storage batteries mainly refer to batteries used for solar power generation equipment, wind power generation equipment, and renewable energy storage. The performance of energy storage batteries directly affects the capacity, safety, and durability of energy storage in the power supply system. So, what are the main types of energy storage batteries currently available? What are the types of energy storage batteries? Let’s learn about it together below.
Current mainstream energy storage technologies
Energy storage can be divided into mechanical energy storage and chemical energy storage. Electrochemical energy storage refers to the storage of energy in various secondary batteries. It is the use of chemical elements as energy storage media, and the charging and discharging process is accompanied by chemical reactions or changes in the energy storage media. At present, energy storage batteries mainly include lead-acid batteries, flow batteries, sodium sulfur batteries, lithium-ion batteries, etc.
1. Lithium ion battery
Lithium batteries are a type of battery that uses lithium metal or lithium alloy as the negative electrode material and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. Due to the highly reactive chemical properties of lithium metal, its processing, storage, and use have very high environmental requirements. With the development of science and technology, lithium batteries have now become mainstream.
The main advantages of lithium-ion batteries are: long service life, high energy storage density, light weight, and strong adaptability; The disadvantages are poor safety, easy explosion, high cost, and limited usage conditions.
2. Ternary lithium battery
A ternary polymer lithium battery refers to a lithium battery that uses nickel cobalt manganese oxide (Li (NiCoMn) O2) ternary cathode material as the positive electrode material. The ternary composite cathode material is made of nickel salt, cobalt salt, and manganese salt as raw materials, and the ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese can be adjusted according to actual needs. Batteries with ternary materials as the positive electrode have higher safety compared to lithium cobalt oxide batteries, but the voltage is too low. When used in mobile phones (the cut-off voltage of mobile phones is generally around 3.0V), there will be a significant feeling of insufficient capacity.
The main advantages of ternary lithium batteries are high energy density and small volume for the same capacity. The disadvantages are: poor thermal stability, easy occurrence of open flames due to internal short circuits, rapid capacity decay, and short lifespan.
3. Lead acid battery
It is a type of battery with electrodes mainly made of lead and its oxides, and an electrolyte of sulfuric acid solution. In the discharge state of lead-acid batteries, the main component of the positive electrode is lead dioxide, and the main component of the negative electrode is lead; In the charging state, the main component of both positive and negative electrodes is lead sulfate.
The advantages of lead-acid batteries mainly include: safe sealing, venting system, simple maintenance, long service life, stable quality, and high reliability; The disadvantage is that lead pollution is high and the energy density is low (i.e. too bulky).
4. Lithium iron phosphate battery
Lithium iron phosphate battery refers to a lithium-ion battery that uses lithium iron phosphate as the positive electrode material. The positive electrode materials of lithium-ion batteries mainly include lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium nickel oxide, ternary materials, lithium iron phosphate, etc. Lithium cobalt oxide is currently the majority of positive electrode materials used in lithium-ion batteries.
The main advantages of lithium iron phosphate batteries are: excellent charge and discharge performance, no memory effect, long lifespan, good high temperature resistance, good safety performance, and environmental protection; The disadvantages are: lower energy density, larger volume for the same capacity, slightly reduced low-temperature performance, and higher manufacturing costs.
5. Sodium sulfur battery
Sodium sulfur battery is a secondary battery with metal sodium as the negative electrode, sulfur as the positive electrode, and ceramic tube as the electrolyte separator. At a certain working degree, sodium ions undergo reversible reactions between the electrolyte membrane and sulfur, resulting in the release and storage of energy.
The main advantages of sodium sulfur batteries are: high specific energy of up to 760Wh/kg, no self discharge phenomenon, discharge efficiency of almost 100%, and a lifespan of 10-15 years; The disadvantage is that it melts sulfur and sodium at a high temperature of 350 ℃.
6. Flow battery
Liquid flow energy storage battery is a type of device suitable for fixed large-scale energy storage (storage). Compared with commonly used secondary batteries such as lead-acid batteries and nickel cadmium batteries, it has the advantages of independent design of power and energy storage capacity (energy storage medium stored outside the battery), high efficiency, long service life, deep discharge capability, and environmental friendliness. It is one of the preferred technologies for large-scale energy storage technology.
The main advantages of flow batteries are: flexible layout, long cycle life, fast response times, and no harmful emissions; The disadvantage is that the energy density varies greatly.
7. Lithium manganese oxide battery
Lithium manganese oxide battery refers to a battery with a positive electrode made of lithium manganese oxide material. The nominal voltage of lithium manganese oxide battery is between 2.5-4.2V, and it is widely used for its low cost and good safety.
The main advantages of lithium manganese oxide batteries are: high energy density, low cost, high safety, and stable low-temperature performance; The disadvantage is poor high-temperature performance and relatively short lifespan.
8. Lithium cobalt oxide battery
Lithium cobalt oxide batteries have stable structure, high capacity ratio, and outstanding comprehensive performance, but their safety is poor and their cost is very high. They are mainly used for small and medium-sized battery cells and are widely used in small electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, MP3/4, etc. The nominal voltage is 3.7V.
The main advantages of lithium cobalt oxide batteries are: high tap density, good stability, stable structure, and good product consistency; The disadvantages are poor safety, very high cost, average cycle life, and poor material stability.
