March 25, 2021
草莓污视频导航 researchers power up the search for durable energy storage and conversion
As companies and organizations line up to make renewable energy pledges, 草莓污视频导航 researchers are putting themselves in a position to lead the way in providing those groups with the resources they need to turn their green dreams into realities.
Led by Dr. Viola Birss, PhD, , and Dr. Edward Roberts, PhD, , nearly 70 current graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are developing energy conversion and storage technologies to deliver a low-carbon energy future.
The Materials for Electrochemical Energy Solutions Program is one of the 草莓污视频导航-led Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada鈥檚 (NSERC) CREATE initiatives. The aims to find durable materials for electrolysers, fuel cells, and batteries.
鈥淭o enable widespread use of these technologies, they need to be cheaper, safer, and have a longer life,鈥 Roberts said. 鈥淭his project will contribute to all of those goals.鈥
Search for the right materials
The team is looking at a number of variables as it develops technologies.
Not only are researchers looking at large-scale and distributed storage options for the power grid, they would also like to secure and grow sustainable power for remote communities with infrastructure like solar panels with battery storage, as well as batteries and fuel cells for vehicles.
鈥淥ur new electrolysis cells can operate on renewable energy while converting the greenhouse gas CO2 and/or water to chemicals and fuels, including syngas and green H2,鈥 Birss said. 鈥淭here is currently tremendous interest in H2 in Alberta and Canada, especially for fuel-cell-powered vehicles, such as trucks, to take advantage of the high efficiencies, zero carbon emissions and only few minutes of recharging time required.鈥
Among the challenges facing these technologies is the climate, which is something Roberts admits the team is taking into consideration knowing some of the criticism at home has been levied against the uncertain dependability of the technology when Old Man Winter arrives.
鈥淥ne of the advantages of the solid-state batteries that we are working on is that they can still function and are less likely to be damaged by cold temperatures, although they can still be affected,鈥 he said. 鈥淔or grid applications, this may also be an issue, although typically the batteries will be located inside a temperature-controlled housing.鈥
Finding the right partners
The project is one of for infrastructure investments.
In this case, researchers received $2.99-million to purchase two powerful instruments, including a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscrope and an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer.
鈥淭he instruments will allow us to study changes in the structural and chemical properties of the materials during device operation, and to understand degradation mechanisms, which is essential to developing high-performance, durable materials,鈥 Roberts said.
Birss and Roberts add the instruments give them a magnification to less than a nanometre, which is about 100,000 times smaller than the tip of a human hair. The devices will be available to everyone involved in the project.
鈥淭his will help us accelerate the research towards new solutions, and provide graduate students and researchers with new skills and expertise,鈥 Roberts said. 鈥淥ur CREATE ME2 program is also targeting training students in entrepreneurship and technology transfer, and we are already seeing student start-ups that are taking the technologies we are developing towards commercialization.鈥