Large-scale energy storage systems will become more and more important in the future. In order to develop safe, low-cost and high-efficiency energy storage batteries and systems, Stanford University in the United States has created a new type of water-based manganesehydrogen (manganesehydrogen) battery through water and salt. It can store wind and solar energy, effectively use renewable energy power and develop it into grid-level energy storage equipment.

　　Large-scale energy storage systems will become more and more important in the future. In order to develop safe, low-cost and high-efficiency energy storage batteries and systems, Stanford University in the United States has created a new type of water-based manganesehydrogen (manganesehydrogen) battery through water and salt. It can store wind and solar energy, effectively use renewable energy power and develop it into grid-level energy storage equipment.

　　Solar and wind energy are popular renewable energy technologies today, but the industry is an intermittent energy source. Effective storage of excess power is the solution to power shortages and power oversupply. Although lithium-ion batteries are the leader in energy storage technology, large-scale lithium-ion batteries are built. Ion energy storage power plants will be expensive and require regular replacement of batteries.

　　The new manganese-hydrogen battery developed by Stanford University can solve the cost and battery life challenges and is expected to develop into a grid-level energy storage system. Cui Yi, a professor of materials science at Stanford, pointed out that the team dissolves a special salt in water and electrodes to produce a reversible chemical reaction and store renewable energy electricity in the form of hydrogen.

　　To convert electricity into hydrogen, the team first dissolved an industrial salt "manganese sulfate" commonly found in dry batteries, fertilizers, and paper in water to make a manganese-hydrogen battery. When electricity passes through the manganese sulfate solution, a chemical reaction is triggered. The electrode produces manganese dioxide particles, and the excess electrons form hydrogen gas, which can be burned as fuel or regenerate electricity when electricity is needed.

　　Now that engineers have successfully used hydrogen to generate electricity, the next step is to prove that the water-based battery can be recharged. By connecting the power source to the exhausted battery prototype, the manganese dioxide particles on the electrodes are combined with water to replenish the manganese sulfate in the solution. Once the salt in the solution is replenished, the electrons will become surplus and the cycle will repeat again.

　　The research is still in the preliminary stage. A prototype of about 7.6 cm can generate 20 milliwatt hours of electricity, which can power LED flashlights. Researchers believe that the technology can be extended to industrial-grade energy storage systems, charging and discharging up to 10,000 times. A battery with a lifespan of far more than ten years.

　　Cui Yi said that considering the expected life of the water-based battery, it is estimated that a 100-watt bulb can be continuously lit for 12 hours at 1 cent, and the team believes that the technology will meet the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goal of a utility-scale energy storage system. According to the Ministry of Energy’s recommendation, the energy storage system must release at least 20kw of electricity within an hour, and can be recharged at least 5,000 times, with a service life of 10 years or more. In order to make the battery practical, the cost of the energy storage system must be Below US$2,000, it is approximately US$100 per KWh.