Sandia National Labs FY20 LDRD Annual Report

FY20 ANNUAL REPORT

reactive chemical reagents (making fire suppression extremely difficult in the event of an accident). The unique battery chemistry uses only earth abundant materials (NaCl, N 2 , O 2 , and steel), avoids electrochemical kinetic and transport penalties, prevents capacity fade via simplified battery chemistry, achieves the functionality of a flow battery without pumps, and exploits the anomalously low activation energy barrier for radical-ion electron transfer half reactions. Results of the LDRD effort confirm that the NO 2 + e - ⇄ NO 2 - redox couple can be carried out effectively on nonexotic electrode materials (e.g. stainless steel) despite the challenge of a triple-phase boundary for the nitrogen dioxide reduction. This study also allowed the team to work out how RIFB can be implemented in a planarized, series-connected form factor that meets stringent requirements for battery efficiency, manufacturability, and materials compatibility. (PI: Jeffrey Koplow)

To transition away from fossil fuels, there must be a grid storage technology that can mitigate the intermittency of such renewables.

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LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT