Organic metal-free flow battery may be the final answer for sustainability

A team of researchers from the Harvard University has recently developed a new type of flow battery that could potentially revolutionize mass electrical storage, making renewable energy resources the ultimate solution for reliability and sustainability.

The electrochemistry of small organic molecules which are abundant and inexpensive serves as the basis for how the metal-free flow battery functions. The carbon-based molecules, otherwise called quinones, can be used to store energy much in the same way that plants and animals use similar molecules to store energy. The molecule is almost identical to similar energy store molecules utilized within rhubarb.

Renewable energy has been rendered unreliable and inconsistent because of changing weather that provides sub-optimal environments for energy production. During down-times, minimal amounts of electricity are produced, with no current backup mechanism that ensures a consistent supply of electricity.

But Harvard’s research team may have solved renewable energy shortcomings by developing a massive, economically viable battery.

The batteries were built and successfully tested at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Over 10,000 quinone molecules were screened to determine the optimal candidate to base the battery upon. The selected molecules are stored in solution within massive external tanks with size being directly proportional to energy storage capacity.

After over 100 charging cycles, no significant degradation was noted. However, much more testing will be required to be able to sustain the thousands of charging cycles large industrial units will need to maintain.

The molecule was developed with inspiration derived from vitamin B2, which mammals utilize to store energy from food within the body.“They have high stability and solubility and provide high battery voltage and storage capacity. Because vitamins are remarkably easy to make, this molecule could be manufactured on a large scale at a very low cost,” says Roy Gordon, the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science.

Currently, the team is working on developing storage tanks to work beside and in unison with current renewable energy providers. However, the team is also looking provide batteries for non-commercial use as well.

The project is currently undergoing a three-year development period in collaboration with Sustainable Innovations, LLC. The team hopes to soon release a functional device the size of a horse trailer. The proposed system will be a portable unit, able to connect to solar panels on roofs of buildings.