09-08-19, 03:01 PM | #1 |
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All iron battery
So, I've started reading about all iron batteries. Apparently they've been around for at least a little while.
Here is what I have gathered so far: Pros: - They are made nearly entirely of iron components. - They are environmentally friendly with no caustic or harmful parts. - No exotic materials. Its mostly iron and water. - Very good cycle life (not sure how good). - Iron is cheap and there is tons of it readily available. - You can make these batteries yourself (though it does not look super easy). Cons: - Low energy density. Each cell puts out about .5V. - They're made of iron so they are heavy. - Low discharge rate. Here are a few videos I've seen. Have you guys heard of this type of battery? It sounds pretty ideal for stationary applications. Who cares if you have a large heavy battery if its cheap, right? Cost has always been the main determinant in dissuading use of battery technology. This appears to possibly fix it. Though, I haven't seen any cost analysis done yet.
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09-08-19, 03:28 PM | #2 |
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Nickel Iron batteries? i've heard of them, i think the main issue is $/kWh. from what I've researched, used tesla packs are the best at about $1500/5kWh.
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09-08-19, 03:32 PM | #3 |
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Nope, not nickle iron, just iron.
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09-09-19, 06:13 AM | #4 |
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I've heard of them, also called Edison batteries. One has been functional for over one hundred years at a college (can't remember which one). They are waiting for it to fail to take it apart and see how it works.
An iron battery could be the perfect match to a small solar install as they don't hold a charge well or have a strong discharge but are cheap and last indefinitely. |
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09-10-19, 11:25 AM | #5 |
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"edison batteries" are Nickel-Iron.
my understanding is that they're extremely durable, but low energy density and high self discharge. to get a battery bank big enough to be useful (start up motors), you'd need to dump in a lot of money. you can see by the size of their battery. 50kw/400kwh is the size of a shipping container. the same kwh in Li-ion would be the size of a small car, maybe smaller. I used to be more excited about them, but used EV traction batteries is where the numbers line up for me. the video makes this sound more like a flow version of Aquion's saltwater battery. i also find their comments about how li-ion only lasts a few hours disingenuous. that's 100% related to discharge rate vs capacity, NOT chemistry. 400kWh / 4h = 100kWh/h no matter what flavor it is. also not sold on the capacity fade argument just yet. long term the judgement will be economics, i think. electric cars have turned up the needle on economies of scale. |
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