EFRI-RESTOR Novel Ceramic Glass Composites for Improved Electrical Energy Storage

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

The ideal solution to large-scale energy storage will allow fast storage and release of energy in a device such as a reusable electrical storage medium. The proposed work is focused on realizing high energy density storage in a capacitor made with a ceramic of high dielectric constant. The PIs propose a novel approach, which is the combination of a ferroelectric nanopowder and a low melting and alkali-free glass to improve on current electrochemical capacitors. The main advantage of a ceramic capacitor over conventional capacitors is the fast discharge rate. A device resulting from this work could lead to a new method for storing intermittently available electrical energy from sources such as solar cells and wind turbines. A goal of this project is to discover novel materials capable of high energy density storage in capacitors. Such materials will both withstand high electric fields (~1 MV/cm) and possess an extremely high dielectric constant (~100,000). To realize this in prototype test devices, and in a commercially viable way, is a complicated problem of ceramic science and glass engineering. In this project, improvements in electrical energy density will be achieved by storing energy capacitively using a composite of a ferroelectric nanopowder (e.g., [Ba(Ti0:8Zr0:2)O3]0.80-[(Ba0:7Ca0:3)TiO3]0.20 and/or Pb[(Fe1/2Nb1/2)0.6-(Fe2/3W1/3)0.4)O3]) and low melting, alkali-free glass (e.g., B2O3-SiO2-PbO-BaO-TiO2 or B2O3-SiO2-ZnO-BaO-TiO2). The dielectric constant of the glassy phase can be increased by controlled crystallization after the sealing. The broader impact of the proposed research is to develop a novel approach to energy storage that will potentially find application in many areas including environmental protection, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and healthcare. Being able to efficiently store large amounts of intermittent renewable energy would be a key step in meeting the nation?s and the world?s demand for energy. In addition, the innovative approach coupled with the coordination of multiple disciplines to study a new concept for renewable energy storage will impact the basic curriculum, i.e., concepts in renewable energy storage will be taught from an engineering perspective in design, fabrication, and data analysis. The PIs will exchange students between the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Puerto Rico to promote integration between the two different student populations as well as the RPI NSF Center for Nanotechnology and the UPR Institute for Functional Nanomaterials. The FY 2010 EFRI-RESTOR Topic that supports this project was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) directorates for Engineering (ENG), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Computer & Information Science and Engineering in collaboration with the US Department of Energy (DOE).