Working Principle and Latest Applications of Energy Storage Systems
Against the background of the global energy crisis, the role of energy storage technology in the development and utilization of new energy sources is becoming increasingly important. Energy storage technology can realize the collection, storage and distribution of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and tidal energy. Energy storage system (ESS), as an important application of energy storage technology, is becoming an important development direction for future energy.
Overview of energy storage system
Energy storage system is a new type of energy system that utilizes renewable energy as an energy carrier, makes efficient use of renewable energy, and at the same time stores excess energy for future use. It includes four main parts: energy storage device, energy conversion device and energy distribution device.
Currently, energy storage systems are mainly used in renewable energy generation systems such as wind power, photovoltaic power and tidal energy. Compared with other energy storage technologies, energy storage systems have the advantages of stable operation, high efficiency and environmental protection. Moreover, with the continuous development and utilization of new energy sources, this technology is bound to be widely used.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion battery has the advantages of high specific energy, high energy density, long cycle life, no pollution, etc., so it is currently the most mature technology in the field of energy storage.
Flywheel energy storage
Flywheel energy storage is the use of high-speed rotor kinetic energy to achieve energy storage of a kind of energy storage technology, is one of the most promising energy storage technology. Its working principle is to convert mechanical energy into kinetic energy through a high-speed rotor, and then convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. The rotor in the flywheel energy storage system is made of all-carbon material, which can provide current, voltage and power under high-speed rotation, thus realizing the functions of electric energy conversion, electric energy storage and grid frequency regulation and peak adjustment. Currently flywheel energy storage technology is mainly used in electric power system and aerospace field. For example, in power systems, flywheel energy storage can be used for wind power generation, photovoltaic power generation and electric vehicles.
Ultracapacitor
Supercapacitor is an electrochemical device consisting of an electrolyte and a diaphragm. Its characteristics are similar to those of traditional capacitors, but it is small in size and light in mass, and it can withstand very high charging and discharging voltages, and at the same time, it has a good charging and discharging performance and a long cycling life.
The electrode materials of supercapacitor are activated carbon, activated carbon fiber, etc.. Supercapacitors can be used as power storage devices for distributed power generation, power distribution grids and other fields. Supercapacitors can work normally under extreme conditions (high temperature and high pressure) without special maintenance, and have high energy density (more than 10 times), fast charging and high power density. When supercapacitors are used as load regulation devices in power grids, power quality can be significantly improved, and the efficiency and service life of the energy storage system can also be improved.
Future development trend of energy storage technology
At present, energy storage technology has developed to the stage of high density, large capacity, long time, low cost. In the future, with the development of new energy technologies, energy storage technology will face more challenges and need to be constantly improved and perfected. First, with the continuous development of technology, energy storage batteries will become more efficient and safer, and the cost will be further reduced; second, in order to further improve the efficiency of the energy storage system, it is necessary to develop more efficient battery materials and more efficient management systems; again, with the development and application of energy Internet technology, energy storage systems will be more widely used in the fields of grid-side, user-side and industrial-side.