New Vistas in Electrochemical Energy Storage
Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering Seminar
New Vistas in Electrochemical Energy Storage
Professor Linda F. Nazar
University of Waterloo
Department of Chemistry, Department of Electrical Engineering and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Waterloo, Ontario Canada
The widespread integration of renewable, intermittent energy sources such as wind or solar is dependent upon the development of efficient large-scale energy storage systems for load-levelling the electric grid. Similarly, the acceptance of plug-in hybrid electric - and especially pure electric vehicles - hinges on the availability of intermediate scale, safe, low-cost energy storage batteries to provide practical driving ranges. These approaches can help mitigate CO2 emissions and urban pollution, but it is widely acknowledged that traditional Li-ion batteries - which work on the principle of reversible storage of electrons and Li-ions in bulk materials - are approaching heir limits. This presentation will focus on the challenge to find better electrochemical energy storage systems that go "beyond Li-ion" batteries. Topics will encompass multivalent intercalation batteries and cells that operate on the basis of "chemical transformations." These both represent exciting new technologies that could meet the needs for high energy density storage. Yet many barriers remain to realizing their full promise, especially for automotive applications. They require cleverly designed materials for the electrodes, different electrolyte strategies than those used for Li-ion batteries and advanced electrode architectures. If the hurdles can be overcome, then energy storage technology has a much better opportunity to change the way we manage energy. In this seminar, I will discuss the research in our lab at the Electrochemical Energy Research Centre at Waterloo that is aimed at addressing the above challenges.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Becton Seminar Room
15 Prospect Street, Room BCT035
Refreshments at 10am