Meet the “iron-air” battery system – that turns iron to rust and back again - nature abhors a (flywheel in a) vacuum!
From here:
“An iron-air battery is said to be inherently safe, featuring non-toxic electrodes and iron anodes submerged in a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte, therefore bearing no risk of thermal runaway. “
It looks like the “flywheel in a vacuum” energy storage idea has a rival!
The Principia-Scientigica article references articles like these two:
Form Energy iron-air battery in Maine granted $147 million - Energy Storage (ess-news.com)
Ireland in line for 1 GWh iron-air battery storage project - Energy Storage (ess-news.com)
So, what’s the deal?
“Form Energy’s multiday storage technology relies on abundant materials such as iron, water, and air. Its basic principle of operation is reversible rusting. While the battery is discharging, it breathes in oxygen from the air and converts iron metal to rust.
While the battery is charging, the application of an electrical current converts the rust back to iron, and the system breathes out oxygen.”
I can think of some rusty ships, trains, buses and cars that need the rust turned back into – well, something!
All you need is iron, water and air – and it doesn’t need a vacuum!
“FuturEnergy Ireland is seeking “a 10-year permission for the development of a long-duration energy storage (LDES) compound with a total surface area of around 2.9 hectares containing 248 battery energy storage units in the form of metal shipping containers (12.2 m x 2.6 m x 2.9 m) and associated anciliary control and ventilation equipment,” according to its application.”
2.9 hectares = around 7 acres. A hectare = 10,000 square metres. So, if a container has a “footprint” of around 33 square metres, that will mean around 300 containers. Multi-use containers of course!
“Form Energy is already deploying its pioneering technology on several sites, including the 85 MW/8.5 GWh project in the US state of Maine – the largest battery by storage capacity in the world – as well as a 15 MW / 1.5 GWh system in Georgia and a 10 MW/1 GWh development in Minnesota.”
So, the idea is to maybe Tak horribly expensive and government subsidised wind and solar energy and funnel it to this processing unit that stores it in a kind of battery!
How long can it pump out the power from its battery?
“The proposed development is designed to use iron-air battery technology supplied by US-based Form Energy capable of discharging energy at its full power output for up to 100 hours when fully charged.”
Maybe I should get one on my roof to go with the solar panel and windmill that will work for around 25% of the time in summer and 10% in winter!
Still, this looks better than the “flywheel in a vacuum” solution.
Ther are a few YS States that are already well into the container – umm – tank.
“Form Energy looked into the data and concluded that adding 23.4 GW of their long-duration energy storage would drastically enhance the efficiency of wind and solar, lowering the curtailment of renewables by up to 83% and reducing New England’s capacity of needed solar power by over 100 GW.”
I wonder if that means that the solar panels in use will be returned to the wild or returned to grazing/crops? No recycling possible or allowed for landfill?!
Onwards!!!
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Okay. So let's review the detailed chemistry and bacteriology involved together with the disposal and processing required for the discharge management of contaminated ferrous salts, together with its dissolved non-flammable electrolytes into ground water aquifers?
I view this as a step forward. Electrical energy storage has certainly been a major bottleneck. The best way forward in the transition from hydrocarbons to more renewable forms of energy is through private innovation and engineering. Politicians almost never do the right things for the right reasons.
We also need to be much more in charge of our leaders and not the other way around. Represented government needs to go the way of the dinosaur. We don't need to be 'represented' anymore we can self-present! Are we children? Are we handicapped, non-compos mentis? Do we need a guardian? Of course we need a constitution so one generation can't screw the whole thing up. Jesus didn't just tell us what it means to be sovereign, and to serve our brothers and sisters, He showed us!
Jesus:
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 29:25-28