A PhD student at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is aiming to create advanced lithium-ion batteries that can not only boost the effectiveness of renewable energy sources, but are also less harmful for the environment.
The lithium-ion batteries being produced by the Katja Kretschmerv would store energy as it is produced at a wind or solar farm,and release the energy into the power grid as needed.
The batteries would also smooth the supply of electricity from interruptible renewable sources such as solar, which requires daytime, and wind, which only generate electricity when it is windy.
Kretschmer is an Industry Doctoral candidate with the Automotive Australia Cooperative Research Centre (AutoCRC) in UTS’s Centre for Clean Energy Technology.
According to Kretschmer, the rechargeable batteries of today are not suitable for the purpose of acting as a buffer for renewable energy sources, because they are too expensive, too heavy, don’t last long enough, and too small in capacity.
Kretschmer’s research, which is sponsored by AutoCRC, is trying to address these issues. Her aim is to create advanced lithium ion batteries that can assist in utilising wind and solar energy more efficiently, making materials from scratch using a number of different chemical, thermal and mechanical synthesis procedures to create super-efficient electrode materials.
One focus for Kretschmer is to use relatively environmentally friendly materials, using common food additives as starting materials, and choosing to use the least hazardous chemicals in her work.