Chemistry for energy conversion and storage
Can energy from the sun be used even in the dark? Follow the path of the electron from the battery to the train and learn more about the future of energy storage. The stand on the path of the electron has been created in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry - Ångström.
What can we see in the stand?
Switch on the Sun so that the solar panels can generate electricity and drive the train. Can the energy from the Sun be used even when it’s dark? In the stand, we show two different ways of storing energy from the Sun: either in batteries for later user, or by producing hydrogen gas that can drive a fuel cell. The materials used in batteries interact with each other in different ways, and this affects the battery’s performance and life. The challenge for hydrogen is being able to store and transport it on a large scale. From what you see in the stand, which has the longest life? The battery or the hydrogen?
What is Uppsala University doing in this area?
The Department of Chemistry – Ångström conducts research into all aspects of today’s and tomorrow’s batteries. The materials used in batteries differ in their capacities to store electrons and lithium ions. When we combine materials that complement each other in relation to releasing or retaining electrons and ions, we can achieve a battery with a high potential between its negative and positive poles. This means the battery has a higher capacity to store energy.
The electricity that charges batteries can come from solar panels, and we also conduct research into tomorrow's solar panels at the Department. We also research natural and artificial ways of converting the Sun’s energy into chemical energy so it can be stored as fuel, including hydrogen.
How is this used in the wider community?
Society is undergoing a major transition from being largely dependent on fossil fuels to using electricity and various forms of renewable energy instead for our energy requirements. Energy storage is a huge part of this transition, and this includes batteries in electric vehicles. Energy storage is also needed to even out fluctuations in the electricity grid between night and day. For longer-term storage, from summer to winter for example, solar energy can be stored in the form of chemical fuels. One such example is to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gas can then be used in fuel cells.