鋰離子電池技術再度成為年度“可再生能源節(jié)”(renewable energy festival)中最受矚目的關鍵。鋰電池正逐漸從電子裝置的電力來源，轉而成為混合動力車所采用的一項儲能技術。 事實上，在這場“中西部可再生能源協(xié)會”(Midwest Renewable Energy Association)的專家們齊聚的活動中，專家們表示，儲存技術已然成為推動可再生能源過程中的“圣杯”。雖然大部分的重點都集中在鋰離子電池技術 最新的工程技術創(chuàng)新上，但能源顧問暨 RightHand Engineering 創(chuàng)辦人Randy Richmond指出，現(xiàn)在，藉由這類展會，讓消費者了解還有什么要做，以及他們能夠做什么，已經(jīng)開始激蕩出草根型的“個人電源”開發(fā)運動了。 “對一般使用者和工程師來說，創(chuàng)新可能有著截然不同的意義，”Richmond說。因此，最大的創(chuàng)新或許會來自于像中國制造的鋰電池一樣的可用產(chǎn)品?！斑@也是一種創(chuàng)新，因為我可以同時獲得電池，以及很便宜的價格?！? 今天，我們可以看到很多像磷酸鋰鐵化學電池這類產(chǎn)品，“但這些設備必須應用在目前還不普及的家用可再生能源系統(tǒng)中，”Richmond說。 “我認為家用可再生能源系統(tǒng)必然會到來，但包括我和廠商在內，現(xiàn)在才剛剛開始去構思這類產(chǎn)品?！? 專家預測，針對混合動力車等可再生能源應用的鋰電池技術，仍需要幾年時間來推動商業(yè)化。最主要原因是目前鉛酸電池仍居市場主流，以及投資鋰電池技術所需的高昂前期投資成本。 “可能要到三年后，我們才會看到真正能應用到這些新興電池技術的設備出現(xiàn)，”Richmond說?！爱斎?，從現(xiàn)在起，未來三年內電池技術仍將不斷提升，屆時我們可能會看到比現(xiàn)在更加先進的技術?！? 目前主要的新興技術包括鋰氣(lithium air)和碳奈米管技術。后者可以結合使用不同的化學電池?！八赡軙⒔裉斓匿囯x子電池容量提升三倍，”Richmond預測，但新的問題也可能隨之產(chǎn)生，像是需要新的充電控制設備等。 Richmond 的小型公司展示了將2001年份GMC卡車改裝成電動車以后，能夠從投資在新興電池技術上所獲得的潛在回報。他拿掉了卡車的鉛酸電池，換上了由48個 3.3V磷酸鋰鐵(lithium iron phosphate)電池組成的電池包，放置在卡車底部。他大約投資了12,000美元，但卡車的可行駛距離和速度都倍增。 但對所有電池來說，充電都是一大問題。因此，Richmond在電池管理系統(tǒng)方面額外投資了3,200美元，以避免電池過度使用或處在未充電狀態(tài)。 而像是從內燃機引擎轉換到電動車等應用，則為新興電池技術展現(xiàn)出更可行的商業(yè)化前景，然而，可再生能源能否滿足未來美國的能源需求？上周美國可再生能源實驗室(National Renewable Energy Lab)公布一項調查，該調查預測，目前的可再生能源來源在結合更多彈性的電力網(wǎng)格后，將可望在2050年為美國提供80%的所需電力。 該調查指出，達到此一目標的關鍵技術，就在于改善“網(wǎng)格儲存”(grid storage)。 本文授權編譯自EE Times，版權所有，謝絕轉載 編譯： Joy Teng 本文下一頁：參考英文原文：Emerging battery techs slowly entering mainstream ，by George Leopold

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{pagination} Emerging battery techs slowly entering mainstream George Leopold CUSTER, Wis. – One of the stars of the annual renewable energy festival was lithium-ion battery technology, which is slowly making the transition from a power source for electronic devices to the primary power storage technology for hybrid vehicles and low-maintenance backup power at remote sites like cell towers. Indeed, experts at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s gathering here stressed that storage technology has emerged as the “Holy Grail” of the renewable energy movement. While much of the focus has been on the latest engineering innovations in lithium-ion battery technology, the grassroots “personal power” movement symbolized by energy fairs like this one has more to do with what consumers can get their hands on now, said energy consultant Randy Richmond, founder of RightHand Engineering (Woodinville, Wash.). “What’s innovative for a typical user is different than what it might be for an engineer,” said Richmond. Hence, the biggest innovation is the availability of cheaper products like lithium-ion batteries from China. “It’s innovative that I can get this stuff [and] it’s cheaper.” Batteries based on chemistries like lithium iron phosphate are available now, “but the equipment necessary to use it on a residential renewable energy system doesn’t exist yet,” Richmond said. “I think it will happen, but the manufacturers I talk to are just now beginning to think about it.” Widespread commercial availability of lithium-ion battery technologies for renewable energy applications like off-grid systems remains several years off, experts here predicted. Among the reasons are the entrenched market for lead-acid batteries and the high upfront cost of investing in lithium-ion technology. “It probably will be three years before we start seeing residential renewable energy equipment available that will make use of the lithium-ion batteries that are available today,” Richmond said. “And of course the battery technology will improve, and probably three years from now we’ll see something better than we’ve got now.” Among the emerging technologies are lithium air and nanotube carbon technologies. The latter could be used in combination with different battery chemistries. “It may triple what lithium ion does today,” Richmond predicted, but will bring it with it a new set of problems like adapting charging control equipment. Richmond’s small company sought to demonstrate the potential returns of investing in the emerging battery technology by converting a 2001 GMC pickup truck to an electric vehicle. He replaced the truck’s lead-acid battery with a battery pack consisting of 48 3.3V lithium iron phosphate batteries placed in the truck’s bed. The result of the roughly $12,000 investment was a doubling of the truck’s range and acceleration. One issue was consistent charging of all the batteries. Hence, Richmond said he invested an additional $3,200 in a battery management system to avoid over- or undercharging. Projects like converting vehicles from internal combustion engines to electric drives are beginning to demonstrate the commercial viability of emerging battery technologies, but what about the larger potential of renewable energy to meet future U.S. energy demand? A study released last week by the National Renewable Energy Lab forecasts that current renewable energy sources combined with a more flexible power grid could supply as much as 80 percent of total U.S. electricity generation by 2050. A key enabling technology for achieving that goal, the study found, was improved “grid storage.”