In a secondary battery, energy is stored by using electric power to drive a chemical reaction. The resultant materials are “richer in energy” than the constituents of the discharged device .
Storage batteries are available in a range of chemistries and designs, which have a direct bearing on how fires grow and spread. The applicability of potential response strategies and technology may be constrained by this wide range. Off gassing: toxic and extremely combustible vapors are emitted from battery energy storage systems .
Emerging technologies such as solid-state batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and flow batteries hold potential for greater storage capacities than lithium-ion batteries. Recent developments in battery energy density and cost reductions have made EVs more practical and accessible to consumers.
These next-generation batteries may also use different materials that purposely reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials, such as lithium, to achieve those gains. The components of most (Li-ion or sodium-ion [Na-ion]) batteries you use regularly include: A current collector, which stores the energy.
Then there might be improved lithium-ion batteries, maybe using silicon anodes or rocksalt cathodes, for mid-range vehicles, or perhaps solid-state lithium batteries will take over that class. Then there might be LiS or even lithium–air cells for high-end cars — or flying taxis. But there’s a lot of work yet to be done.
Batteries can be either mobile, like those in electric vehicles, or stationary, like those needed for utility-scale electricity grid storage. As the nation transitions to a clean, renewables-powered electric grid, batteries will need to evolve to handle increased demand and provide improved performance in a sustainable way.