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Thermal storage, incandescent batteries from Fourth Power outperform lithium

Thermal storage, incandescent batteries from Fourth Power outperform lithium

Glowing batteries
Credits: Fourth Force

Thermal storage based on tin and graphite

(Rinnovabili.it) – Up to 10 times cheaper than rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and more powerful and efficient than any other thermal battery. This is the promise that Fourth force “promotes it”The sun in a box, Storage technology It is based on liquid tin capable of managing temperatures up to 2500°C. The company, based in Boston (USA), has come up with a new design Glowing batteries To store renewable energy, today it is ready to prove its beliefs by establishing the first experimental plant. With a $19 million investment, led by venture capital firm DCVC and in which Breakthrough Energy Ventures also participated, Fourth Power is preparing to build a 1-MWh system in Boston.

“Our vision has always been to address climate change by making energy renewable […] A reliable network resource to use at all hours of the day“, he announced Arvin Ganesan, CEO of Fourth Force Company. “We need industrial-scale energy storage that can grow with the grid to make it a reality on a global scale. With the support of our investors, we will accelerate our mission by reshaping the clean energy landscape and making stationary thermal battery storage the most cost-effective solution for energy production.“.

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Incandescent fourth power batteries

In some ways, Fourth Power technology works similarly to that of other thermal batteries. In fact, the system converts renewable electricity into heat, and stores it until it is needed. The heat transfer fluid, in this case, is liquid tin that is brought to temperatures above 2000°C and then passed through large tubes. Graphite blocks. The passage allows thermal energy to be transferred to carbon elements that retain heat for up to a month. When electricity demand from the grid increases, the tin transfers thermal energy from the outlets to the graphite tube system until it glows. At this level a series of Photothermal cells They convert the light emitted by the pipe system into electricity. The key element of the entire system is a special pump, designed by founder Dr. Asegun Henry, which can handle high temperatures without damage.

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Fourth Power incandescent batteries are designed to give grid operators control and flexibility at the lowest cost compared to other energy storage options. The system as well Modular and scalable: By adding more graphite blocks, you can increase the storage life and capacity.

“Four Power’s solution is a sun in an engineered box.” said Zachary Pugh, co-founder and managing partner of DCVC. “We are excited to join forces with this exceptional team, whose best-in-class technologies can significantly increase the production and use of renewable energy.

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