Battery ‘house size’ can self-charge with the help of gravity: what’s known

In the era when renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are being developed, there is a problem of storing excess energy produced at certain points in time. Conventional storage methods, such as lithium batteries, have a number of disadvantages: they are expensive, harmful to the environment, and limited in scale. Therefore, scientists and engineers are looking for new solutions that are more efficient, environmentally friendly and affordable. Focus It introduces you to the extraordinary concept of energy storage, which is charged using gravity with the help of interesting Engineering experts.

Gravity is a free force to charge

One of the free ways to get energy is, unsurprisingly, the Earth’s gravity. Gravity-based energy storage uses gravity to store and release energy.

This way of storing energy is not new: it has long been used in storage hydroelectric power stations (SHPPs), where water is raised to great heights using pumps and then lowered through turbines to generate electricity. DGGSs account for more than 90% of the world’s total energy storage capacity. However, they have significant limitations: they require high construction and operating costs, as well as certain geographical conditions – steep terrain and plenty of water.

Gravity-based batteries have great potential for the development of renewable energy in the world. They can be placed almost anywhere there is height or depth. They can be used to smooth out peaks in electricity demand and supply and maintain grid stability.

How does gravitational energy storage work?

The working principle of batteries in such energy storage facilities is that in the presence of excess energy from renewable sources, the system accumulates potential energy and lifts a heavy load to a certain height. When energy is needed, the load is lowered to convert potential energy into kinetic energy and then into electrical energy using a generator.

A gravity-based battery could be a more versatile and less expensive alternative to NGPP. Any heavy material such as concrete or iron can be used as a load. Any vertical structure such as a tower or shaft can be used for height. The gravity battery does not pollute the environment and is not subject to wear or corrosion.

Where will such energy storage facilities be built?

Two large-scale gravity-based battery projects are currently underway in the US and China. In the US, Energy Vault is building a 150-metre-tall tower that will raise and lower concrete blocks weighing 35 tons each. The total energy storage capacity will be 80 MWh. The company claims its battery will cost half as much as lithium batteries and will have a lifespan of up to 40 years.

In China, Gravitricity is building a gravity-driven battery in an abandoned mine 1.5 km deep. Two loads weighing 12 tons each will be suspended in the mine and will be lowered and lifted with the help of electric motors. The total energy storage capacity will be 4 MWh. The company claims that its battery will have a very high lifespan of up to 50 years.

Alternatives to gravity batteries

Gravity batteries aren’t the only way to store energy using physical principles. There are other types of batteries, such as flywheel batteries, which use the rotation of a wheel to store kinetic energy, or compressed air batteries, which use compressed air to store potential energy.

However, gravity-based batteries have their advantages: they don’t require rare or expensive materials, they don’t wear out or deteriorate over time, they’re not subject to temperature changes or environmental influences.

Previously Focus He wrote that planes will fly with special batteries: a battery was developed on a special substance.