The primary aim of this tutorial is to present an overview of grid storage technology, especially those aspects of materials R&D that are relevant to the materials science community. The instructors will offer insights into the manufacturing aspects of large-scale electrochemical energy storage and the development of commercial grid-class energy storage systems.

The process of making batteries into energy storage requires a significant level of systems integration including packaging, thermal management systems, power electronics and power conversion systems, and control electronics. The system and engineering aspects represent a significant cost and component, and system-level integration continues to present significant opportunities for further research. Unlike batteries for consumer electronics and battery packs for electric vehicles, the scale and complexity of large stationary applications in the electric grid impose a complex set of requirements on the safety and reliability of grid-scale energy storage systems. The instructors will review the fundamental safety aspects of grid energy storage and how this safety is connected to the electrochemistry of materials, cell-level interactions, packaging and thermal management at the cell and system level, and the overall engineering and control architecture of large-scale energy storage systems.

Babu Chalamala

Sandia National Laboratories

Appearances