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					</table>Optimized electrolytes and manufacturing processes increase the energy storage capacity of the latest electron-conducting carbon-cement-based materials (EC3) supercapacitors significantly, according to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href="https://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MIT</a>).
EC3 supercapacitors are energy storage devices made from concrete. These devices can power electronics, store energy from renewable sources, and offer real-time structural health monitoring for buildings and roads.
The study, published on <a href="https://www.pnas.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PNAS</a>, states that storing energy adequate to meet an average home’s daily requirements would have needed approximately 43 m3 of EC3 in 2023.
However, after the recent discovery, approximately 5 m3 of concrete can achieve the same task.
Admir Masic, Co-director at MIT Electron-Conducting Carbon-Cement-Based Materials Hub (EC³ Hub), Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the institution, and the lead author of the new study, said, “A key to the sustainability of concrete is the development of ‘multifunctional concrete,’ which integrates functionalities like this energy storage, self-healing, and carbon sequestration. Concrete is already the world’s most-used construction material, so why not take advantage of that scale to create other benefits?”
MIT stated that a deeper understanding of the functioning of the nanocarbon black network inside the EC3 and its interaction with electrolytes helped improve the supercapacitors’ energy density.
Researchers used focused beams to remove thin layers of EC3 material sequentially. They then conducted each slice’s high-resolution imaging with a scanning electron microscope (a technique called FIB-SEM tomography). The team from across the EC³ Hub and the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub was then able to reconstruct the conductive nanonetwork at the highest resolution to date via these steps.
Through this approach, the team discovered that the nanocarbon network is a fractal-like “web” surrounding  EC3 pores, allowing the electrolyte to infiltrate the system and the current to flow through it.
Masic added that understanding how such materials assemble themselves at the nanoscale is critical to achieving their new functionalities.
Based on this understanding, researchers experimented with different electrolytes and their concentrations to check their impact on energy storage density.
Damian Stefaniuk, First Author and Research Scientist at the EC³ Hub, stated, “We found that there is a wide range of electrolytes that could be viable candidates for EC³. This even includes seawater, which could make this a good material for use in coastal and marine applications, perhaps as support structures for offshore wind farms.”
The team at MIT team also streamlined the method of adding electrolytes to the mix. Instead of curing EC³ electrodes before soaking them in electrolyte, the team added electrolyte directly into the mixing water.
The MIT explained that since electrolyte penetration was no longer a limitation, researchers could cast thicker electrodes that stored more energy.
During the experiments, researchers achieved the highest performance after switching to organic electrolytes, specifically those combining quaternary ammonium salts (found in everyday products like disinfectants) with acetonitrile, a clear, conductive liquid often used in industry applications.
MIT stated that 1 m3 of this version of EC3 can store more than 2 kWh of energy. It added that while batteries can maintain a higher energy density, EC3 can, in principle, be incorporated in a range of architectural elements, including slabs, walls, domes, and vaults. It can last as long as the structures it is integrated into.
The researchers drew inspiration from Roman architecture to build a miniature EC3 arch, demonstrating how energy storage can work together with structural form. The arch, operating at 9 V, supported its own weight as well as additional load while powering an LED light.
However, the LED light flickered when the load on the arch was increased. According to MIT, this is a result of the way in which stress impacts electrical contacts and the distribution of charges.
“There may be a kind of self-monitoring capacity here. If we consider an EC3 arch at architectural scale, its output may fluctuate when impacted by a stressor like high winds. We may be able to use this as a signal of when and to what extent a structure is stressed, or monitor its overall health in real time,” said Masic.
Developments in EC³ technology are already used to heat sidewalk slabs in places such as Sapporo, Japan, due to its thermally conductive properties.
A joint study by MIT and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/potential-of-liquid-air-energy-storage-as-a-low-cost-solution-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> that liquid air energy storage (LAES) could be a cost-effective long-term energy storage solution. The study stated that LAES can provide a reliable method for storing and releasing electricity as needed.

MIT Researchers Find Concrete Battery Boosts Energy Storage Capacity

U.S.-based <a href="https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GE Renewable Energy</a>, COBOD, and <a href="https://www.lafargeholcim.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LafargeHolcim</a> have signed a contract to co-develop wind turbines with 3D printed concrete technology, creating larger bases and cost-effective taller hybrid towers, reaching up to 200 meters.
Building on the industry-leading expertise of each partner, this collaboration aims to accelerate the access and use of renewable energy worldwide. According to the company’s statement, the three companies plan to undertake a multi-year collaboration to develop wind turbines, which will increase renewable energy production while lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and optimizing construction costs. The statement noted that the three companies would produce a wind turbine prototype with a printed pedestal, and a production-ready printer and material range to scale up the production.
LafargeHolcim operates in the building materials and solutions segment, while COBOD International is a 3D construction printing company, supplying 3D construction printing technology to customers in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S.
According to GE Renewable Energy, it has so far installed more than 400 GW of renewable capacity worldwide.
Generally, the height of wind turbine towers has been limited to under 100 meters, as the width of the base cannot exceed the 4.5-meter diameter that can be transported by road without additional costs. They are usually built-in steel or precast concrete. Normally, a 5 MW turbine at 80 meters generates 15.1 GWh yearly. In comparison, the same turbine at 160 meters would generate 20.2 GWh, or more than 33% extra power.
By exploring ways to develop taller towers that capture stronger winds economically, the three partners aim to generate more renewable energy per turbine. The prototype, a 10-meter-high tower pedestal, was successfully printed in October 2019 in Copenhagen.
According to the agreement, GE Renewable Energy will provide expertise related to the design, manufacture, and commercialization of wind turbines while COBOD will work on the robotics automation and 3D printing. LafargeHolcim will design the tailor-made concrete material, it&#8217;s processing, and application.
Edelio Bermejo, Head of R&amp;D for LafargeHolcim, explained that the concrete 3D printing is a very promising technology as its design flexibility expands the realm of construction possibilities.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, the founder of COBOD International, added: “With our groundbreaking 3D printing technology combined with the competence and resources of our partners, we are convinced that this disruptive move within the wind turbines industry will help drive lower costs and faster execution times, to benefit customers and lower the CO2 footprint from the production of energy.”
Matteo Bellucci, an advanced manufacturing technology leader for GE Renewable Energy, noted that this large-format additive manufacturing would bring disruptive potential to the wind industry.
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), in its recently published report, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/22893-wind-turbines-were-supplied/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stated</a> that 22,893 wind turbines were installed globally in 2019. These turbines came from 33 suppliers, accounting for over 63 GW of capacity. According to the report, GE Renewable Energy was the fourth-biggest supplier.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently forecasted that the global renewable installations <a href="https://mercomindia.com/renewable-energy-generation-more-resilient-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">might fall</a> for the first time in 20 years due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The report also showed that solar and wind installations accounted for about 86% of global capacity additions in 2020. However, the report stated that the annual expansion rate of wind installations is expected to decline by 12% compared to 2019.
Image credit: GE

GE to Come up With Taller Wind Turbines With Optimized 3D Printed Concrete Bases

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