Materials Advances to Enable Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Date and Time: 
Fri, 09/13/2019 - 2:30pm
Speaker: 
Erik D. Spoerke, Ph.D.
Affiliation: 
Sandia National Laboratories
Location: 

B185

Abstract: 

Despite the apparently explosive growth in battery development for portable electronics and vehicle electrification, batteries suitable for grid-scale applications continue to remain underdeveloped.  Such large-format batteries are key to integrating renewable energy sources improving the agility and reliability of the electric grid, supporting remote microgrids and national defense efforts, and even managing large-scale emergency responses.  In this presentation I will discuss current approaches dominating battery integration into the grid and highlight opportunities to advance new, innovating technologies. I will discuss several battery development initiatives supported through the DOE Office of Electricity, focusing on Zn-based batteries, flow batteries, and sodium-based batteries, aimed at addressing critical needs in large-scale energy storage.  I will further describe current research in my own group exploring the development of new, low temperature molten sodium batteries.  Unique materials challenges in this complex system require unique material solutions, and I will highlight efforts to optimize battery materials chemistry and electrochemistry, improve physical and electrochemical interfaces, and address materials compatibility issues that all significantly impact performance in these emerging battery systems.  These batteries are aimed at becoming elements of a suite of new battery technologies that will enable safe, low cost, scalable electrical energy storage for next generation grid applications. 

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Biography: 

Erik D. Spoerke, Ph.D. (Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2003) is currently a Principal Research and Development Materials Scientist in the Electronic, Optical, and Nano Materials Department at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. Erik’s widely published and patented research efforts span a diverse materials portfolio, with an emphasis on combining elements of chemistry, biology, and materials science to study and develop functional materials ranging from novel electrochemical materials to synthetic biological analogs and functional supramolecular thin films. Much of his current research passion focuses on ion-conducting materials aimed at the development of solid state electrolytes, functional separators, environmental barriers, and even ionic filters for next generation ion-mediated technologies. In the last 10 years, he has worked on battery technologies including supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries, bio-inspired batteries, and metal-based batteries. He is currently the Materials Team Lead for Sandia’s Energy Storage Program, and he is specifically focused on developing a new generation low-temperature, molten sodium batteries intended for grid-scale energy storage. Continuing to employ a multidisciplinary strategy to materials development, he looks forward to meeting new challenges and implementing improvements across a wide range of energy-relevant technologies.