Solar Energy

Batteries are a hot topic for SPARRCI researchers

Published

4 years ago

March 2, 2021

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Batteries are a hot topic for SPARRCI researchers

If you have flown commercially in recent years, you may have noticed that certain items with large lithium-ion batteries can’t be checked. Instead, they must be in your carry-on and turned off.

Objects with these batteries, such as hoverboards or even cell phones, have been known to spontaneously combust, especially if they are physically damaged somehow. The resulting fire presents a danger to people in their vicinity.

So, if these batteries aren’t allowed on airplanes unsupervised, using them to propel the fully electric aircraft of the future may come with some challenges and questions about safety.

Exploring the feasibility of predicting and preventing battery fires before they happen is the idea behind a NASA research activity called SPARRCI, or “Sensor-based Prognostics to Avoid Runaway Reactions and Catastrophic Ignition.”

The big goal is to create a “smart” battery system that would self-monitor, learn about itself as it goes, and if needed say “hey, I’m developing a problem, shut me down” well before it endangers the safety of its aircraft.

“Batteries are a hot topic. Pun intended,” said Brianne DeMattia, lead researcher for SPARRCI at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

One of the safety threats posed by batteries in electrically propelled aircraft is fire. These larger batteries, like those needed to power hoverboards and cars, have been known to catch fire because of an effect called “thermal runaway.”

Large batteries are basically many cells of small batteries packaged together. If one cell has a malfunction and starts to heat up in temperature, it causes the neighboring cell to do the same. Eventually, the whole battery overheats and could start a fire.

Battery sensors like the ones used by our phones and computers only measure the temperature outside the battery. SPARRCI is designing batteries with sensors inside them to identify the conditions that lead to thermal runaway, then alert the aircraft’s operator to the potential trouble.

The operator would then be able to correct the problem or replace the battery before the dangerous overheating ever occurs. This new, fine-tuned view of the inside of a battery could lead to safer and better performing energy storage – a new generation of batteries.

“With current batteries, we just try to contain fire so it doesn’t spread. But the best approach is to try and prevent the overheating and fire entirely. That’s what we’re trying to do with SPARRCI,” DeMattia said.

Size Matters

Another research area of SPARRCI is battery size and power storage.

A typical remote control for a television uses a couple of AA-sized batteries. A small electric aircraft such as the X-57 Maxwell, NASA’s first all-electric aircraft, may need a battery with the equivalent power of more than 5,000 AA-sized batteries.

Currently, large batteries providing that kind of power must be packaged in bulky containers to make sure that if something gets hot or catches fire, the heat is insulated, protecting other battery cells and the vehicle.

The size and weight of these containers could be reduced in the future with SPARRCI’s ability to show what’s going on inside the battery.

If the aircraft’s pilot or maintenance crew know that thermal runaway could occur, the battery can be replaced and never have a chance to catch fire.

If fire isn’t a threat anymore, extra insulation isn’t required, and the battery’s overall size and weight can be reduced. This would allow more space inside the vehicle to be dedicated to energy storage, improving its range and available power.

Since the activity began in 2020, SPARCCI researchers have successfully begun working out how to install sensors inside batteries. The next step? Identify what conditions the sensors inside the battery should look for to detect imminent battery problems or failures.

The View Inside

SPARRCI is part of the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project, which is designed to give NASA researchers the resources they need to determine if their ideas to solve some of aviation’s biggest technical challenges are feasible and perhaps worthy of additional pursuit within NASA or industry.

One of the things that makes CAS activities like SPARRCI unique is the requirement for researchers from different technical disciplines and NASA field centers to collaborate and bring their unique expertise to bear on the problem.

For SPARRCI, that collaboration led to some memorable moments for battery and sensor researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, who have been working with their counterparts at NASA Glenn.

The Langley researchers evaluated batteries from Glenn using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a device similar to the ultrasound machines used in doctors’ offices and hospitals.

“Our goal was to collect images of the guts of the battery during a test without having to open them up post-mortem. This allowed us to see conditions changing in real time and run non-destructive scans to get a sense of the ‘topography’ of the internal surfaces as they morphed during operation,” DeMattia said.

What they saw during the scans was, well, out of this world.

“As we used the SEM to scan images of these lithium metal surfaces inside the battery they sometimes looked like the surface of the Moon! It was one of the coolest things. We spent hours around the computer, ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ often thrown around, with an occasional ‘What on Earth is that?’ thrown in for good measure.”

“It’s not something that any of us have done or seen before, but the images did help us tie together the data we collected,” DeMattia said. “”We couldn’t have done this without the different disciplines coming together. It has been really exciting.”

SPARRCI was selected to be a two-year activity that began on Oct. 1, 2019. Interruptions in the pursuit prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic might lead to an extension, although nothing has been decided yet.

Once completed, information gathered, and experience gained during SPARRCI will be shared with others within NASA and the broader aviation community.

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Solar Energy

More energy and oil possible through combining photovoltaic plants with hedgerow olive groves

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

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More energy and oil possible through combining photovoltaic plants with hedgerow olive groves

by Hugo Ritmico

Madrid, Spain (SPX) Nov 20, 2024

The integration of photovoltaic plants on agricultural land has long sparked debate over balancing energy production with crop cultivation. Now, the innovative approach of combining both has gained momentum with promising results. This “agrivoltaic” system, which involves placing solar panels within agricultural setups, has been examined by a University of Cordoba research team to see if solar energy and agricultural production could mutually enhance each other.

The research group, including Marta Varo Martinez, Luis Manuel Fernandez de Ahumada, and Rafael Lopez Luque from the Physics for Renewable Energies and Resources group, along with Alvaro Lopez Bernal and Francisco Villalobos from the Soil-Water-Plant Relations group, developed a model that simulates an agrivoltaic system in hedgerow olive plantations. This simulation model combined predictions for oil yield from olive hedgerows and energy generation from solar collectors to assess combined productivity. The study concluded that using both in tandem increased overall productivity, marking a potential shift in land-use strategy that could cater to the needs for both clean energy and food.

The key findings show that mutual benefits arise when solar panels provide shade, acting as windbreaks that don’t compete for water, enhancing agricultural production. Meanwhile, the cooling effect from plant evapotranspiration can improve the efficiency of solar collectors by reducing their temperature, boosting energy output.

This model allows researchers to experiment with various collector configurations, adjusting heights, widths, and spacing, to pinpoint the most effective designs. Despite generally positive outcomes, the team noted that overly dense arrangements might limit space for machinery or complicate maintenance of the olive grove. The approach underscores the importance of balancing land-use density and operational accessibility.

Research Report:Simulation model for electrical and agricultural productivity of an olive hedgerow Agrivoltaic system

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Solar Energy

New initiative empowers Native American women with solar training

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

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New initiative empowers Native American women with solar training

by Clarence Oxford

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 20, 2024

Native American women across the country are gaining access to hands-on training in photovoltaic panel installation aimed at empowering them to establish solar systems in their communities and homes on tribal land.

Sandra Begay, an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and a Navajo Nation member, is one of four mentors guiding this effort.

This training initiative is part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia and Red Cloud Renewable, a nonprofit organization in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, that focuses on advancing energy independence for tribal members and communities.

Known as the Bridging Renewable Industry Divides in Gender Equality, or BRIDGE, Program, the initiative provides a five-week immersive training experience that emphasizes practical skills in photovoltaic installation.

In August, Begay joined the first group of participants in South Dakota.

“Five weeks is a long time to be away from home,” Begay said. “I provided encouragement and reminded the women that they made the right choice to participate in this program. We also used the time to reflect on what they learned.”

Participants are taught the components of photovoltaic systems and how to install them safely and effectively.

Begay also provided insight into the energy challenges faced by tribal communities.

“There are more than 20,000 homes on the Navajo Nation and some rural homes on the Hopi reservation that don’t have electricity. These are off-grid homes,” Begay said, noting that many of these homes depend on diesel generators. “We’re looking at a clean energy future. We want to move away from those types of fuels and look at clean energy sources such as solar.”

She highlighted that large-scale solar projects are being developed by the Navajo Nation and the Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado.

“This program will provide participants with new employment opportunities and a better understanding of where we’re headed with clean energy,” Begay said.

Red Cloud Renewable also supports the women with resume building, interview training, networking, and job placement services.

With over 30 years of experience championing renewable energy in Native American communities, Begay is committed to maintaining relationships with participants.

“I am making a long-term commitment to the women in the BRIDGE Program,” Begay said. “I will share any job openings I see with them and support them in their job searches.”

Teamwork for success

Begay emphasized the critical role teamwork plays in photovoltaic installations.

“Photovoltaic installation happens with a team of people. How do you work through that group dynamic? How do you work with each other as a team? Those questions are underemphasized in the work we do. They’re going to rely on each other when installing photovoltaic systems,” she said.

Alicia Hayden, Red Cloud Renewable’s communications manager, noted the strong bond formed among the participants.

“What stood out to me was the incredible camaraderie among the women,” Hayden said. “They were genuinely supportive of each other and grateful to be participating in this program alongside women who share similar backgrounds.”

Funded by the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office, the project is set to continue over the next few years and aims to train two additional groups, eventually involving around 45 women.

“These women will be equipped to take on installer jobs within their own reservations, bringing valuable skills and opportunities for sustainable development to their people,” Hayden said.

Despite being highly underrepresented in the solar industry – comprising just 0.05% of the sector, according to Red Cloud Renewable – Native American women stand to gain from this initiative.

Begay expressed optimism about the impact of the BRIDGE Program.

“It’s very gratifying both professionally and personally to see where we can help women who are underrepresented in the workforce, let alone in a unique technology like photovoltaic installation,” Begay said. “We’re seeding ideas for the women that they would never have thought of doing. I think that’s what’s unique.”

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Solar Energy

Perovskite advancements improve solar cell efficiency and longevity

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

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Perovskite advancements improve solar cell efficiency and longevity

by Sophie Jenkins

London, UK (SPX) Nov 20, 2024

A global team led by the University of Surrey, in collaboration with Imperial College London, has pioneered a method to enhance the efficiency and durability of solar cells constructed from perovskite by addressing an unseen degradation pathway.

The University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) detailed their findings in ‘Energy and Environmental Science’, showing that by employing specific design strategies, they successfully created lead-tin perovskite solar cells achieving over 23% power conversion efficiency (PCE) – a significant result for this material type. Notably, these improvements also boosted the operational lifespan of these cells by 66%. PCE measures the proportion of sunlight converted to usable energy by a solar cell.

While traditional silicon solar panels are already widely used, advancements are steering towards perovskite/silicon hybrid panels, and fully perovskite-based panels promise even higher efficiencies. However, improving the stability and efficiency of lead-tin perovskite cells remains a significant hurdle. This research by the University of Surrey sheds light on mechanisms contributing to these limitations and offers a pathway to overcoming them, aiding in the broader advancement of solar technology.

Hashini Perera, Ph.D. student and lead author at ATI, stated: “The understanding we have developed from this work has allowed us to identify a strategy that improves the efficiency and extends the operational lifetime of these devices when exposed to ambient conditions. This advancement is a major step towards high efficiency, long-lasting solar panels which will give more people access to affordable clean energy while reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and global carbon emissions.”

The team focused on minimizing losses caused by the hole transport layer, crucial for solar cell functionality. By introducing an iodine-reducing agent, they mitigated the degradation effects, enhancing both the cell’s efficiency and its lifespan. This innovation paves the way for more sustainable and economically feasible solar technology.

Dr. Imalka Jayawardena from the University of Surrey’s ATI, co-author of the study, said: “By significantly enhancing the efficiency of our perovskite-based solar cells, we are moving closer to producing cheaper and more sustainable solar panels. We are already working on refining these materials, processes and the device architecture to tackle the remaining challenges.”

Professor Ravi Silva, Director of the ATI, added: “This research brings us closer to panels that not only generate more power over their lifetime but are also longer lasting. Greater efficiency and fewer replacements mean more green energy with less waste. The University of Surrey are in the process of building a 12.5MW solar farm, where we can test some of these modules. We’re confident that our innovative perovskite research will accelerate the widespread commercial adoption of perovskite-based solar panels.”

This progress aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), and 13 (climate action).

Research Report:23.2% efficient low band gap perovskite solar cells with cyanogen management