On March 2020, 3, the research team of Associate Professor Hiroaki Matsuura of the Environmental Measurement Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Bio-Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology is suitable for storing renewable energy as research and development that uses renewable energy with high efficiency. We have started a demonstration experiment of "Redox Flow Battery".
Redox flow batteries are a type of power storage technology that charges and discharges when the electrolyte circulates between the battery cell and the electrolyte tank.It has long life without deterioration of electrodes and electrolyte, and has high safety because it can be operated at room temperature because it does not use ignitable materials, and has characteristics suitable for storage batteries for electric power systems.There are cases where it has already been introduced in large-scale power storage systems, load leveling, and emergency power supply systems, and it is a system stabilization technology required to expand the introduction of renewable energy such as solar power and wind power. It is expected.
In 2016, Saitama Institute of Technology established the Manufacturing Research Center to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the university's founding.We introduced the first "redox flow battery", which was the first in the university, and have been conducting verification research for three years.This time, the second new redox flow battery was developed and introduced through joint research with an energy-related company (HI GROUP Energy & HVAC Co., Ltd.) in South Korea.
In this demonstration experiment, a vanadium-based redox flow battery will be installed at the Saitama Institute of Technology Manufacturing Research Center, and the electricity generated by the solar panels installed on campus will be stored and discharged at night to be used for lighting inside the building.In addition, when solar power generation is not enough, such as on a cloudy day, the redox flow battery automatically starts discharging and supplies power to the lighting in the hall together with the power generated by the solar power generation.
When this storage battery system is put into practical use, it will be possible to locally produce and consume electric power, and it can be expected to be effectively used as an emergency power source in the event of a disaster.Saitama Institute of Technology aims to put redox flow batteries to practical use under the leadership of the President as research based on the policy aimed at "utilization of environmentally friendly natural energy", which is the concept of the Manufacturing Research Center.
