Lithium-antimony-lead liquid metal battery for grid-level energy storage.

The ability to store energy on the electric grid would greatly improve its efficiency and reliability while enabling the integration of intermittent renewable energy technologies (such as wind and solar) into baseload supply. Batteries have long been considered strong candidate solutions owing to their small spatial footprint, mechanical simplicity and flexibility in siting. However, the barrier to widespread adoption of batteries is their high cost. Here we describe a lithium-antimony-lead liquid metal battery that potentially meets the performance specifications for stationary energy storage applications. This Li||Sb-Pb battery comprises a liquid lithium negative electrode, a molten salt electrolyte, and a liquid antimony-lead alloy positive electrode, which self-segregate by density into three distinct layers owing to the immiscibility of the contiguous salt and metal phases. The all-liquid construction confers the advantages of higher current density, longer cycle life and simpler manufacturing of large-scale storage systems (because no membranes or separators are involved) relative to those of conventional batteries. At charge-discharge current densities of 275 milliamperes per square centimetre, the cells cycled at 450 degrees Celsius with 98 per cent Coulombic efficiency and 73 per cent round-trip energy efficiency. To provide evidence of their high power capability, the cells were discharged and charged at current densities as high as 1,000 milliamperes per square centimetre. Measured capacity loss after operation for 1,800 hours (more than 450 charge-discharge cycles at 100 per cent depth of discharge) projects retention of over 85 per cent of initial capacity after ten years of daily cycling. Our results demonstrate that alloying a high-melting-point, high-voltage metal (antimony) with a low-melting-point, low-cost metal (lead) advantageously decreases the operating temperature while maintaining a high cell voltage. Apart from the fact that this finding puts us on a desirable cost trajectory, this approach may well be more broadly applicable to other battery chemistries.

Magnesium-antimony liquid metal battery for stationary energy storage.

Batteries are an attractive option for grid-scale energy storage applications because of their small footprint and flexible siting. A high-temperature (700 °C) magnesium-antimony (Mg||Sb) liquid metal battery comprising a negative electrode of Mg, a molten salt electrolyte (MgCl(2)-KCl-NaCl), and a positive electrode of Sb is proposed and characterized. Because of the immiscibility of the contiguous salt and metal phases, they stratify by density into three distinct layers. Cells were cycled at rates ranging from 50 to 200 mA/cm(2) and demonstrated up to 69% DC-DC energy efficiency. The self-segregating nature of the battery components and the use of low-cost materials results in a promising technology for stationary energy storage applications.

Recycling ZnTe, CdTe, and other compound semiconductors by ambipolar electrolysis.

The electrochemical behavior of ZnTe and CdTe compound semiconductors dissolved in molten ZnCl(2) and equimolar CdCl(2)-KCl, respectively, was examined. In these melts dissolved Te is present as the divalent telluride anion, Te(2-), which was found able to be converted to elemental metal by electrochemical oxidation at the anode. ZnTe-ZnCl(2) melts were studied at 500 °C by standard electrochemical techniques. On the basis of these results, electrolysis was performed, resulting in the simultaneous extraction of phase-pure liquid Zn at the cathode and phase-pure liquid Te at the anode. This new process, involving the simultaneous deposition of liquid metals at electrodes of opposite polarity, is termed herein as ambipolar electrolysis. A melt consisting of CdTe dissolved in equimolar CdCl(2)-KCl was processed by ambipolar electrolysis, resulting in the production of liquid Cd at the cathode and liquid Te at the anode. Ambipolar electrolysis could enable new approaches to recycling compound semiconductors and semiconductor devices, such as CdTe solar cells.

MRI-compatible transurethral ultrasound system for the treatment of localized prostate cancer using rotational control.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided transurethral ultrasound therapy is a potential minimally invasive treatment for localized prostate cancer offering precise targeting of tissue within the gland, short treatment times, and the capability to quantify the spatial heating pattern delivered during therapy. A significant challenge in MRI-guided ultrasound therapy is the design and construction of MRI-compatible equipment capable of operation in a closed-bore MR imager. We describe a prototype system developed for MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound therapy and characterize the performance of the different components including the heating applicator design, rotational motor, and radio frequency electronics. The ultrasound heating applicator described in this study incorporates a planar transducer and is capable of producing high intensity ultrasound energy in a localized region of tissue. Results demonstrated that the heating applicator exhibits excellent MRI-compatibility, enabling precise MR temperature measurements to be acquired as close as 6 mm from the device. Simultaneous imaging and rotational motion was also possible during treatment using a motor based on piezoelectric actuators. Heating experiments performed in both phantoms and in a canine model with the prototype system verified the capability to perform simultaneous MR imaging and therapy delivery with this system. Real-time control over therapy using MR temperature measurements acquired during heating can be implemented to achieve precise patterns of thermal damage within the prostate gland. The technical feasibility of using the system developed in this study for MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound therapy in a closed-bore MR imager has been demonstrated.