HSR explores aluminium as energy storage
Rapperswil-Jona SG – The University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (HSR) is researching a concept in which excess solar energy can be stored in aluminium. The material has a very high storage density.
A great deal of energy is consumed during the production of aluminium. However, this energy can also be released again by means of a hydrolysis reaction that removes the chemical energy bound in the aluminium. This produces large amounts of heat and hydrogen; heat can be used directly, whereas hydrogen can be used to produce electricity by means of a fuel cell. According to calculations by HSR researchers, an aluminium storage system the size of a washing machine could supply a single-family house with electricity and heat all winter long.
The Institute for Solar Technology at the HSR is now developing the concept of a seasonal energy storage cycle using aluminium. The project, which is being funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), has two main focus areas: First, it is exploring how aluminium can be converted into hydrogen and heat as well as the uses of hydrogen. Second, it is studying how aluminium hydroxide, a waste product that remains after the energy has been removed from the aluminium, can be retransformed into aluminium using solar-powered fused-salt electrolysis.