2421998
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
SBIR Phase I: A novel high voltage, all-solution, all-iron flow battery (AIFB) for long-duration energy storage.
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the potential development of a cost-effective and long-lasting all-iron flow battery (AIFB) suitable for long-duration energy storage (LDES).
This type of battery is needed to facilitate the world-wide transition from a grid principally powered by fossil-fueled electricity generators to one powered by renewable electricity generators, solar cells, and wind turbines.
Cost effective LDES would be a key enabler in this transition, since solar/wind generators are variable and, unlike fossil-fueled power plants, cannot be turned on or off to meet peak demand.
In fact, the U.S. grid would need 225-465 gigawatts of LDES capacity by 2050, with a net investment of $330 billion.
For short-term (? 10h) energy storage, the rapidly improving lithium-ion batteries are already practical, but flow batteries are needed for longer-term (? 10h) energy storage.
The state-of-the-art flow battery technology is the vanadium redox-flow battery (VRFB), but the high cost and limited supply of vanadium restricts its application to shorter durations.
The AIFB is based instead on iron as the active material, which is substantially cheaper and more earth-abundant, thus offering the potential to approach more closely the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) target of $0.05/kWh that is needed to realize this vision.
The intellectual merit of this project is the scientific and technological development of an all-iron, all soluble, high voltage, and cost-effective flow battery that would attain the LCOS target for long-duration energy storage.
The development of such a flow battery is challenging because, unlike vanadium, which has four different oxidation states allowing for its use at both electrodes, soluble iron species come in only two oxidation states.
Competing commercial all-iron-based batteries are typically hybrid batteries rather than flow batteries, requiring a large footprint, and providing a low cell voltage in an effort to avoid gas evolution.
These scientific challenges are overcome in AIFB by suitable choice of ligands that form the soluble iron complexes for the posolyte and the negolyte, and by fine-tuning the pH, thus providing a large cell capacity via high solubility along with a high voltage.
The specific objectives of this project include finalizing the electrolyte chemistry for a cell voltage exceeding the 1.5 V limits of aqueous batteries to avoid gas evolution, reducing the cell resistance to ensure a high round-trip efficiency, and establishing stable cyclic performance to ensure a long lifetime.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the potential development of a cost-effective and long-lasting all-iron flow battery (AIFB) suitable for long-duration energy storage (LDES).
This type of battery is needed to facilitate the world-wide transition from a grid principally powered by fossil-fueled electricity generators to one powered by renewable electricity generators, solar cells, and wind turbines.
Cost effective LDES would be a key enabler in this transition, since solar/wind generators are variable and, unlike fossil-fueled power plants, cannot be turned on or off to meet peak demand.
In fact, the U.S. grid would need 225-465 gigawatts of LDES capacity by 2050, with a net investment of $330 billion.
For short-term (? 10h) energy storage, the rapidly improving lithium-ion batteries are already practical, but flow batteries are needed for longer-term (? 10h) energy storage.
The state-of-the-art flow battery technology is the vanadium redox-flow battery (VRFB), but the high cost and limited supply of vanadium restricts its application to shorter durations.
The AIFB is based instead on iron as the active material, which is substantially cheaper and more earth-abundant, thus offering the potential to approach more closely the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) target of $0.05/kWh that is needed to realize this vision.
The intellectual merit of this project is the scientific and technological development of an all-iron, all soluble, high voltage, and cost-effective flow battery that would attain the LCOS target for long-duration energy storage.
The development of such a flow battery is challenging because, unlike vanadium, which has four different oxidation states allowing for its use at both electrodes, soluble iron species come in only two oxidation states.
Competing commercial all-iron-based batteries are typically hybrid batteries rather than flow batteries, requiring a large footprint, and providing a low cell voltage in an effort to avoid gas evolution.
These scientific challenges are overcome in AIFB by suitable choice of ligands that form the soluble iron complexes for the posolyte and the negolyte, and by fine-tuning the pH, thus providing a large cell capacity via high solubility along with a high voltage.
The specific objectives of this project include finalizing the electrolyte chemistry for a cell voltage exceeding the 1.5 V limits of aqueous batteries to avoid gas evolution, reducing the cell resistance to ensure a high round-trip efficiency, and establishing stable cyclic performance to ensure a long lifetime.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE I", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23515
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Worcester,
Massachusetts
01609-1659
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Volta Energy was awarded
Project Grant 2421998
worth $275,000
from National Science Foundation in September 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Worcester Massachusetts United States.
The grant
has a duration of 1 year and
was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Programs.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
SBIR Phase I: A Novel High Voltage, All-Solution, All-Iron Flow Battery (AIFB) for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Abstract
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the potential development of a cost-effective and long-lasting all-iron flow battery (AIFB) suitable for long-duration energy storage (LDES). This type of battery is needed to facilitate the world-wide transition from a grid principally powered by fossil-fueled electricity generators to one powered by renewable electricity generators, solar cells, and wind turbines. Cost effective LDES would be a key enabler in this transition, since solar/wind generators are variable and, unlike fossil-fueled power plants, cannot be turned on or off to meet peak demand. In fact, the U.S. grid would need 225-465 gigawatts of LDES capacity by 2050, with a net investment of $ 330 billion. For short-term (≤ 10h) energy storage, the rapidly improving lithium-ion batteries are already practical, but flow batteries are needed for longer-term (≥ 10h) energy storage. The state-of-the-art flow battery technology is the vanadium redox-flow battery (VRFB), but the high cost and limited supply of vanadium restricts its application to shorter durations. The AIFB is based instead on iron as the active material, which is substantially cheaper and more Earth-abundant, thus offering the potential to approach more closely the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) target of $0.05/kWh that is needed to realize this vision.
The intellectual merit of this project is the scientific and technological development of an all-iron, all soluble, high voltage, and cost-effective flow battery that would attain the LCOS target for long-duration energy storage. The development of such a flow battery is challenging because, unlike vanadium, which has four different oxidation states allowing for its use at both electrodes, soluble iron species come in only two oxidation states. Competing commercial all-iron-based batteries are typically hybrid batteries rather than flow batteries, requiring a large footprint, and providing a low cell voltage in an effort to avoid gas evolution. These scientific challenges are overcome in AIFB by suitable choice of ligands that form the soluble iron complexes for the posolyte and the negolyte, and by fine-tuning the pH, thus providing a large cell capacity via high solubility along with a high voltage. The specific objectives of this project include finalizing the electrolyte chemistry for a cell voltage exceeding the 1.5 V limits of aqueous batteries to avoid gas evolution, reducing the cell resistance to ensure a high round-trip efficiency, and establishing stable cyclic performance to ensure a long lifetime.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Topic Code
EN
Solicitation Number
NSF 23-515
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 9/17/24
Period of Performance
9/1/24
Start Date
8/31/25
End Date
Funding Split
$275.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$275.0K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2421998
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
EEUMAESHYBD5
Awardee CAGE
None
Performance District
MA-02
Senators
Edward Markey
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren
Modified: 9/17/24