A dual power cell for storing electricity in zinc metal

This article reports a novel electrochemical cell system for storing electrical energy in zinc metal. In this system the cell is structured with three distinctive sections for energy absorption, storage and delivery. The energy is absorbed into zinc metal through electro deposition in the top section and is delivered through zinc dissolution in the bottom section. The zinc metal is contained in the middle section between the sections for deposition and dissolution. Because the zinc metal is contained separately from the electrodes this system allows storage of energy at a low cost. Also, having deposition and dissolution of zinc in separate spaces allows independent operation of charging and discharging. This cell is capable receiving and outputting power at the same time, based on which it is thus termed as a dual power cell. The cell design and results of the prototype testing are reported. The characteristics, potential applications and cost of stored electricity of the system are also discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.