Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission or ... - W2agz.com
Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission or ... - W2agz.com
Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission or ... - W2agz.com
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EPRI Proprietary Licensed Material<br />
1<br />
DESCRIPTION OF SODIUM SULFUR BATTERIES<br />
1.1 Introduction<br />
F<strong>or</strong>d Mot<strong>or</strong> Company is credited with initial recognition <strong>of</strong> the potential <strong>of</strong> the sodium-sulfur<br />
battery based on a beta-alumina solid electrolyte in the 1960’s [Ref. 1-1 and 1-2]. By the early<br />
1970’s, F<strong>or</strong>d’s w<strong>or</strong>k (Kummer and Weber) had catalyzed widespread research into sodium-sulfur<br />
battery technology, including programs in Europe (Brown Boveri (later ABB)) and in Japan<br />
(New <strong>Energy</strong> and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)), primarily <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong><br />
electric vehicle applications. By the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, a variety <strong>of</strong> developers had<br />
advanced sodium-sulfur technology <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> applications ranging from satellite <strong>com</strong>munications to<br />
large stationary power. Notable contribut<strong>or</strong>s included Eagle Picher Industries in the U.S.,<br />
Chl<strong>or</strong>ide Silent Power in the U.K., Asea in Sweden, Powerplex in Canada, and RWE in<br />
Germany. As recently as 1993, F<strong>or</strong>d equipped six electric Ecostar vehicles <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> use by the US<br />
Postal Service with sodium-sulfur batteries as part <strong>of</strong> a test program.<br />
By the early 1980’s, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had selected sodium-sulfur<br />
technology as the preferred medium <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> dispersed utility energy st<strong>or</strong>age to displace a growing<br />
reliance on central pumped hydro energy st<strong>or</strong>age. TEPCO recognized that the key to<br />
development <strong>of</strong> sodium sulfur batteries suitable <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> utility-scale stationary power applications<br />
was in the production <strong>of</strong> ceramic <strong>com</strong>ponents and sought the participation <strong>of</strong> NGK Insulat<strong>or</strong>s,<br />
Ltd., (NGK) <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> that role. By the late 1990’s, NGK and TEPCO had deployed a series <strong>of</strong> large<br />
scale demonstration systems, including two, 6MW, 48MWh installations at TEPCO substations.<br />
In April 2002, TEPCO and NGK announced <strong>com</strong>mercialization <strong>of</strong> their sodium-sulfur battery<br />
product lines in Japan, plus their intent to introduce products globally. At present, NGK is the<br />
only known vend<strong>or</strong> <strong>of</strong> sodium sulfur batteries <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong> utility applications, and the technology<br />
presented herein pertains to NGK’s sodium-sulfur (NAS ® , registered in Japan) battery module<br />
product lines.<br />
1.2 General Characteristics<br />
1.2.1 Electrochemistry<br />
The n<strong>or</strong>mal operating temperature <strong>of</strong> sodium-sulfur cells is about 300C. During discharge, the<br />
sodium (negative electrode) is oxidized at the sodium/beta alumina interface, <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong>ming Na + ions.<br />
These ions migrate through the beta alumina solid electrolyte and <strong>com</strong>bine with sulfur that is<br />
being reduced at the positive electrode to <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong>m sodium pentasulfide (Na 2<br />
S 5<br />
). The sodium<br />
pentasulfide is immiscible with the remaining sulfur, thus <strong>f<strong>or</strong></strong>ming a two-phase liquid mixture.<br />
1-1