Honeywell Introduces New Flow Battery Technology To Provide Safer, Durable Solution For Large-Scale Renewable Energy Storage
October 26, 2021 at 07:00 am EDT
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Honeywell announced a new flow battery technology that works with renewable generation sources such as wind and solar to meet the demand for sustainable energy storage. The new flow battery uses a safe, non-flammable electrolyte that converts chemical energy to electricity to store energy for later use while meeting the environmental, longevity and safety objectives of utilities. Honeywell's new technology delivers greater flexibility and extended duration for utilities. The battery stores energy that can be used when wind and solar are absent, in the event of power outages and when power grids are at capacity. It can store and discharge electricity for up to 12 hours, exceeding the duration of lithium-ion batteries, which can only discharge up to 4 hours. The battery is designed with recyclable components and does not degrade over time. It maintains system performance, providing a reliable and cost-efficient system for 20 years. The flow battery technology will be tested by Duke Energy at its Emerging Technology and Innovation Center in Mount Holly, N.C. The company has more than a decade of experience testing various battery chemistries and has deployed numerous large-scale energy storage projects across the country. Honeywell will deliver a 400-kilowatt-hour (kWh) unit to Duke Energy's facility in Mount Holly in 2022. If the battery is deployed at scale, it will reduce the use of Duke Energy's fossil-fuel power plants by utilizing solar and wind. These renewable generation sources are increasingly cost competitive versus traditional fossil fuels and represent over 70% of new power generation. Honeywell aims to deploy a utility-scale pilot project of 60-megawatt-hours starting in 2023.
Honeywell International Inc. specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of industrial equipment. The group also offers maintenance, technical assistance and engineering services. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- aeronautical equipment (37.2%): engines, navigation hardware and software, propulsion and communication systems, satellite and space components, lighting equipment, wheels, etc. The group also offers turbochargers for motor vehicles;
- performance materials and technologies (31.4%): polymers, fibers, resins, acids, additives, catalysts, sorbents, semiconductor packaging materials, coating materials, etc.;
- building automation and control systems (16.4%): heating and ventilation control systems, fire alarms, thermostats, monitoring systems, etc.;
- security and productivity optimization solutions (15%): personal safety equipment, warning systems, gas detection systems, data collection and thermal printing computer solutions, warehouse and supply chain automation systems, data and production process management solutions, etc.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: the United States (57%), Europe (22%) and other (21%).