Energy storage mainly refers to the storage of electrical energy, which can be divided into mechanical energy storage, electrochemical energy storage, chemical energy storage, thermal energy storage and electromagnetic energy storage, among which mechanical energy storage is the most mature and lowest-cost energy storage method. Examples include: pumped storage power stations, flywheel energy storage, compressed air energy storage, etc.
The application of electrochemical energy storage is currently the most widespread and promising. The core component of the new energy vehicle industry chain, the power battery is an application of electrochemical energy storage. According to different media, it can be divided into lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, Sodium-ion batteries, etc.
The concept of chemical energy storage is simple, but the operation process is extremely complex. As the name implies, it converts electrical energy into chemical energy and stores it. The most common one is electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen.
A typical application of thermal energy storage is a photothermal power station. After gathering sunlight, the molten salt as the medium is melted, absorbing a large amount of heat. The molten salt then continues to heat water to form water vapor, which drives the steam turbine to generate electricity. After the sun goes down, the power station can continue to use the heat stored in the melted molten salt to generate electricity. CSP power stations are one of the few new energy power stations that can provide stable energy supply.
Electromagnetic energy storage mainly includes superconducting energy storage, capacitor energy storage, supercapacitor energy storage, etc. Its energy storage efficiency is high, but it is still far from practical application.
