Economic assessment and comparison of alternative beta alumina electrolytes. Final report, January-December, 1979
This project had the broad objectives of assessing the costs of ..beta..- and ..beta..''-alumina, and of comparing the cost of a 100-MWh battery using a ..beta..''-alumina electrolyte with the cost of a similar battery using ..beta..-alumina. The production cost of 8,000,000 ..beta..- and ..beta..''-alumina tubes (inside diameter, 25 mm; length, 375 mm; wall thickness, 1.5 mm) was determined for different production routes, first using proved laboratory procedures, and then using an extrapolation of the laboratory processes. The calculated selling price for 100 tubes (1980 US $) ranges from $717 to $1,274 using proved laboratory procedures, and from $649 to $885 using an extrapolation of those procedures. Cost of quality control is included. Costs were calculated for ..beta..''-alumina tubes with 47 cm/sup 2/ to 599 cm/sup 2/ of active area manufactured via different routes; tubes with active areas ranging from 200 to 400 cm/sup 2/ had the lowest calculated selling price ($2.6 per 100 cm/sup 2/). Based on a production of 25 units a year, the cost estimate for a 100-MWh battery made with a ..beta..-alumina optimized cells is $90.3 per kWh. Shifting from ..beta..- to ..beta..''-alumina, without optimization of the unit cell, results in a cost of $88.9 per kWh, a decrease of 2%. Assuming equal reliability for ..beta..- and ..beta..''-alumina, a shift from ..beta..- to ..beta..''-alumina along with optimization of the unit cell (523 Wh) results in a decrease of 8% in the total cost to $83.7 per kWh. Moreover, the use of ..beta..''-alumina appears more attractive than the use of ..beta..-alumina: the production process can be simplified, related cathode requirements are less stringent, and prospects for future improvements are greater.
- Research Organization:
- Compagnie Generale d'Electricite (CGE), 91 - Marcoussis (France)
- OSTI ID:
- 6473286
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-EM-1799
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
250903* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYTES
FABRICATION
METAL-NONMETAL BATTERIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
SODIUM-SULFUR BATTERIES
SOLID ELECTROLYTES