Hydrogen as energy storage has to be kept in dehydrated form

May 2, 2022 7:01 pm

Apart from coal as energy source, hydropower and nuclear power are other sources of energy that are majorly being used to fulfill the energy requirements says Ashutosh Verma, Founder, Exalta India

Most of the work that we do today is wholly based on energy. Energy has become an indispensable resource in today’s times. Most of the things that we use today are either based on digitalization or are based on automation. Now, to automate anything, we require energy management and energy storage remarks, Ashutosh Verma, Founder, Exalta India during discussion with OEM Update.

Growth opportunities in energy storage and energy management

Talking about urban areas, the requirement for energy is exceptionally high to fulfill. That is why various sources of energy are being used. The most common energy source is coal, followed by solar energy, which has recently gained importance as an ecofriendly energy source. Apart from this, hydropower and nuclear power are other sources of energy that are majorly being used to fulfill the energy requirements. The problem with solar power is that it can generate electricity only in the daytime. Therefore, there is a requirement for energy storage for the nighttime. In the outskirts or remotely located areas, where electricity connection is not possible, solar power will have to be used, keeping in mind the storage aspect.

Energy storage helps boost manufacturing

Energy storage has great importance on the industrial and manufacturing level because the market is very vast. Storage is becoming more critical day by day as the requirement increases, and the resources are on extinction mode, especially in the case of solar energy. Direct consumption can only happen in the daytime, but one needs to store the power to use it later during the night hours. Let’s talk about energy requirements in manufacturing by taking the example of a battery. A battery is a perfect example of energy storage. The battery has a lot of types and significantly contributes to boosting energy. Therefore energy storage does help in boosting manufacturing in India.

Hydrogen storage to enhance the storage capabilities

Hydrogen storage is another form of chemical energy storage that converts electrical energy into hydrogen. One can re-release the energy by using gas as fuel for internal combustion engines or fuel cells. Hydrogen can be produced from electricity by the electrolysis of water. This simple process can be performed with relatively high efficiency when cheap electricity is available. After that, hydrogen must be stored in underground caves, probably for large-scale energy storage, while steel containers can be used for small-scale storage. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel for piston engines, gas turbines, or hydrogen fuel cells, the latter providing the highest efficiency. The only problem with hydrogen is that we cannot store it under a lot of pressure; we have to keep it in dehydrated form. More recent research has shown that alloys of 95-percent aluminum with three-percent gallium and some cheaper indium and tin can still split water, producing 14 BTU/lb of energy-half as pure hydrogen gas, half as heat. Now the system begins to look more viable, especially considering the leftover alumina powder can be electrically recycled back into the aluminum alloy.

Backup energy storage systems for uninterrupted power supply in industries

Having a power cut in the middle of the operations can be bad for continuing the manufacturing process in the industries. Therefore, every enterprise needs a backup storage system for smoother operations. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a power supply that can be switched to battery backup in the event of a power outage. You can connect multiple devices to the UPS and the power rails. UPSs typically provide features such as surge protection and noise filtering. The UPS detects a voltage drop and switches to battery backup when a voltage drop occurs. The components connected to the UPS can then be powered for a limited time (often 10-45 minutes) until standard power is restored, or the system can be shut down gracefully. This prevents you from continuing normal business functions but protects your data from damage caused by sudden power outages or improper shutdowns. Generally, inverters are used majorly to ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy. UPS inverter systems provide an uninterrupted power supply.

Innovative technologies for energy storage

Some exciting innovations regarding energy storage are pumped hydro, thermal energy storage, mechanical energy storage, and batteries. In the case of batteries, solar energy resources have a lot of scopes. For instance, ink-based batteries are doing well in terms of energy storage. Efforts are being made to encourage Aluminumbased batteries, hydrogen-based storage batteries, and junctionbased batteries. Battery storage systems play an increasingly important role in providing green energy and meeting electricity demand. Energy management tools and technologies for effective implementation For effective implementation of energy management, many new tools have been introduced with the help of technological advancements. These tools help in the effective management of energy. The technologies are extensively making use of IoT, and therefore, IoT is the essential tool used in almost all technologies. The data logger is related to IoT, which plays a fundamental role in energy management. These two things effectively contribute in ensuring the effective implementation of energy management.