Are sodium-sulfur batteries suitable for energy storage?

This paper presents a review of the state of technology of sodium-sulfur batteries suitable for application in energy storage requirements such as load leveling; emergency power supplies and uninterruptible power supply. The review focuses on the progress, prospects and challenges of sodium-sulfur batteries operating at high temperature (~ 300 °C).

What is a sodium-sulfur battery?

Sodium-sulfur (NaS) batteries are a promising energy storage technology for a number of applications, particularly those requiring high-power responses [11,21]. It is composed of a sodium-negative electrode, a sulfur cathode, and a beta-alumina solid electrolyte that produces sodium pentasulfide during the discharge reaction .

Are rechargeable room-temperature sodium–sulfur and sodium-selenium batteries suitable for large-scale energy storage?

You have full access to this open access article Rechargeable room-temperature sodium–sulfur (Na–S) and sodium–selenium (Na–Se) batteries are gaining extensive attention for potential large-scale energy storage applications owing to their low cost and high theoretical energy density.

What is a high temperature sodium sulfur battery?

High-temperature sodium–sulfur (HT Na–S) batteries were first developed for electric vehicle (EV) applications due to their high theoretical volumetric energy density. In 1968, Kummer et al. from Ford Motor Company first released the details of the HT Na–S battery system using a β″-alumina solid electrolyte .

What temperature should sodium sulfur batteries be kept at?

However, sodium–sulfur batteries have to be kept at high temperatures above 300 °C to keep the reactants liquid, which entails additional effort for heating and thermal insulation, while relatively low round-trip efficiency and further safety concerns over its explosiveness have constrained its wide-scale implementation.

What are the maintenance requirements for sodium sulfur battery?

Since no pumps, valves or exchangers are necessary in the batteries, only field maintenance requirements are limited to periodic inspection and cleaning. Sodium sulfur battery is environmentally benign, since the battery is completely sealed and allows no emissions during operation. More than 99 wt.% of the battery materials can be recycled.