How to Turn a Brick Into an Energy Storage Device

Researchers have figured out how to turn standard bricks into energy storage devices. By pumping them with specific vapors that react with iron, they can make a brick coated in a special conductive polymer capable of storing electricity.

The result is a battery-like system that can stow power when demand for electricity peaks while solar panel output fades.

Cost

Bricks are one of the most common building materials. But scientists at Washington University have found a way to make them do something more: store electricity. By pumping cheap red bricks with specific vapors that form polymers, they can turn them into a type of energy storage device called a supercapacitor. These can hold and discharge power quickly. The team has already built a brick battery that can keep an LED light on for 10 minutes.

The researchers are working on making the battery even power-storage-brick cheaper by reducing its temperature and by using more of the iron oxide that gives bricks their color. Eventually, the researchers hope to make a brick that can serve both as structural support and a place to store solar and other renewable energy.

But for now, the brick battery is a few years away from becoming commercially available. Its current energy storage capacity is only about 1% of that of a lithium ion battery. And even when it does become commercial, the technology would only offer a modest cost advantage over conventional home batteries, like Elon Musk’s Powerwall.

Other researchers are pursuing similar technologies to address the intermittency of renewables. Sand batteries, for example, capitalize on the ubiquitous and cheap nature of sand by heating it to high temperatures to efficiently store energy. These systems can then be used to generate electricity when the sun is down or the wind stops blowing.

Energy Efficiency

Bricks have long been a staple of building construction and now they might add another function: energy storage. Researchers from Washington University in St Louis have developed a way to turn standard bricks into energy-storing devices, The Guardian reports. They made the bricks into supercapacitors by infusing them with a special kind of material. The bricks’ pores are filled with an iron oxide that can be reacted with chemical vapors to store electricity. A layer of electrically conductive plastic, known as PEDOT, covers the iron oxide to allow the bricks to be recharged over and over again without losing their capacity.

A prototype brick capacitor can store enough energy to keep a light on for 13 minutes, the scientists report. They can also be recharged more than 10,000 times with very little loss of coulomb efficiency. Eventually, the technology could be used to create buildings that are both energy-efficient and cost-effective.

However, there are other ways to store solar power for long periods of time at lower costs. For example, thermal storage can use waste heat from industrial processes to generate electricity at night. Several companies are working on these systems, which would be much cheaper than using coal or natural gas. They would also be more environmentally friendly than using fossil fuels. These types of solutions could help decarbonize many different sectors that are currently reliant on expensive fossil fuels.

Environmental Impact

Energy-storing bricks are a game-changing innovation that could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and the grid by storing excess wind or solar power. They can also be used to power sensors and devices within buildings, allowing homeowners to monitor and control their energy usage. However, they still face several challenges.

The first is the cost of production. The process of converting bricks into supercapacitors requires a complex coating process. This must be optimized to reduce the cost and ensure a high level of performance. Secondly, they need to be durable enough to withstand the environment and weather conditions. Thirdly, they must be compatible with existing electrical systems and construction standards.

Fortunately, these problems can be overcome with the help of a community of innovators and enthusiasts. These groups and online platforms offer a variety of resources to help you learn about energy storing bricks, including original research papers by the researchers who developed them.

Unlike traditional chemical batteries, which contain toxic materials and are expensive to manufacture, the bricks are made from earth-abundant, low-cost materials. They use an organic monomer, which is adsorbed by the porous brick surface and absorbed into the internal pore walls by the iron oxide haematite a-Fe2O3. The monomer reacts with the iron oxide to form an electrically conducting polymer, resulting in a uniformly coating of the internal pore surfaces. The monomer is then oxidized, and the cations are discharged into the electrolyte. This process can be repeated multiple times, making bricks a sustainable and durable alternative to traditional battery technology.

Design

Bricks, the world’s most familiar building material, can be repurposed as a storage system for electricity. The technology is called “smart bricks,” and it involves a polymer coating that turns the common red brick into an energy storage unit. It can be charged to store energy, much like a battery, and then used to power appliances. The technology could solve the intermittency problem associated with renewable energy sources, including solar and wind.

Researchers have embedded conductive nanofibers, made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or PEDOT, into the porous structure of a brick. These fibers act as electrodes, and their large surface area enables them to store and release energy through electrochemical reactions. The chemistry behind the process is simple: when an electrical current flows through the brick, it undergoes oxidation. This draws positive ions from the aqueous electrolyte, creating an electric double layer.

The ions are then stored in the brick’s inner pore walls, where they remain for as long as an electric charge is applied. The process Lithium battery 48v 100ah is reversible, and the ions can be drawn back out again when the electric current stops.

Scientists have developed a proof-of-concept prototype that takes 13 minutes to charge fully and can be recharged 10,000 times. It may be a while before it’s ready for the construction industry, though. The cost is three times that of standard bricks, but D’Arcy says the cost should come down as scale increases.