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Researchers propose new aluminum–sulfur battery with molten-salt electrolyte; low-cost, rechargeable, fire-resistant, recyclable

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An international team of researchers led by Quanguan Pang at Peking University and Donald Sadoway at MIT reports a bidirectional, rapidly charging aluminum–chalcogen battery operating with a molten-salt electrolyte composed of NaCl–KCl–AlCl 3.

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Molten-Salt Battery Freezes Energy Over a Whole Season

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Scientists have been looking for solutions in gravity energy storage , thermal or geothermal storage , and also molten-salt batteries. A recent study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) looks at molten-salt batteries that can “freeze” their charge for months until required.

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GE unit invests with KGAL in 50-Mw Spanish concentrated solar power plant featuring molten salt energy storage

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million in a 50-megawatt parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant using molten salt energy storage in Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Badajoz, Spain. ACS has built more than €2 billion worth of concentrated solar power facilities with molten salt storage in Spain.

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U Waterloo team shows four-electron conversion for Li-O2 batteries for high energy density; inorganic molten salt electrolyte, high temperature

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Nazar and her colleagues switched the organic electrolyte to a more stable inorganic molten salt and the porous carbon cathode to a bifunctional metal oxide catalyst. In addition, the superoxide consumes the organic electrolyte in the process, which greatly limits the cycle life.

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ARPA-E awards $38M to 12 projects leading used nuclear fuel recycling initiative

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Upon discharge from a nuclear reactor, the UNF is initially stored in steel-lined concrete pools surrounded by water. Most of the nation’s used fuel is stored at more than 70 reactor sites across the country. It is later removed from the pools and placed into dry storage casks with protective shielding. Award amount: $1,580,774).

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China Says It's Closing in on Thorium Nuclear Reactor

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Molten salt nuclear reactors (MSRs) fit the bill—and, according to at least one source , China may be well on their way to developing MSR technology. Government researchers there unveiled a design for a commercial molten salt reactor (MSR) that uses. concentrated solar power plants that store heat via molten salts. "So

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Thermal Solar Goes Where PVs Can’t

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As electric utilities and policymakers seek solutions for storing and dispatching energy on demand, concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) is once again gaining traction. Solar-thermal systems use sun-tracking mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a receiver, which contains a high-temperature fluid that stores heat. It's flexible.