Ruthenium breakthrough 'heat battery'

[Ardent Listener]

Ruthenium breakthrough 'could lead to rechargeable heat battery' 27th October 2010
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Successful tests involving ruthenium could pave the way for the creation of a new 'rechargeable heat battery', researchers have confirmed.

The thermo-chemical approach to storing the sun's energy was first mooted decades ago, but scientists could not find a substance capable of reversibly switching between absorbing sunlight and releasing heat.

A breakthrough was made in 1996, when it was discovered that ruthenium possessed these qualities, but the precious metal was deemed too expensive to be practical for widespread energy storage.

In addition, the precise workings of the compound were unclear, but a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have claimed that they are now closer to finding a solution.

A molecule known as fulvalene diruthenium is able to perform both the absorbing and releasing tasks, but the researchers found that there was an unexpected intermediate step.

Jeffrey Grossman, the Carl Richard Soderberg Associate Professor of Power Engineering in MIT's department of materials, science and engineering, explained that a semi-stable pathway was formed between the two states.

"It takes many of the advantages of solar-thermal energy, but stores the heat in the form of a fuel. It's reversible, and it's stable over a long term," he said.

"You can use it where you want, on demand. You could put the fuel in the sun, charge it up, then use the heat and place the same fuel back in the sun to recharge."

Professor Grossman also confirmed that a fuel made from fulvalene diruthenium can reach 200 degrees C when its heat is released, which would be enough to heat a home or power an engine to produce electricity.

Although the cost concerns in relation to the ruthenium molecule remain, MIT believes that the greater understanding of its workings will allow them to find similar, cheaper molecules to advance the technology.

Ruthenium is also used for wear-resistant electrical contacts and in the production of thick-film resistors.

Sources:



Understanding rare molecule could enable "rechargeable heat battery"(25/10/10)



Catching the sun's heat (26/10/10)



Storing the Sun's Heat (26/10/10)



Technique promises indefinitely storable solar energy (26/10/10)

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[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Ardent,

Do you know what Ruthenium looks like in it's natural state? Or, an ore state??

[Ardent Listener]

Not very pretty is it?

[Ardent Listener]

Ruthenium necklace.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Thanks!

Ruthenium is the highest priced PM out there. It may be ugly to some... but I think it is beautiful!

EDIT Oops! My bad. Rhodium, not Ruthenium is the highest priced PM. I don't care. At $400 per Ozt, I hope I find lots of it!