Original paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
"Significance" statement from the paper:
"The extent and pace of the transition from our current fossil fuel-based economy to one based on renewable energy will strongly depend on the availability of bulk energy storage solutions. Herein, we investigate one such candidate technology, using chemical precursors which are inexpensive, abundant, and widely available, specifically cement, water, and carbon black. The energy storage capacity of these carbon-cement supercapacitors is shown to be an intensive quantity, and their high rate capability exhibits self-similarity. These properties point to the opportunity for employing these structural concrete-like supercapacitors for bulk energy storage in both residential and industrial applications ranging from energy autarkic shelters and self-charging roads for electric vehicles, to intermittent energy storage for wind turbines."
Press coverage:
Hackaday, "MIT cracks the concrete capacitor"
MIT News, "MIT engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor from ancient materials"
DevX, "MIT Engineers and their Game-Changing Green Energy Storage Solution"
Resolution criteria:
This market resolves to "YES" if by 2025 January 1 (UTC) at least a single unit of commercial supercapactor using any non-zero number of cement-carbon electrodes becomes operational (that is, is actually utilized by the client).
Otherwise the market resolves to "NO".
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Resolving to "NO". For a review of respective technical challenges, see:
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2024/ra/d4ra04812a
Quote:
"Concrete-based energy storage devices face several challenges that need to be addressed for their successful implementation and commercialization. Both concrete-based batteries and supercapacitors currently face limitations in energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. While advancements have been made, such as the development of carbon–cement supercapacitors that utilize materials like carbon black to enhance conductivity, achieving competitive energy densities remains a significant hurdle. The energy storage capacity of concrete-based systems needs to be improved to make them viable alternatives for applications requiring substantial energy storage. The integration of conductive materials, such as carbon black and carbon fibers, into concrete formulations can increase production costs. Although concrete itself is inexpensive, the need for these additional materials may raise the overall cost of concrete-based energy storage devices. Balancing cost-effectiveness with performance is crucial for widespread adoption. Integrating concrete-based energy storage solutions into existing buildings and infrastructure poses logistical challenges. The rebuilding of structures to incorporate energy storage capabilities requires careful design and planning. Additionally, the transition from traditional energy storage methods to concrete-based systems necessitates changes in regulatory frameworks and standards to accommodate these new technologies. Although there is growing interest in concrete-based energy storage technologies, research is still in its early stages. More extensive studies are required to explore the full potential of these systems, including their scalability, efficiency, and integration with renewable energy sources. Continued investment in research and development is vital to overcoming the challenges and unlocking the benefits of concrete-based energy storage."