MGX enters final stage of zinc-air fuel cell energy storage system development

MGXR Modular Energy Storage System (ESS)

MGX Minerals has entered the final stages of development of its next generation zinc-air energy storage system. All components of the system have been designed, machined and qualified, with the exception of the fuel cell and regenerator plates, which comprise the housing, and the final system housing. System level testing is expected to begin this month. All components are designed for high volume production. Many of the most complex and proprietary components, such as the cathode, are manufactured in-house.

The MGXR ESS is a modular energy storage system designed to provide power in the 20kW-50MW range and long duration energy storage in the 120Kwh-1GWh range. Leveraging the advantages of rechargeable zinc-air fuel cell technology, the system can be configured to support a wide range of discharge power, charge power and duty cycle requirements. Since the energy storage capacity of the system is determined only by the size of the fuel tank, there is now a very cost-effective and scalable solution that can replace the linear energy storage ratio of lithium-ion batteries.

In addition to containing no expensive materials like lithium or cobalt, zinc-air fuel cells are much lower cost and reflect a paradigm shift that essentially eliminates the traditional linear fixed power/storage ratio and allows for a scalable power source with highly flexible storage capacity – essentially any ratio, limited only by the physical parameters of the fluidized zinc storage tank.

Zinc-air fuel cells have completely decoupled the power and storage subsystems from a ratio of 1:5 to 1:20 and conceptually 1:100, providing significant advantages in any situation where more than a few hours of storage is required. This meets both the need for renewable energy storage and opportunities in industrial and grid-scale power acquisition and distribution, while bringing the inherent benefits of clean and stable power; not only can power be obtained at night and released on demand during the day; but also can take advantage of larger fluctuations in power supply and demand, such as weekly, monthly and possible seasonal fluctuations.

Charging is also flexible, being a separate subsystem that scales to match the supply market and the times when electricity is available (whether long or short windows).

The MGXR ESS is based on unique patented zinc-air fuel cell technology. Energy is stored in the form of zinc particles, which are similar in size to grains of sand. When the system outputs energy, the zinc particles combine with oxygen from the surrounding air. When the system is recharged, the zinc particles regenerate and oxygen is returned to the surrounding air.

The flexibility of the MGXR ESS enables it to serve a wide range of applications such as storing and smoothing current from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

(Original text from: Renewable Energy Magazine New Energy Network Comprehensive)