Cement Capacitors based on carbon black and concrete for use in energy storage

[.Scott]

TL;DR

MIT Scientists have described a large electric capacitors based on carbon black and concrete for use in energy storage.

A recent article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) describes a large electric capacitors based on carbon black and concrete. The device would be used for electric power storage - often in proximity to the electric power demand, for example, a home.

 

[Rive]

... is there anybody still remembers the historical idea of the PV rooftiles?...
This one is the same feeling.

 

[berkeman]

... is there anybody still remembers the historical idea of the PV rooftiles?...
This one is the same feeling.

and @Tom.G and and @Bystander -- This is an article is in a peer-reviewed journal on our list of acceptable references. Which part of the article do you have problems with specifically?

https://mjl.clarivate.com/search-results

 

[Tom.G]

Arggh! Caught.
I had not read the article, now I have and it seems doable.

The only immediately possible drawback I spot is the cost (and maybe the question of where will you put a 12 foot cube of concrete).

With the cost of concrete around USD $250 per cubic meter poured, times an assumed factor of 3 to 6 for the 'non-standard mix', I get $34,000 to $67,000 for the 'capacitor.'
(https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cost+poured+concrete+per+cubic+meter)

Google reports that 10kWH (as mentioned in the report) of Lithium batteries is $1510.
(https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=price+per+kwh+lithium-ion+batteries)

If you assume the Li battery needs replacement every six years, the break-even period is 135 years. (of course if you use just the cost of concrete itself you get payback in 45 years.)

So, doable? Likely. Financially astute? Hmm...

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. cost of money, interest rates, and inflation NOT included

edit: added search links

 

[Rive]

Which part of the article do you have problems with specifically?

I found this article a very 'academic' one - in the wrong sense.

It's focusing on a tiny aspect of a very complex matter, and that makes it just ... dull.
Especially for the 'Engineering' section of the forum.
I could appreciate something about the mating habits of fruit flies a lot more.

Also, for me this kind of thing is a bit personal. I have a long history of trying to put some sense into 'green' energy matters on various forums, and these type of 'out of context' papers made it an endless, hopeless nightmare.

 

[berkeman]

and that makes it just ... dull.

Kind of like watching ... cement dry?

 

[Bystander]

and @Bystander -- This is an article is in a peer-reviewed journal on our list of acceptable

Scale; believe it when I see it.