2007-03-20 02:05:43 · 9 answers · asked by satya k 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The first two answers are good. So-called super-capacitors (one farad or more) are now being used to store electricity in "energy harvester" applications. Small amounts of electricity are "harvested" from the environment with various transducers and stored on the super-capacitor over long periods of time until enough energy is accumulated to perform some useful electronic task very quickly. For example, the temperature difference between the human body and the ambient environment can be used to generate a small current with micro-thermocouple piles (series connected thermocouples). This current can charge a super-capacitor, which then can power an implanated heart pacemaker. Advantage is there is no need to surgically remove the pacemaker when its battery is depleted after several years of operation. The amount of electricity that is stored, however, is extremely small.
All other ways, besides capacitors, to store electricity involve converting the electrical energy to some other form of energy for storage and then coverting the stored energy back into electricity. There are inevitably losses because of the inefficiency of these processes, but some are practical if large quantities of electricity are available for storage. Pumping water up hill and then releasing it later to drive turbine-driven alternators is practical on a large scale, as Epidavros pointed out. Storing energy in large flywheels spinning in vacuum has also been tried in Europe to power electric buses when they are temporarily disconnected from the main electrical supply.
2007-03-20 02:50:37 · answer #1 · answered by hevans1944 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are many ideas but the huge losses that occur in the storage process don't help with the feasability of these ideas and it is cheaper at this stage to rather "produce" more electricity than to try and store it.
Batteries are the best example of "storage" but you can't store huge quantities (to feed a town during an outage for example) without incredable cost incurred.
In South Africa there is a "electricity storage facility" where the surplus electricity in the system is used to pump water from a lower lying dam (Tugela river system) to a higher lying dam (Sterkfontein Dam) and when the network require electricity, the water is gravitated back to to the lower dam and through turbines, which produce electricity again.
Other ideas which didn't really have commercial potential but the idea was OK, include a rather large flywheel that is electrically accelerated and when electricity is required, the electrical moter spinning the wheel is used as a generator.
Once the costs of producing electricity become too high, the need for storing electricity will dictate the intensity and funds put into the research on this subject. While there are wind, sun, wave power, nuclear reactors etc. the production of electricity will remain cheap and no real research will take place
2007-03-20 10:18:26 · answer #2 · answered by Francois J V 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What do you suppose a battery is? Actually, technically a battery is an electrochemical cell, so it doesn't technically store electricity, so much as convert it into chemical energy, whenh it is charged, which is then converted back to electricity to power appliances later on.
A capacitor however, is literally a device that stores electricity.
Two parallel metal plates have a small gap between them, so that current can't pass across them. A large electrical potential (voltage) is applied across the two plates, and electrons gather on one side, while being deplaeted on the other. Connecting a circuit between these plates then allows the stored electricity to be rapidly released.
2007-03-20 09:15:27 · answer #3 · answered by Ian I 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is difficult to store electricity.
Batteries - even the best - are vey bad at it.
Fuel cells attempt to improve on this (electricity is used to electrolyse water to hydrogen and oxygen, and then the hydrogen is used in a fuel cell to giuve back electricity), but these are still only of small scale use.
Storing electricity suitable for mains distribution is very hard. The one scheme I know of is in Wales - the Dinorwic pumped storage scheme pumps water up a mountain when there is surplus electrical power and reverses to generate power hydroelectrically when needed.
2007-03-20 09:12:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
the only way to store it is with batteries
2007-03-20 09:15:50 · answer #5 · answered by jim m 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
batteries.....most efficient i guess so are lithium ion cells (used in digicams and handycams)......fuel cells also...but they do not really store electricity...but make it by combustion of hydrogen
2007-03-20 13:23:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Batteries and capacitors
2007-03-20 09:16:33 · answer #7 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well...... u can store electricity only in the chemical state.............. well dats wat happenes in ur rechargable batteries...............
they convert the electrical energy to chemical energy.............
this chemical energy is transformed back into electrical energy as and when there is demand
2007-03-20 12:16:46 · answer #8 · answered by karthic 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
battery ha ha ha
2007-03-20 10:54:07 · answer #9 · answered by ayal p 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋