Advanced storage solutions
NASA has used nickel-hydrogen batteries for systems such as the International Space Station (ISS) since the 1970s. Platinum catalysts, which were expensive, were used in the initial design. But in 2020, Yi Cui, a materials science professor at Stanford, created a less expensive substitute utilizing a nickel-molybdenum-cobalt alloy, opening up the technology for wider use.
Cui’s invention of an affordable nickel-molybdenum-cobalt alloy catalyst led to the founding of EnerVenue.
EnerVenue’s battery packs, called ESVs, feature six-foot-long, six-inch-wide tanks capable of storing 3 kWh of energy. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, ESVs operate across a wide temperature range (-40°F to 140°F) without requiring additional safety measures. However, nickel-hydrogen batteries are costlier to manufacture and have lower energy density, necessitating more units to match lithium-ion outputs.