The storage of electroenergy is an essential feature of modem energy
technologies. Unfortunately, no economical and technically feasible
method for the solution of this severe problem is presently available.
But electrochemistry is a favourite candidate from an engineering point
of view. It promises the highest energy densities of all possible
alternatives. If this is true, there will be a proportionality between
the amount of electricity to be stored and the possible voltage,
together with the mass of materials which make this storage possible.
Insofar it is a matter of material science to develop adequate systems.
Electricity is by far the most important secondary energy source. The
present production rate, mainly in the thermal electric power stations,
is in the order of 1.3 TW. Rechargeable batteries (RB) are of widespread
use in practice for electroenergy storage and supply. The total capacity
of primary and rechargeable batteries being exploited is the same as
that of the world electric power stations. However, the important goal
in the light of modem energy technology, namely the economical storage
of large amounts of electricity for electric vehicles, electric route
transport, load levelling, solar energy utilization, civil video & audio
devices, earth and spatial communications, etc. will not be met by the
presently available systems. Unless some of the new emerging
electrochemical systems are established up to date, RB's based on
aqueous acidic or alkali accumulators are mainly produced today.