Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy

翻译人员: Yuguo Zhang 校对人员: Jasmine Wang

The electricity powering the lights in this theater

这个会场的照明用电

was generated just moments ago.

是刚刚发出的。

Because the way things stand today,

因为就当前技术能力而言，

electricity demand must be in constant balance

电能的供求必须保持

with electricity supply.

动态平衡。

If in the time that it took me to walk out here on this stage,

假设我从讲台这端走到那端的时间里

some tens of megawatts of wind power

一些十几兆瓦功率的风力发电机

stopped pouring into the grid,

不再向我们的电网中供电，

the difference would have to be made up

瞬间产生的不平衡需立即由

from other generators immediately.

其他发电机发出的电能来消除。

But coal plants, nuclear plants

但煤电厂，核工厂的

can't respond fast enough.

响应速度达不到要求。

A giant battery could.

不过巨型电池可以做到这点。

With a giant battery,

利用巨型电池，

we'd be able to address the problem of intermittency

我们便能处理那些导致风力发电机

that prevents wind and solar

和太阳能发电机间歇性

from contributing to the grid

熄火（停止供电）的问题。

in the same way that coal, gas and nuclear do today.

目前，这是由煤、天然气和核能发电机保证的。

You see, the battery

你看，在这儿，电池

is the key enabling device here.

是运行正常进行的关键设备。

With it, we could draw electricity from the sun

有了它，我们可以使用太阳能

even when the sun doesn't shine.

甚至是在阴天的时候。

And that changes everything.

于是一切都大不一样了。

Because then renewables

因为那样的话，可再生能源

such as wind and solar

如风能和太阳能就能通过呼呼旋转

come out from the wings,

的风翼或是太阳能板

here to center stage.

转化为电能来到这个舞台中央。

Today I want to tell you about such a device.

今天我想告诉你一些关于此种设备的信息。

It's called the liquid metal battery.

它叫做液体金属电池。

It's a new form of energy storage

它是一种全新的能量存储方式。

that I invented at MIT

而我在麻省理工学院发明它，

along with a team of my students

当然是和我的学生的团队和博士后们

and post-docs.

一起发明它的。

Now the theme of this year's TED Conference is Full Spectrum.

现在，今年的 TED 大会的主题是全谱。

The OED defines spectrum

OED（牛津英语字典） 中“光谱”的定义是

as "The entire range of wavelengths

“电磁辐射波长的

of electromagnetic radiation,

全集，

from the longest radio waves to the shortest gamma rays

从波长最长的无线电波到波长最短的伽玛射线。

of which the range of visible light

而在这其中可见光波长范围

is only a small part."

只占了一小部分。”

So I'm not here today only to tell you

所以我在这里不仅仅是告诉你

how my team at MIT has drawn out of nature

我在麻省理工学院的团队是如何从自然中

a solution to one of the world's great problems.

得出的一个全球问题的解决方案的。

I want to go full spectrum and tell you how,

我们还会过一下全谱，并且我会告诉你们，

in the process of developing

在研发这种技术

this new technology,

的过程中，

we've uncovered some surprising heterodoxies

我们是如何发现一些可以作为创新经验的

that can serve as lessons for innovation,

非正统观点或教义。

ideas worth spreading.

这些是值得教授于人的思想。

And you know,

要知道，

if we're going to get this country out of its current energy situation,

若想我们的国家走出其当前的能源困势，

we can't just conserve our way out;

保守的做法是行不通的；

we can't just drill our way out;

在黑暗中冲撞是行不通的；

we can't bomb our way out.

激进的破旧立新是行不通的。

We're going to do it the old-fashioned American way,

我们要用老式的美国方法，

we're going to invent our way out,

我们要去发明创新

working together.

一起集思广益，找到解决方法。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now let's get started.

现在我们开始今天的内容。

The battery was invented about 200 years ago

约 200 年前，一位名叫亚历山德罗 · 沃尔塔的教授，

by a professor, Alessandro Volta,

在意大利的帕多瓦大学

at the University of Padua in Italy.

发明了电池。

His invention gave birth to a new field of science,

他的发明促使科学界产生了一个新领域——

electrochemistry,

电化学，

and new technologies

以及相应的新技术

such as electroplating.

如电镀。

Perhaps overlooked,

也许我们忽略了一件事，

Volta's invention of the battery

伏特发明的电池

for the first time also

也是首次

demonstrated the utility of a professor.

证实了教授是很实用的一种人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Until Volta, nobody could imagine

伏特的出现，打破了人们

a professor could be of any use.

一贯的"教授无用论"。

Here's the first battery --

这就是第一块的电池 — —

a stack of coins, zinc and silver,

一堆用浸过盐水的纸板

separated by cardboard soaked in brine.

分隔开的硬币、 锌、 银。

This is the starting point

这是设计一块

for designing a battery --

电池的起点 — —

two electrodes,

两个电极，

in this case metals of different composition,

这块电池中还有的不同功用的金属

and an electrolyte,

和电解质，

in this case salt dissolved in water.

这块电池中盐是溶解在水中的。

The science is that simple.

科学就是这么简单。

Admittedly, I've left out a few details.

不可否认，我放过了一些细节。

Now I've taught you

现在我已经告诉了大家

that battery science is straightforward

电池科学是很简单的。

and the need for grid-level storage

而且网级存储需要

is compelling,

是迫切的。

but the fact is

但事实上

that today there is simply no battery technology

现在根本还没有电池技术

capable of meeting

能够满足

the demanding performance requirements of the grid --

网格存储苛刻的性能要求，

namely uncommonly high power,

即非同寻常的高功率，

long service lifetime

长寿命

and super-low cost.

和超低成本。

We need to think about the problem differently.

我们需要换一种方式思考问题。

We need to think big,

我们想要大容量，

we need to think cheap.

我们想要价格便宜。

So let's abandon the paradigm

所以让我们不再考虑那种范式

of let's search for the coolest chemistry

先找到并使用最酷的化学药剂

and then hopefully we'll chase down the cost curve

然后通过制造大量产品

by just making lots and lots of product.

成功拉低成本曲线的范式。

Instead, let's invent

相反，让我们发明

to the price point of the electricity market.

电力市场的价格点。

So that means

这意味着所以

that certain parts of the periodic table

周期表中的某些部分

are axiomatically off-limits.

不言自明是利益禁地。

This battery needs to be made

这种电池的组成元素

out of earth-abundant elements.

必须在地球上大量存在。

I say, if you want to make something dirt cheap,

我说，如果你想要东西便宜的掉渣，

make it out of dirt --

那就土渣堆里制造出它— —

(Laughter)

（笑声）

preferably dirt

最好还是本地

that's locally sourced.

的土渣堆。

And we need to be able to build this thing

我们需要花费较少的简单些的

using simple manufacturing techniques and factories

制造技术和便宜的场地

that don't cost us a fortune.

来制造这些东西。

So about six years ago,

所以约六年前，

I started thinking about this problem.

我就开始思考这个问题了。

And in order to adopt a fresh perspective,

为了能对此问题有一个全新的视角，

I sought inspiration from beyond the field of electricity storage.

我从电力存储以外的领域寻求灵感。

In fact, I looked to a technology

事实上，我曾沉浸于一种既不

that neither stores nor generates electricity,

存储，也不产生电力的技术中，

but instead consumes electricity,

相反这种技术需要消耗电，

huge amounts of it.

而且相当费电。

I'm talking about the production of aluminum.

我说的铝的生产技术。

The process was invented in 1886

该技术在1886年

by a couple of 22-year-olds --

由一对22岁的夫妻— —

Hall in the United States and Heroult in France.

来自美国的霍尔和来自法国的俄罗特，发明。

And just a few short years following their discovery,

短短几年后，铝的制造工艺因他们的发明

aluminum changed

而改变。

from a precious metal costing as much as silver

铝不再如同银一般珍贵，

to a common structural material.

反而成为一种普通的建材。

You're looking at the cell house of a modern aluminum smelter.

你们看到的是现代连铝厂的生产车间，

It's about 50 feet wide

宽约 50 英尺（15.24米）

and recedes about half a mile --

长约半英里（1.6公里） — —

row after row of cells

那里面有一排一排的单元组，

that, inside, resemble Volta's battery,

这类似于伏特电池。

with three important differences.

但是他们有三个重要的区别：

Volta's battery works at room temperature.

1. 伏特电池在室温下工作；

It's fitted with solid electrodes

2. 伏特电池装有固体电极；

and an electrolyte that's a solution of salt and water.

3. 其电解质是由盐和水组成的。

The Hall-Heroult cell

霍尔-俄罗特工作单元

operates at high temperature,

则是在高温下工作的。

a temperature high enough

该温度需要能够

that the aluminum metal product is liquid.

使铝保持在液体状态。

The electrolyte

这里的电解液

is not a solution of salt and water,

也不是由盐和水组成的，

but rather salt that's melted.

而是由融化的盐组成的。

It's this combination of liquid metal,

这个液态金属，

molten salt and high temperature

熔盐和高温的组合是相当好的导体，

that allows us to send high current through this thing.

我们通过它传输高电流。

Today, we can produce virgin metal from ore

今天，我们可以以低于 50 美分一磅的成本

at a cost of less than 50 cents a pound.

从原矿中提炼出纯净的金属。

That's the economic miracle

这就是现代电冶金技术

of modern electrometallurgy.

的经济奇迹。

It is this that caught and held my attention

这点牢牢地抓住了我的注意。

to the point that I became obsessed with inventing a battery

我不停想发明出一种能够获得

that could capture this gigantic economy of scale.

如此巨大经济利益的电池。

And I did.

现在我做到了。

I made the battery all liquid --

我发明了液态电池 — —

liquid metals for both electrodes

该电池的电极是由液态金属构成的，

and a molten salt for the electrolyte.

其电解液则是由融盐构成的。

I'll show you how.

我将告诉你们这是如何实现的。

So I put low-density

我把低密度

liquid metal at the top,

的液态金属放在顶部，

put a high-density liquid metal at the bottom,

高密度的液态金属放在底部，

and molten salt in between.

中间则放置着融盐。

So now,

所以，现在，

how to choose the metals?

如何选择金属？

For me, the design exercise

对我来说，设计工作

always begins here

总是从周期表

with the periodic table,

这里开始的。

enunciated by another professor,

这是迪米特里门捷列夫教授

Dimitri Mendeleyev.

的名言。

Everything we know

我们所知道的一切

is made of some combination

都是由这张表里的

of what you see depicted here.

元素组成的。

And that includes our own bodies.

我们的身体也不例外。

I recall the very moment one day

我记得某天某刻

when I was searching for a pair of metals

当我在寻找一些能够

that would meet the constraints

满足我的条件的金属，

of earth abundance,

那些在地球上大量存贮

different, opposite density

不同的相对密度

and high mutual reactivity.

与高互反应性的金属的时候。

I felt the thrill of realization

我能感觉到我的心在颤抖，

when I knew I'd come upon the answer.

因为我知道我就快找到答案了。

Magnesium for the top layer.

低密度的镁，放在顶部

And antimony

高密度的锑

for the bottom layer.

放在底部。

You know, I've got to tell you,

知道我要告诉你们什么吗？

one of the greatest benefits of being a professor:

做教授的好处之一就是：

colored chalk.

可以用彩色粉笔。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So to produce current,

那么，要产生电流，

magnesium loses two electrons

镁要失去两个电子

to become magnesium ion,

变成镁离子，

which then migrates across the electrolyte,

然后镁离子将渡过电解液，

accepts two electrons from the antimony,

从锑分子获得两个电子

and then mixes with it to form an alloy.

并与锑化合形成一种新合金。

The electrons go to work

产生出的电子

in the real world out here,

会在真实的世界，比如这里，

powering our devices.

为我们的设备供电。

Now to charge the battery,

现在，要给电池充电，

we connect a source of electricity.

我们将它与电源相连。

It could be something like a wind farm.

电源可以一个风电场或是其他。

And then we reverse the current.

我们使电流反向传输。

And this forces magnesium to de-alloy

这将使原来的镁锑合金分解，

and return to the upper electrode,

镁离子将返回到上部电极，

restoring the initial constitution of the battery.

于是我们便还原到最初的电池结构及成分。

And the current passing between the electrodes

电池两级传输的电流

generates enough heat to keep it at temperature.

会产生热量，这些热量足以维持电池处于一个相对恒定的温度。

It's pretty cool,

这很酷，

at least in theory.

至少在理论层面上是的。

But does it really work?

但实践层面上如何呢？

So what to do next?

那么下一步我们要做什么？

We go to the laboratory.

我们会到实验室去。

Now do I hire seasoned professionals?

我会去雇用经验丰富的专业人士吗？

No, I hire a student

不，我雇了一名学生

and mentor him,

并且指导他，

teach him how to think about the problem,

传授他如何从我的角度，

to see it from my perspective

考虑这个问题，

and then turn him loose.

然后我便放任他自由思考。

This is that student, David Bradwell,

那学生叫大卫 · 布拉德韦尔，

who, in this image,

就是照片里的人。

appears to be wondering if this thing will ever work.

他似乎在思考这想法是否可行。

What I didn't tell David at the time

那时候我没有告诉大卫，

was I myself wasn't convinced it would work.

我本人也相当怀疑该设备能正常工作。

But David's young and he's smart

但大卫是个年轻人，他很聪明

and he wants a Ph.D.,

而且他想要一个博士学位，

and he proceeds to build --

于是他着手建立 — —

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He proceeds to build

他着手建立

the first ever liquid metal battery

史上第一个液态金属电池。

of this chemistry.

涉及到的化学原理就是我们上面提及的。

And based on David's initial promising results,

大卫的初步实验十分成功。

which were paid

当时实验经费是

with seed funds at MIT,

麻省理工学院的种子资金。

I was able to attract major research funding

而后成果的实验结果吸引了私营企业和联邦政府

from the private sector

投入大笔的研究资金，

and the federal government.

那是我们研究经费的主体。

And that allowed me to expand my group to 20 people,

于是我有能力雇佣更多的人，我的团队扩充至20人。

a mix of graduate students, post-docs

其中有研究生、博士后

and even some undergraduates.

甚至有大学生。

And I was able to attract really, really good people,

那时我能吸引来素质极佳的人，

people who share my passion

他们同我一样对科学

for science and service to society,

及社会服务充满热情。

not science and service for career building.

我们投入精力与这一切并不是为了所谓的职业规划建设。

And if you ask these people

如果你问这些人

why they work on liquid metal battery,

为什么他们从事液态金属电池的研究工作，

their answer would hearken back

他们的答案将会使我们回想起

to President Kennedy's remarks

1962年肯尼迪总统

at Rice University in 1962

于莱斯大学的演讲中的精辟之言

when he said -- and I'm taking liberties here --

我在这将较为随意的引用

"We choose to work on grid-level storage,

"我们选择研究网级存储

not because it is easy,

不是因为它容易实现

but because it is hard."

而是因为它难以实现。”

(Applause)

（掌声）

So this is the evolution of the liquid metal battery.

这就是液态金属电池的演变。

We start here with our workhorse one watt-hour cell.

我们工作主力从这些功率为1Wh的胞元电池开始。

I called it the shotglass.

我叫它 小酒杯（shotgalss）。

We've operated over 400 of these,

当时我们有超过 400 个小酒杯，

perfecting their performance with a plurality of chemistries --

里面不单单是镁和锑，还有各式各样的化学药品。

not just magnesium and antimony.

我们为了提高其效能，才加进去的。

Along the way we scaled up to the 20 watt-hour cell.

趁胜出击，我们将胞元电池的储能从1Wh扩大到20Wh.

I call it the hockey puck.

我称其为冰球。

And we got the same remarkable results.

实验成绩显著。

And then it was onto the saucer.

然后我们将体积扩大为碟型大小。

That's 200 watt-hours.

这就是 200 Wh的电池。

The technology was proving itself

该技术被证明其本身

to be robust and scalable.

是强健的且可扩展的。

But the pace wasn't fast enough for us.

但对于我们而言，研发的步骤还是不够快。

So a year and a half ago,

所以一年半前，

David and I,

大卫和我，

along with another research staff-member,

以及另一个研究人员，

formed a company

成立了一家公司。

to accelerate the rate of progress

这样我们加快研发进度

and the race to manufacture product.

同时也加快了产品制造的竞争。

So today at LMBC,

所以今天在 LMBC，

we're building cells 16 inches in diameter

我们可以构建直径 16 英寸的胞元电池

with a capacity of one kilowatt-hour --

其容量为1kWh — —

1,000 times the capacity

是最初“小酒杯”胞元电池容量

of that initial shotglass cell.

的1000倍。

We call that the pizza.

我们称其为比萨。

And then we've got a four kilowatt-hour cell on the horizon.

然后我们即将有4kWh的胞元电池。

It's going to be 36 inches in diameter.

它的直径为 36 英寸。

We call that the bistro table,

我们称之为酒馆小桌，

but it's not ready yet for prime-time viewing.

但它尚未准备好在黄金时段亮相。

And one variant of the technology

这种技术的一个变体

has us stacking these bistro tabletops into modules,

使我们能够将这些酒馆小桌按面堆叠成块，

aggregating the modules into a giant battery

然后这些模块可以组合成一个巨大的电池。

that fits in a 40-foot shipping container

这电池需要一个 40 英尺大的集装箱

for placement in the field.

来放置它。

And this has a nameplate capacity of two megawatt-hours --

其铭牌可标志额定容量为2TWh,

two million watt-hours.

即200MWh。

That's enough energy

其能力

to meet the daily electrical needs

以满足200 户美国家庭的

of 200 American households.

日常电力需求。

So here you have it, grid-level storage:

在此，我们在网格级存储级别上实现了它：

silent, emissions-free,

无声无排放

no moving parts,

无移动部件，

remotely controlled,

可远程控制，

designed to the market price point

而且价格适中

without subsidy.

【不需资助（这点我不知道怎么翻）】。

So what have we learned from all this?

所以我们从中都学到了什么？

(Applause)

（掌声）

So what have we learned from all this?

那么我们从这些经历中学到什么呢？

Let me share with you

让我与你们分享

some of the surprises, the heterodoxies.

一些惊喜发现和异端的出发点。

They lie beyond the visible.

他们是不可见的。

Temperature:

温度：

Conventional wisdom says set it low,

惯例是额定温度应是较低的温度，

at or near room temperature,

比如室温或其左右，

and then install a control system to keep it there.

然后安装一个控制系统来维持温度的稳定。

Avoid thermal runaway.

避免热量散失。

Liquid metal battery is designed to operate at elevated temperature

液态金属电池设计之初并未考虑温度设定的惯例

with minimum regulation.

而是直接规划其在高温下工作。

Our battery can handle the very high temperature rises

我们的电池可以应付电流冲击时

that come from current surges.

产生的温高增长。

Scaling: Conventional wisdom says

生产规模： 按惯例，我们会

reduce cost by producing many.

大量生产产品来降低每件产品的成本。

Liquid metal battery is designed to reduce cost

液态金属电池通过减少产量来降低

by producing fewer, but they'll be larger.

成本，但是他们的体积还会更大。

And finally, human resources:

最后，人力资源：

Conventional wisdom says

按惯例

hire battery experts,

我们应该聘请电池专家，

seasoned professionals,

和经验丰富的专业人士。

who can draw upon their vast experience and knowledge.

他们丰富的经验和知识，

To develop liquid metal battery,

可以加快液体金属电池的研发。

I hired students and post-docs and mentored them.

我却雇用了学生和博士后，并指导他们。

In a battery,

对于电池，

I strive to maximize electrical potential;

我努力发掘它们的储存电势能的潜力；

when mentoring,

在辅导的时候

I strive to maximize human potential.

我努力发掘人潜力。

So you see,

所以你看，

the liquid metal battery story

液态金属电池的故事

is more than an account

不仅仅是一个技术发明

of inventing technology,

的故事。

it's a blueprint

它是一个“发明”发明家，

for inventing inventors, full-spectrum.

“发明”全谱的蓝图

(Applause)

（掌声）