FeFES · Fe Fuel Particle Design for Renewable Energy Storage

The global transition to renewable energy is one of the most critical challenges of our time. Iron powder has been proposed as a new sustainable energy carrier to replace fossil fuels in energy management. During its oxidation, heat is released and can be stored by reducing the resulting iron oxide using renewable energy. However, significant challenges remain for Fe fuel, such as transport and storage safety, ignition efficiency, micro-explosions, particle inflation, nanoparticle emissions, and particle agglomeration. To date, these issues have only been addressed by adjusting extrinsic combustion parameters like pressure, temperature, and gas composition, an approach that falls short of solving the fundamental limitations. FeFES offers a groundbreaking solution by focusing on controlling the microstructure, morphology, and chemistry of Fe particles. By combining combustion engineering with materials science, FeFES will design Fe particles specifically tailored for sustainable energy storage. Their microstructure will be optimized to meet the needs of the Fe fuel cycle and naturally regenerate. Using novel experimental approaches, including in situ X-ray synchrotron studies, FeFES will quantify the microstructural evolution of burning iron fuel for the first time. These experimental insights will be paired with advanced phase field models to comprehensively understand the impact of the particle design on its combustion behavior. The breakthroughs from FeFES will have wide-reaching benefits, including accelerating the development of renewable energy production through efficient energy storage and transport, expanding the use of metal fuels beyond pure metals, and advancing our understanding of liquid-state metal oxidation. This project holds the potential to reshape energy storage technologies and make a profound contribution to global sustainable energy efforts.