Energy Storage Density
Energy density - by weight and volume - for some ways to store energy
Energy Storage | Typical Energy Densities | ||
---|---|---|---|
(kJ/kg) Load Calculator! | (MJ/m3) | ||
Thermal Energy, low temperature | Water, temperature difference 100oC to 40oC | 250 | 250 |
Stone or rocks, temperature difference 100oC to 40oC | 40 - 50 | 100 - 150 | |
Iron, temperature difference 100oC to 40oC | 30 | 230 | |
Thermal Energy, high temperature | Stone or rocks, temperature difference 400oC to 200oC | 160 | 430 |
Iron, temperature difference 400oC to 200oC | 100 | 800 | |
Conventional Fuels Energy | Crude Oil | 42000 | 37000 |
Coal | 32000 | 42000 | |
Dry Wood | 12500 - 20000 | 10000 - 16000 | |
Synthetic Fuels Energy | Hydrogen, gas | 120000 - 142000 | 10 |
Hydrogen, liquid | 120000 - 142000 | 8700 | |
Methanol | 21000 | 17000 | |
Ethanol | 28000 | 22000 | |
Electrochemical Energy | Lead-acid batteries | 40 - 140 | 100 - 900 |
Nickel-cadmium batteries | 350 | 350 | |
Lithium ion batteries | 700 | 1400 | |
Mechanical Energy | Hydropower, 100 m head | 1 | 1 |
Compressed air | 15 | ||
Flywheel, steel | 30 - 120 | 240 - 950 | |
Flywheel, composite materials | > 200 | > 100 |