Energy Storage System based on Biomimetic Strategies: Concept Design and Performance Assessment in Buildings

Abstract

Due to the constant growth in energy demand worldwide, renewable systems require more maintenance and electrical energy generation, which also involves an increase in storage capacity. Solar energy is one of the renewable sources with the greatest opportunity to cover this increasing demand as it promises in areas of power generation for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Currently, there are several conventional electricity energy storage systems whose contributions have been presented at a building scale; batteries being the last the most used in the market for their ability to react instantly to changes in energy demand, but they are not totally eco-friendly. Nowadays, alternatives are being searched to reduce the ecological footprint that continues affecting the environment. To decrease carbon emissions and propose a “green” storage system, this research implements biomimetic strategies following the steps of the problem-based approach with the operating principle of lithium-ion batteries as a basis. As a result, a preliminary design of an equivalent circuit is presented that simulates the behavior of a natural cell based on the energy admission and storage processes of an oriental hornet, as well as the discharge mechanism of an electric eel.