Donald Sadoway, an MIT professor, has created a method for the long-term storage and distribution of renewable energy.
Donald Sadoway, MIT, has been awarded the 2022 European Inventor Award for his work in liquid metal batteries, which could be used to store renewable energy long term. He was nominated in the Non-European Patent Office Countries category.
Sadoway has been a friend and supporter of MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory for many years. He is also the John F. Elliott Materials Chemistry Professor at MIT’s Materials Science and Engineering Department.
Antonio Campinos (President of the European Patent Office) says that Donald Sadoway’s invention allows large-scale storage for renewable energy. This is a significant step toward the deployment of carbon-free electricity generation. “He spent his entire career studying electrochemistry and has turned this knowledge into an invention that is a significant step forward in the transition towards green energy.
On June 21, Professor Sadoway received the 2022 European Inventor Award at Munich’s Bavaria Studios. This is Europe’s most prestigious innovation prize. The award is given annually to exceptional inventors from Europe and abroad who have significantly contributed to technological progress, society and economic growth.
Donald Sadoway holds the John F. Elliott Materials Chemistry Professor at MIT’s Materials Science and Engineering Department. Credit: Todd Wilson
Sadoway addressed the crowd when he accepted the Munich award.
“I am stunned. “I am astonished at the number of patented technologies represented at this event. They all solve pressing problems. It makes me wonder if judges are not only assessing excellence but also the urgency of each case. The liquid metal battery addresses a serious threat to the health and safety of our atmosphere, which is linked to climate change.
The EPO hosts this event to celebrate invention. All inventors share a common thread: their efforts to improve the world. I believe there is no nobler pursuit. This could be a celebration of nobility.
Sadoway’s liquid-metal batteries have three liquid layers with different densities. They naturally separate in much the same way oil and vinegar do in salad dressings. The top and bottom layers of the liquid metal batteries are made from molten elements, while the middle layer is made from molten liquid salt.
The batteries must be kept liquid at high temperatures to keep them from becoming brittle. Sadoway created a self-heating and insulated system that does not require external cooling or heating. They can last more than 20 years and retain 99 percent of their capacity after 5,000 charges. There is also no fire risk because they are free from combustible materials.
With a patent on his invention and the support of Bill Gates in 2010, Sadoway founded Ambri to develop a commercial product. The company will install a unit on a 3,700-acre site in Nevada for a data center. The battery will store 500 megawatts (or the equivalent) of renewable energy on-site.
Born into a Ukrainian family in Canada in 1950, Sadoway studied chemical metallurgy. He specialized in “extreme electrochemistry”, which is chemical reactions in molten and liquid metals that have been heated up to more than 500 degrees Celsius. He joined the faculty of MIT in 1978 after completing his BASc and MASc degrees from the University of Toronto.