>> Hi, I'm Whitney Espich, the CEO of the MIT Alumni Association.
and I hope you enjoy this digital production created for alumni and friends like you.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THEME OF TODAY'S SECTION.
MIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND I SUBJECT IT TACKLING THE BIG
PROBLEM AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU TWO VIGNETTES.
TACKLING BIG PROBLEMS IN ENERGY AND THE OTHER IN MANUFACTURING
AND IT IS GOING TO BE A FLY-BY BECAUSE WE WANT TO KEEP TIME.
FIRST ONE IS ELECTRICITY.
IT'S ABOUT THE AMOUNT.
TO EVERYTHING WE VALUE IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS PREDICATED ON
THE AVAILABILITY OF ELECTRICITY.
WHERE YOU SEE LIGHT YOU SEE THE MODERN WORLD AND WHERE YOU DON'T
THERE'S ONE OF TWO CONDITIONS EITHER NOBODY LIVES THERE OR IT
HAS NOT BEEN ELECTRIFYING AND IF IT HASN'T THERE'S NO MORE
PRECIOUS GIFT YOU CAN GIVE THOSE PEOPLE THAN ELECTRICITY AND
ACCESS TO IT.
BUT WE WANT SUSTAINABLE ELECTRICITY.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE CARBON FREE GENERATION.
WIND SOLAR BUT THEY'RE INTERMITTENT AND THEY'RE
INCAPABLE OF BEING BASE LOAD FULLY INTEGRATED.
STATIONARY STORAGE IS KEY.
WITHOUT THAT WE CANNOT DRAW ELECTRICITY FROM THE SUN WHEN
THE SUN DOES NOT SHINE, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
IT HAS TO HAVE SUPER LONG SERVICE LIFETIME NOT LIKE THREE
YEARS AND FIVE YEARS.
LITHIUM EYE ON ON THE GRID HAS NEVER BEEN DEMONSTRATED.
SAFE.
YOU CAN'T HAVE FIRES.
FIRE IN A PHONE IS ONE THING BUT A FIRE NA TEN MEGA WATT HOUR
STORAGE FACILITY IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE.
OPERATIONAL FLEXIBLE HAS TO DO EVERYTHING FROM SPRINT TO
MARATHON.
FREQUENCY AND SHORT DURATION.
OVERNIGHT, LONG DURATION.
SINGLE BATTERY HAS TO DO ALL OF THIS.
YOU DON'T HAVE BATTERY THAT RUNS THE HEARING AID RUN AN ELECTRIC
CAR.
THIS HAS TO DO EVERYTHING AND HAS TO GO AT SUPER LOW COSTS AND
HAS TO BE ALL OF THESE.
I CAN GIVE YOU THE TOP THREE RIGHT NOW TO GET A PRICE POINT
BUT WHEN YOU SAY LOW COST THAT'S A DIFFERENT MATTER.
ALRIGHT?
SO WHEN I STARTED MY WORK, BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE LOW COST I
FLIPPED THE PARADIGM.
THE PARADIGM FOR RESEARCH IN THE UNIVERSITY IS INVENT THE COOLEST
CHEMISTRY.
GET THE HIGH IMPACT JOURNAL PUBLICATION AND MAYBE THERE'S A
START UP COMPANY IN THERE AND THOSE GUYS WILL CHASE THE COST
CURB.
HERE YOUR ARE UP AGAINST ENTRENCHED INCUMBENT AND YOU
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT COST ON DAY ONE NOT DAY 1001.
SO I MADE COST AT THE BEGINNING ALLOWED SAID IT'S NOT BATTERY
VERSES BATTERY.
THERE'S NO BATTERIES ON THE GRID DEPLOYED UNLESS THEY'RE HEAVILY
SUBSIDIZED SO WE COMPETE AGAINST HYDRO CARBONS.
THERE'S VAST SWATH OF THE PERIODIC TABLE I WON'T ALLOW MY
STUDENTS TO TOUCH BECAUSE I DON'T CARE.
IF YOU MAKE A BATTERY OUT OF THAT STUFF IT WON'T SCALE SO
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.
I SAY IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING DIRT CHEAP, MAKE IT
OUT OF DIRT.
[APPLAUSE] >> AND MAKE IT LOCAL DIRT.
[LAUGHTER] BECAUSE THAT WAY YOU GOT A SECURE SUPPLY CHAIN.
MAKES NO SENSE TO TRADE ON IMPORTED PETROLEUM.
AND MAKE IT EASY TO MANUFACTURE.
BATTERY PLANT.
LITHIUM ION BATTERY BECAUSE IT COSTS FIVE GIGA DOLLARS.
MAKE IT SIMPLE AND PRIMITIVE.
DESIGN AT THE DISCOVERY STAGE.
POSE THE RIGHT QUESTION.
I DID NOT SAY HOW DID I INVENT A BIG BATTERY.
I SAID COLOSSAL STORAGE DEVICE AND DIDN'T SPECIFY FORM.
MY COLLEAGUES ARE TRYING TO TAKE THE BATTERY HERE AND MAKE IT THE
SIZE OF THIS ROOM.
I DIDN'T START WITH THAT.
BUT I HAVE AN OPEN BEHIND.
AND BY THE WAY, DO NOT SPEAK TO THE INCUMBENTS.
DISREGARD THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO BRILLIANT RADICAL INNOVATIONS IF
YOU CONSULT WITH INCUMBENTS.
SO I TOOK MY INSPIRATION FROM OUTSIDE THE FIELD OF STORAGE AND
I DO ELECTRIC CHEMISTRY.
ALUMINUM AND HIGH TEMPERATURES.
HERE AS MODERN ALUMINUM SMELTER ABOUT 100 FEET FROM LEFT TO
RIGHT THAT GOES BACK PROBABLY A MILE.
PRODUCING ALUM NEW MEXICO 24/7 PROBABLY 500,000 AMPS PER VOLTS.
THAT'S TWO GIGA WATTS AND I LOOKED A THE IT AND I SAID
HMM...
IT TRAVELS IN HUGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY AND
OPERATES CHEAPLY.
IF I CAN MAKE IT NOT TO CONSUME BUT STORE ELECTRICITY I WILL
HAVE SOMETHING BIG AND CHEAP SO I STARTED WITH SOMETHING THAT'S
BIG AND OPERATES WITH HUGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY AND SAID
I'M GOING TO TEACH IT HOW TO STORE.
EVERYBODY STARTS WITH STORE AND TRY TO MAKE IT BIG.
WE'LL SEE WHO GETS THERE.
SO THIS IS INVENTION.
LIQUID METAL BATTERY.
ON TOP AND MOLTEN SALT IN BETWEEN AND LIQUID METAL ON
BOTTOM.
THIS IN SOLUBLE AND MOLTEN SALT IS IN SOME WOBBLE IT SO THESE
THREE LAYERS LION EACH OTHER BY DENSITY.
ON DISCHARGE THE MAGNESIUM WANT TO ALLOY WITH THE ALIMONY BUT
IT'S IN SOLUBLE BUT IF IT IONIZING IT CAN GO SO IT SENDS
THE ELECTRONS THROUGH THE EXTERNAL CIRCUIT AND THE
MAGNESIUM GOES DOWN TO THIS AND HAS TO COME OUT OF THE SALT AND
REQUIRES TWO ELECTRONS AND BECOMES A NEUTRAL AND THE
ELECTRONS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE EXTERNAL CIRCUIT.
WHEN THE CURRENT PASSES IT GENERATES HEAT AND THAT'S THE
THREAT IN THE BATTERY.
HERE I CAPTURE THAT HEAT AND I USE THAT HEAT TO KEEP THIS THING
AT TEMPERATURE.
NOW TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY I FORCE CURRENT THROUGH IT AND
SEND THE MAGNESIUM TO THE TOP SO I'M PURIFICATION AND MAKING PURE
MAGNESIUM ON THE STOP RESTORING THE BATTERY TO IT'S PRISTINE
STATE AND THAT'S IT.
THERE'S A LOT TO THIS BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME.
[LAUGHTER] I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT JUST COOK AND LOOK.
I MEAN PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND SAY EW THIS IS HEAVY INDUSTRY.
YES IT IS.
THAT'S WHERE THE SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE PROBLEMS LIE.
I DON'T WORK IN NANO.
IT'S TOO SMALL.
[LAUGHTER] I DON'T WANT TENS OF ATOMS I WANT TONS OF ATOMS.
MY STUDENTS ARE ALSO CONDUCTING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR PAPERS.
IN NATURE ARGUABLY THE PREMIER SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL IN THE WORLD
SO THIS IS GOING TOGETHER SO THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GOOD
SCIENCE AND LIVING IN HARMONY WITH HEAVY INDUSTRY.
ALRIGHT.
START UP TIME.
I DID NOT WANT A START UP COMPANY BUT TWO STUDENTS SAID WE
HAVE TO HAVE A START UP AND I SAID I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH
MONEY STUFF AND THEY SAID DO YOU WANT TO IMPACT SOCIETY?
SCIENCE AND SERVICE TO SOCIETY.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A COMPANY.
PAPER IN NATURE DOESN'T MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IT'S JUST A
START.
YOU HAVE TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE.
SO ALL THE CATCHY NAMES WERE TAKEN AND WE HAD THE LIQUID
METAL BATTERY CORPORATION AS OUR NAME.
THIS TERRIBLE NAME.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND SOMEBODY SAID, CISCO SYSTEMS WAS NAMED
BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO AND I SAID WE FOUNDED
THE BATTERY HERE IN CAMBRIDGE SO I GOT THE NAME AMBERY BECAUSE IT
CAME FROM MIT AND IT WAS STILL AVAILABLE SO THAT WAS ASSIGN.
SERIES A FUNDING.
BILL GATES.
NOW I'M FROM CANADA.
I WOULD NOT DARE GO TO BILL GATES.
HE CAME TO ME?
WHY?
IT'S AN MIT STORY.
YOU'LL LOVE THIS.
YEARS I WAS TEACHING 3091 INTRODUCTION TO SOLID STATE
CHEMISTRY [APPLAUSE]
YES. AND IT WITH US PUT ON.
IT GOT PUT ON OPEN COURSE WARE AND SOMEWHERE AROUND 2005 BILL
STARTED WATCHING MY CHEMISTRY LECTURES.
ALL OF THEM.
WATCHED THEM ALL EVERY YEAR AND I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP.
IN AUGUST OF 2009, I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM A WOMAN THAT SAID
SHE WAS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND HE WAS COMING TO BOSTON AT THE
END OF THE SEPTEMBER MONTH AND HE WANTED TO MEET WITH ME, WOULD
I HAVE 90 MINUTES?
[LAUGHTER] I IGNORED THE E-MAIL.
[LAUGHTER] WHY?
BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE STUDENTS HAD HACKED INTO MY ACCOUNT.
[LAUGHTER] SO ABOUT TEN DAYS LATER SHE
WRITES AGAIN AND SAID MAYBE YOU DIDN'T SEE BUT MR.
GATES WANTS TO MEET YOU.
I SHOWED THE THING TO A FEW PEOPLE AND THEY SAID, I THINK
THIS IS REAL SO I SAID, OKAY FINE.
I'LL MEET HIM.
IT WAS A FRIDAY AND I JUST FINISHED TEACHING AN WE SAT FOR
90 MINUTES AND CHATTED.
HE WAS REALLY FOCUSED.
TALKED ABOUT THE LECTURES AND CRITICIZED SOME OF THE CAMERA
WORK.
[LAUGHTER] TALKED ABOUT COMPUTERS AND DISTANCE LEARNING
AND ALL THIS STUFF AND TOWARDS THE END HE SAID WHAT ARE YOU
WORKING ON?
THIS WAS 2009 I HAD NO RESULTS YET AND I SKETCHED OUT THIS
CONCEPT OF LIQUID METAL BATTERY AND HE SAID, THAT'S INTERESTING.
IF YOU EVER DECIDED TO SPIN THAT OUT I WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT
MONEY IN AND A YEAR LATER MY STUDENTS APPROACHED HIM AND HE
BECAME OUR FIRST INVESTOR SO I MET HIM NOT BECAUSE I WROTE A
DYNAMITE OPINION PIECE IN THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" BUT I
TAUGHT FRESHMAN CHEMISTRY AT MIT AND THAT'S WHY I MET BILL GATES.
[APPLAUSE] AND NOW THE OTHER ONE INVESTOR
JUST JOINED THE ENERGY INITIATIVE.
BIG.
ONE OF THE MAJORS.
PETROLEUM COMPANY THINKING ABOUT 30 YEARS AHEAD AND THEY WANTED
TO INVEST AND THEY WERE BUYING SUN POWER AND KNEW THAT SOLAR
WITHOUT STORAGE WAS INCOMPLETE AND LOOKED FOR SOMETHING RADICAL
AND THEY SAID, THIS LIQUID METAL BAT SORRY DIFFERENT SO THAT'S
HOW WE GET STARTED.
OKAY.
AND I'LL JUST SHOW YOU ONE THING.
THIS FOUR AND A HALF YEARS A THE TEMPERATURES.
5,000 CYCLES.
FULL DISCHARGE CYCLES THAT'S LIKE 13 YEARS IF YOU DID IT ONCE
A DIE AND HERE IT IS AFTER 4,000 CYCLES STILL RETAINING 99
PERCENT CAPACITY.
[APPLAUSE] OKAY.
WE GOT TO KEEP MOVING AND NOW I'LL GO TO MANUFACTURING SO FEW
FUN FACTS ABOUT STEAL.
HAS YEAR 1.8 BILLION TONS OF NEW METAL THAT'S UP 2 X FROM 20
YEARS AGO AND 10 TIMES FROM 1950.
AND WHEN STEAL IS MADE IT REACTS WITH CARBON AND THAT GENERATED
THREE GIGA TONS OF CO2 THAT REPRESENTS 9 PERCENT OF TOTAL
CO2.
NOT 9% TO MANUFACTURING OR FROM IT, 9 PERCENT OF THAT CAME FROM
WORLD STEEL BIG.
BLAST FURNACE THE HEART TO MAKE A TON OF IRON YOU NEED OVER A
TON OF IRON OXIDE AS IRON OR AND THEN THREE TONS OF COAL AND YOU
HAVE TO THROW IN LIMESTONE AS FLUX.
ALRIGHT.
SO I STARTED THINK ABOUT THIS ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.
IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY.
LITTLE BY LITTLE TRYING TO GET FUNDING AND SO ON BUT I'M
PERSISTENT.
SO I KNOW THERE'S A NATURE IN OXIDE.
ELECTRONS CAN BE PRODUCED SUSTAINABILITY AND THAT
DISSOLVES I GOT THAT FROM TEACHING 3091.
ALRIGHT?
AND SO I CONCEIVE AND MOLTEN DETROLYSIS.
AND IT WILL TAKE THE FLUX AND THE ELECTRON WILL PRODUCE
ELECTROLYSIS AND WE'LL HAVE A RADICAL FORM OF THAT AND PRODUCE
OXYGEN AS THE BY PRODUCT.
THERE'S THE CELL AND THE TOP THERE IRON OXIDE IN THE
ELECTROLYTE AND MAKES LIQUID AND OXYGEN GAS OFF THE TOP AND THAT
MEANS THAT WE REPLACE THE BASIC OXYGEN FURNACE WITH ELECTROLYSIS
AND DON'T NEED IRON PEPTIDES OR DON'T NEED THE COLE INJECTION OR
THE LIMESTONE SO THIS WILL BE A LOT CHEAPER.
BETTER METAL AND CHEAPER.
NOT BETTER METAL AT A PREMIUM.
NOBODY PAYS THAT THE FOR GREEN BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING WE GOT
TO MAKE IT BETTER AND IT SCALES AT MUCH LOWER TONS.
SO WE'RE IN THE BASEMENT OF BUILDING FOUR AND THIS FURNACE
IS RUNNING ABOUT 1600 DEGREES AND SO ON, AND HERE WE ARE
LOOKING DOWN AND YOU'LL SEE GAS COMING OFF THIS AT THE TOP AND
THEN MAKING A LIQUID IRON ON THE BOTTOM.
THEN CAME THE DISCOVERY OF A PRACTICAL ALLOY THAT PASS
INVESTIGATES AND NOW WE HAVE THESE AND THERE'S A PAPER IN
NATURES ON THIS.
NATURE PUBLISHES ONE PAPER PER YEAR IN THE AREA OF EXTRACTED
METAL.
IT'S NOT.
SO WE START ANOTHER COMPANY.
BOSTON METAL.
AND OKAY.
JUMP THROUGH THESE.
THESE FOR PEOPLE THAT SPONSORED US.
WE JUST FINISHED THE SERIES INCLUDING MIT ENGINE BUT HERE'S
THE COOL STUFF.
THIS THE REACTOR HERE.
THIS IS ABOUT A METER IN DIAMETER AND WE'RE TAPPING
MOLTEN IRON AT 1600 DEGREES C WHILE CURRENT IS STILL FLOWING
SO THIS IS DONE.
THIS IS REAL.
MOLTEN ELECTROLYSIS HAS ARRIVED.
[APPLAUSE] WE'VE ALSO PRODUCED NICKEL FROM
NICKEL OXIDE AND PUT CHROMIUM OXIDE IN AND REDUCED TO
CHROMIUM.
IT MELTS A THE 1900 DEGREES THAT'S A LITTLE HIGH SO WE USED
IRON AS THE HOST AND TOOK CHROMIUM OXIDE AND MADE CARBON
FREE CHROMIUM SO NOW I'VE SHOWN YOU I CAN MAKE IRON, NICKEL AND
CHROMIUM AND THAT MEANS I CAN MAKE STAINLESS STEAL STEEL WE
TOOK OXIDE AND WENT TO LIQUID TITANIUM.
IT MELTS AT ABOUT JUST UNDER 1700 THAT'S DOABLE.
YEAH.
THERE WE ARE.
SO WHAT I'VE SHOWN YOU HERE.
SO I'VE SHOWN YOU TWO EXAMPLES OF TACKLING BIG PROBLEMS AND HOW
YOU TAKE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND THINK ABOUT SCALE.
SCALE, COST AND SO ON. AND I'LL CLOSE WITH WHAT I URGED
OF MY STUDENTS.
THIS IS FROM PARIS, 1968.
BE REALISTIC.
ASK FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE.
AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE AT MIT, WITH ENOUGH
INGENUITY, THE IMPOSSIBLE SOMETIMES BECOMES THE
INEVITABLE.
[APPLAUSE] >> Thanks for joining us.
And for more information on how to connect with the MIT Alumni
Association, please visit our website.