| Storage type
|
Specific energy (MJ/kg)
|
Energy density (MJ/L)
|
Peak recovery efficiency %
|
Practical recovery efficiency %
|
| Arbitrary antimatter |
89,875,517,874 |
depends on density |
|
|
| Deuterium–tritium fusion |
576,000,000[1] |
|
|
|
| Uranium-235 fissile isotope |
144,000,000[1] |
1,500,000,000 |
|
|
| Natural uranium (99.3% U-238, 0.7% U-235) in fast breeder reactor |
86,000,000 |
|
|
|
| Reactor-grade uranium (3.5% U-235) in light-water reactor |
3,456,000 |
|
|
35%
|
| Pu-238 α-decay |
2,200,000 |
|
|
|
| Hf-178m2 isomer |
1,326,000 |
17,649,060 |
|
|
| Natural uranium (0.7% U235) in light-water reactor |
443,000 |
|
|
35%
|
| Ta-180m isomer |
41,340 |
689,964 |
|
|
| Metallic hydrogen (recombination energy) |
216[2] |
|
|
|
| Specific orbital energy of low Earth orbit (approximate) |
33.0 |
|
|
|
| Beryllium + oxygen |
23.9[3] |
|
|
|
| Lithium + fluorine |
23.75[citation needed] |
|
|
|
| Octaazacubane potential explosive |
22.9[4] |
|
|
|
| Hydrogen + oxygen |
13.4[5] |
|
|
|
| Gasoline + oxygen |
13.3[citation needed] |
|
|
|
| Dinitroacetylene explosive – computed[citation needed] |
9.8 |
|
|
|
| Octanitrocubane explosive |
8.5[6] |
16.9[citation needed] |
|
|
| Tetranitrotetrahedrane explosive – computed[citation needed] |
8.3 |
|
|
|
| Heptanitrocubane explosive – computed[citation needed] |
8.2 |
|
|
|
| Sodium (reacted with chlorine)[citation needed] |
7.0349 |
|
|
|
| Hexanitrobenzene explosive |
7[7] |
|
|
|
| Tetranitrocubane explosive – computed[citation needed] |
6.95 |
|
|
|
| Ammonal (Al+NH4NO3 oxidizer)[citation needed] |
6.9 |
12.7 |
|
|
| Tetranitromethane + hydrazine bipropellant – computed[citation needed] |
6.6 |
|
|
|
| Nitroglycerin |
6.38[8] |
10.2[9] |
|
|
| ANFO–ANNM[citation needed] |
6.26 |
|
|
|
| Lithium–air battery |
6.12 |
|
|
|
| Octogen (HMX) |
5.7[8] |
10.8[10] |
|
|
| TNT[11] |
4.610 |
6.92 |
|
|
| Copper Thermite (Al + CuO as oxidizer)[citation needed] |
4.13 |
20.9 |
|
|
| Thermite (powder Al + Fe2O3 as oxidizer) |
4.00 |
18.4 |
|
|
| ANFO[citation needed] |
3.7 |
|
|
| Hydrogen peroxide decomposition (as monopropellant) |
2.7 |
3.8 |
|
|
| Li-ion nanowire battery |
2.54 |
29 |
|
95%[clarification needed][12]
|
| Lithium thionyl chloride battery[13] |
2.5 |
|
|
|
| Water (220.64 bar, 373.8 °C)[citation needed][clarification needed] |
1.968 |
0.708 |
|
|
| Kinetic energy penetrator[clarification needed] |
1.9 |
30 |
|
|
| Lithium–sulfur battery[14] |
1.80[15] |
1.26 |
|
|
| Fluoride-ion battery [citation needed] |
1.7 |
2.8 |
|
|
| Hydrogen closed cycle fuel cell[16] |
1.62 |
|
|
|
| Hydrazine decomposition (as monopropellant) |
1.6 |
1.6 |
|
|
| Ammonium nitrate decomposition (as monopropellant) |
1.4 |
2.5 |
|
|
| Molten salt |
1[citation needed] |
|
|
98%[17]
|
| Molecular spring (approximate)[citation needed] |
1 |
|
|
|
| Lithium metal battery[18][19] |
0.83-1.01 |
1.98-2.09 |
|
|
| Sodium–sulfur battery |
0.72[20][better source needed] |
1.23[citation needed] |
|
85%[21]
|
| Lithium-ion battery[22][23] |
0.46–0.72 |
0.83–3.6[24] |
|
95%[25]
|
| Sodium–nickel chloride battery, high temperature[vague] |
0.56 |
|
|
|
| Zinc–manganese (alkaline) battery, long life design[18][22] |
0.4-0.59 |
1.15-1.43 |
|
|
| Silver-oxide battery[18] |
0.47 |
1.8 |
|
|
| Flywheel |
0.36–0.5[26][27] |
|
|
|
| 5.56 × 45 mm NATO bullet muzzle energy density[clarification needed] |
0.4 |
3.2 |
|
|
| Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), low power design as used in consumer batteries[28] |
0.4 |
1.55 |
|
|
| Liquid nitrogen |
0.349 |
|
|
|
| Water – enthalpy of fusion |
0.334 |
0.334 |
|
|
| Zinc–bromine flow battery (ZnBr)[29] |
0.27 |
|
|
|
| Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), high-power design as used in cars[30] |
0.250 |
0.493 |
|
|
| Nickel–cadmium battery (NiCd)[22] |
0.14 |
1.08 |
|
80%[25]
|
|
[22] || 0.13 || 0.331 || ||
|
| Lead–acid battery[22] |
0.14 |
0.36 |
|
|
| Vanadium redox battery |
0.09[citation needed] |
0.1188 |
|
7070-75%
|
| Vanadium bromide redox battery |
0.18 |
0.252 |
|
80%–90%[31]
|
| Ultracapacitor |
0.0199[32] |
0.050[citation needed] |
|
|
| Supercapacitor |
0.01[citation needed] |
|
80%–98.5%[33] |
39%–70%[33]
|
| Superconducting magnetic energy storage |
0 |
0.008[34][bare URL] |
|
>95%
|
| Capacitor |
0.002[35] |
|
|
|
| Neodymium magnet |
|
0.003[36] |
|
|
| Ferrite magnet |
|
0.0003[36] |
|
|
| Spring power (clock spring), torsion spring |
0.0003[citation needed] |
0.0006 |
|
|
| Storage type
|
Energy density by mass (MJ/kg)
|
Energy density by volume (MJ/L)
|
Peak recovery efficiency %
|
Practical recovery efficiency %
|