Thread for new battery breakthrough PR releases

[Takemehome]

http://www.neutrino-energy.com/
http://brightcove04.brightcove.com/...4250799609001_4655730999001_4616459689001.mp4

I think Sheldon ( Big Bang Theory ) is working on that one. :lol:

 

[Wakkabu]

Toyota battery breakthrough means magnesium could eventually replace lithium
http://www.gizmag.com/toyota-magnesium-battery/43204/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=81c24e743d-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-81c24e743d-91235797

Mmmmm... "Cheaper, smaller, safer"... batteries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and the fourth most common element in the Earth (after iron, oxygen and silicon), making up 13% of the planet's mass and a large fraction of the planet's mantle. It is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater, after sodium and chlorine.

Mmmm... Nice.

Safer?

You know that magnesium fires are thriving on water, the fire extinguisher we like to use so much.
I know that firemen already just hose cars with magnesium inside steering columns just to let them burn out and be done with it.
But cheaper is good, and lithium is also good fire material

 

[LockH]

^^ hehe... In my last year of high school I got to take "advanced" chemistry (and physics. First year University stuff.) where we got to play with stuff like magnesium metal strips. Van de Graff generators... make mustard gas... painting stuff with iodine-based contact explosive was extra fun (see "nitrogen triiodide"). Anyway:

Burning magnesium is usually quenched by using a Class D dry chemical fire extinguisher, or by covering the fire with sand to remove its air source.

Seen here:
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Under_Construction/Demonstrations/Burning_Magnesium

So like lots of stuff, ya need to be aware of the "down sides" and prepare accordingly?

Hehe... thanks for reminding me re lithium burning.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/safety_concerns_with_li_ion

Simple Guidelines for Using Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries contain little lithium metal and in case of a fire they can be dowsed with water. Only lithium-metal batteries require a Class D fire extinguisher.
Water interacts with lithium. If a Class D extinguisher is not available to douse a lithium-metal fire, only pour water to prevent the fire from spreading.
For best results dowsing a Li-ion fire, use a foam extinguisher, CO2, ABC dry chemical, powdered graphite, copper powder or soda (sodium carbonate) as you would extinguish other combustible fires. Reserve the Class D extinguishers for lithium-metal fires only.
If the fire of a burning lithium-ion battery cannot be extinguished, allow the pack to burn in a controlled and safe way
Be aware of cell propagation as each cell might be consumed on its own time table when hot. Place a seemingly burned-out pack outside for a time.
Last Updated 2016-05-13

And that page finishes "*** Please Read Regarding Comments ***" (below, on that page) And I don't think those concerned with Ebikery Magic usually play with the lithium-metal, instead the various flavours of lithium-ions.

 

[SniperGaulois]

I think that Toyota is saying: Hey everyone, we have an advance in Mg batteries, and we don't know what the F**k to do with it, so we are giving away all commercial rights to our discovery

Lithium auto ignition temperature is 179'C. Magnesium is 455'C:

Lithium (Li): Specific gravity, 0.53; melting point, 356°F (180°C). As the hydride,lithium offers the most concentrated method of storing and transporting hydrogen.
Ignition and burning occur when lithium is heated to about 356°F (180°C). It reacts lessvigorously than sodium with water or air, and usually does not ignite.

It reacts stronglywith chlorinated, fluorinated, and brominated organic compounds, halogens, and sulfuric acid. In the presence of moisture, lithium reacts exothermically with nitrogen at ordinary temperatures. Above the melting point, it rapidly forms the nitride.

Near its melting point, it ignites in air and burns with a characteristic intense, brilliant white flame.

Following treatment with nitric acid, it may explode on very light impact or friction. Lithium also reacts violently with hydrogen peroxide.

Magnesium (Mg): Specific gravity, 1.74; melting point of 1202°F (650°C). Its ignition temperature is near the melting point, although ignition of some forms may occur at lower temperatures.

As a dust cloud or in ribbon form, magnesium can be ignited almost instantly. Loose shavings ignite fairly readily. It is less easy to ignite the surface of a compact pile of chips.

Magnesium fines wet with oils may ignite spontaneously. Fines wet with acids, water, water-soluble oils, or oils containing fatty acids will generate hydrogen. Powders form explosive mixtures with air that may be ignited by a spark.

Fines will also react with chlorine, bromine, iodine and oxidizing agents.

 

[fechter]

^^ hehe... In my last year of high school I got to take "advanced" chemistry (and physics. First year University stuff.) where we got to play with stuff like magnesium metal strips. Van de Graff generators... make mustard gas... painting stuff with iodine-based contact explosive was extra fun (see "nitrogen triiodide"). :

Ah, those were the days.... We would put NI3 on the bumpers of the toilet seats so it would explode when you sat on it. Makes a cool little purple mushroom cloud of smoke.
Dropping chunks of metallic sodium into the toilet was also fun.
The other stuff we did I probably can't post on the forum without risking getting in trouble.

 

[LockH]

hehe... Experiment with mustard gas had us all hanging out the windows of the lab for breath.

 

[LockH]

"New Concept For Liquid Flow Batteries Turns Energy Storage Technology Upside-Down"
https://solarthermalmagazine.com/20...eries-turns-energy-storage-technology-upside/

A new concept for a flow battery functions like an old hourglass or egg timer, with particles (in this case carried as a slurry) flowing through a narrow opening from one tank to another. The flow can then be reversed by turning the device over. Image courtesy of the researchers.

But all previous versions of liquid batteries have relied on complex systems of tanks, valves, and pumps, adding to the cost and providing multiple opportunities for possible leaks and failures.

The new version, which substitutes a simple gravity feed for the pump system, eliminates that complexity. The rate of energy production can be adjusted simply by changing the angle of the device, thus speeding up or slowing down the rate of flow. The concept is described in a paper in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, co-authored by Kyocera Professor of Ceramics Yet-Ming Chiang, Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering Alexander Slocum, School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation Gareth McKinley, and POSCO Professor of Materials Science and Engineering W. Craig Carter, as well as postdoc Xinwei Chen, graduate student Brandon Hopkins, and four others.

 

[PH1]

http://www.amprius.com/news/news_amprius_20160523.htm

May 23, 2016

Amprius Demonstrates a Revolutionary New Tool for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of High-Energy Batteries

Because silicon offers far more energy than carbon, the conventional anode material, Amprius’ batteries achieve significantly higher energies per unit volume (800 – 1,000 Wh/L, depending on cell capacity and form-factor) and energies per unit weight (325 – 400 Wh/kg) than today’s commercially available batteries.

http://pushevs.com/2016/05/24/amprius-gets-ready-for-mass-market-ev-batteries/#more-737

But what energy densities as high as 800-1.000 Wh/L and 325-400 Wh/kg mean?

For example it means that it is possible to triple the Renault Zoe’s battery capacity while maintaining the same volume. How cool would it be that the 26 kWh battery was upgraded to 78 kWh? The NEDC range would increase from 240 km to 720 km, or in the real world from 150 km to 450 km. Only a very small minority would still prefer hybrids over BEVs.

 

[PH1]

Nissan Has New Analysis Method To Boost Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity http://insideevs.com/nissan-has-new-analysis-method-to-boost-lithium-ion-battery-capacity/

https://newsroom.nissan-global.com/releases/160513-01-e

Nissan Motor and Nissan Arc develop new analysis method to boost lithium-ion battery capacity
2016/05/13

YOKOHAMA, Japan (May 13, 2016) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Nissan Arc Ltd. announced today joint development of an atomic analysis methodology that will aid in boosting the performance of lithium-ion batteries, and ultimately extend the driving range of zero-emission electric vehicles.

The breakthrough was the result of a combined R&D effort between Nissan Arc Ltd., a Nissan subsidiary, Tohoku University, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

The analysis examines the structure of amorphous silicon monoxide (SiO), widely seen as key to boosting next-generation lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) capacity, allowing researchers to better understand electrode structure during charging cycles.

Silicon (Si) is capable of holding greater amounts of lithium, compared with common carbon-based materials, but in crystalline form possesses a structure that deteriorates during charging cycles, ultimately impacting performance. However, amorphous SiO is resistant to such deterioration.

Its base structure had been unknown, making it difficult for mass production. However, the new methodology provides an accurate understanding of the amorphous structure of SiO, based on a combination of structural analyses and computer simulations.

The atomic structure of SiO was thought to be inhomogeneous, making its precise atomic arrangements the subject of debate. The new findings show that its structure allows the storage of a larger number of Li ions, in turn leading to better battery performance.
...

 

[LockH]

Sorta thought I've seen this recent YT vid...
[youtube]sDM22wGnGeQ[/youtube]

Hehe "WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO MAY CONTAIN SCIENCE"

Scientists at Toyota have developed battery technology that allows for higher energy density. Using material from hydrogen storage, researchers at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan have created an electrolyte that works well with a magnesium metal anode. Besides improving energy density for smaller, more powerful batteries, magnesium is also more stable than lithium, making it a safer alternative. Rather than guarding their secret, Toyota is sharing details of this breakthrough in order to advance the technology in hopes of an earlier mass deployment of magnesium batteries. See the video above, and read more in the press release below.

A paper detailing their discovery entitled, "An Efficient Halogen-Free Electrolyte for Use in Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries," was recently published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition (Vol. 54, Issue 27).

 

[LeonardoJanus]

That salt of magnesium is not easy to find.
Also triglyme is also flammable.
Need further investigation to find a deep eutectic solvent that allow easy Mg stripping/plating.

Anyhow aluminium is even better regarding energy density, since is trivalent.

Personally, I'm working on metalfuelcell rechargeable with a reducing liquid; when metal is oxidized by air, then we recharge flowing a reducing liquid in anode compartment and in ten minutes.
This liquid is reciclable and can be re-reduced. Its not flammable and is biodegradable.
I will appreciate comment, to be understand if people like this way of recharge EV batteries.

 

[parabellum]

That salt of magnesium is not easy to find.
Also triglyme is also flammable.
Need further investigation to find a deep eutectic solvent that allow easy Mg stripping/plating.

Anyhow aluminium is even better regarding energy density, since is trivalent.

Personally, I'm working on metalfuelcell rechargeable with a reducing liquid; when metal is oxidized by air, then we recharge flowing a reducing liquid in anode compartment and in ten minutes.
This liquid is reciclable and can be re-reduced. Its not flammable and is biodegradable.
I will appreciate comment, to be understand if people like this way of recharge EV batteries.

What happens with the metal itself in your cell?

 

[LeonardoJanus]

I'm not be understand your question.
The cell is not "mine". Do you want the patents?

 

[LockH]

That salt of magnesium is not easy to find.

Hmmm... "Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and the fourth most common element in the Earth (after iron, oxygen and silicon), making up 13% of the planet's mass and a large fraction of the planet's mantle. It is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater, after sodium and chlorine."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium

Oooops. "China is the dominant supplier of magnesium, with approximately 80% of the world market share."

USA to the rescue! "In the United States, magnesium is obtained principally with the Dow process, by electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride from brine and sea water."

The United States has traditionally been the major world supplier of this metal, supplying 45% of world production even as recently as 1995. Today, the US market share is at 7%, with a single domestic producer left, US Magnesium, a Renco Group company in Utah born from now-defunct Magcorp.

" It is called the lightest useful metal" Ebikers like "light weight".

"widely used for manufacturing of mobile phones, laptop and tablet computers, cameras, and other electronic components."

(Can't comment re triglyme.)

 

[parabellum]

I'm not be understand your question.
The cell is not "mine". Do you want the patents?

Sorry for that. What I wanted to know is, full cell you are working on, the metal is working in closed cycle or must be added/replaced after certain period of time?

 

[nickatnoon61]

http://www.gizmag.com/dual-carbon-fast-charging-battery/32121/ I just saw this today and thought to share it.

 

[LockH]

http://www.gizmag.com/dual-carbon-fast-charging-battery/32121/ I just saw this today and thought to share it.

Groovy Nick!
[youtube]OJwZ9uEpJOo[/youtube]

On that same Gizmag page:

Researchers working at the University of Missouri (MU) claim to have produced a prototype of a nuclear-powered, water-based battery that is said to be both longer-lasting and more efficient than current battery technologies and may eventually be used as a dependable power supply in vehicles, spacecraft, and other applications where longevity, reliability, and efficiency are paramount.

A new nuclear-powered, water-based battery may one day be used as a dependable power supply in vehicles, spacecraft, and other applications.

"Betavoltaics, a battery technology that generates power from radiation, has been studied as an energy source since the 1950s," said associate professor Jae W. Kwon, of the College of Engineering at MU. "Controlled nuclear technologies are not inherently dangerous. We already have many commercial uses of nuclear technologies in our lives including fire detectors in bedrooms and emergency exit signs in buildings."

Utilizing the radioactive isotope strontium-90 to enhance the electrochemical energy produced in a water-based solution, the researchers have incorporated a nanostructured titanium dioxide electrode acting as a catalyst for water decomposition. That is, the catalyst assists the breakdown of water in conjunction with the applied radiation into assorted oxygen compounds.

As a result, when high-energy beta radiation passes through the platinum and the nanoporous titanium dioxide, electron-hole pairs are produced within the titanium dioxide, creating an electron flow and a resultant electric current.

"Water acts as a buffer and surface plasmons created in the device turned out to be very useful in increasing its efficiency," Kwon said. "The ionic solution is not easily frozen at very low temperatures and could work in a wide variety of applications including car batteries and, if packaged properly, perhaps spacecraft."

By no means the first-ever nuclear battery – the NanoTritium device from City Labs being one recent notable example – this is the first nuclear battery that has been produced to exploit the inherent advantages of radiolysis (water-splitting with radiation) to produce an electric current, at higher energy levels and lower temperatures than previously possible. And at much greater claimed efficiencies than other water-splitting energy production techniques.

This is because, unlike other forms of photocatalytic methods of water-splitting to produce energy, the high-energy beta radiation in the MU device produces free radicals in water such that the kinetic energy is recombined or trapped in water molecules so that the radiation can be converted into electricity – using the platinum/titanium dioxide electrode previously described – to achieve water splitting efficiently and at room temperature.

As a result, whilst solar cells use a similar mechanism for the transference of energy via hole-electron pairs, very few free radicals are produced because the photon energies are principally in the visible spectrum and subsequently at lower levels of energy.

Beta radiation produced by the strontium source, on the other hand, with its ability to enhance the chemical reactions involving free radicals at greater electron energy levels, is a much more efficient way to produce extremely long-lasting and reliable energy. So much so, that the water-based nuclear battery may well offer a viable alternative to the solar cell as a sustainable, low-pollution energy source.

Man. Just POURING out new battery techs. 8)

 

[maydaverave]

I have a nuclear battery in my pip boy. 200+ years old and still going strong. Of course getting the occasional extra toe removed is a hassle.

 

[LeonardoJanus]

I'm not be understand your question.
The cell is not "mine". Do you want the patents?

Sorry for that. What I wanted to know is, full cell you are working on, the metal is working in closed cycle or must be added/replaced after certain period of time?

Closed cycle. Metal is not removed from anode compartment.

 

[LeonardoJanus]

http://www.gizmag.com/dual-carbon-fast-charging-battery/32121/ I just saw this today and thought to share it.

Someone have news from JapanPlus? I'm following since 2014, but no new reports. I hope for them to reach the market, since too many beautiful tech disappear.

 

[LeonardoJanus]

That salt of magnesium is not easy to find.

Aluminium is the third.
Useful comparison:
https://books.google.it/books?id=JUlLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=theoretical+capacities++aluminium+magnesium+sodium&source=bl&ots=Y7D_43cEnM&sig=zp_1Ppati5wtqvu8F10z4Z0o5pk&hl=it&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=theoretical%20capacities%20%20aluminium%20magnesium%20sodium&f=false

Please also consider volumetric energy density, since Aluminium is trivalent.


(Can't comment re triglyme.)

Tryglime:
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Triglyme#section=Safety-and-Hazards

 

[LockH]

`Kay. Perhaps NOT a normal-type "new battery breakthrough PR release"... BUT... "Lithium-Ion Battery Prices Fell 70% in the Last 18 Months"?
http://www.greentechmedia.com/artic...-battery-prices-fall-70-in-the-last-18-months

There are a couple of reasons for the 70 percent drop in pricing. Expansion of worldwide production capacity played a role. Since much of the new capacity was designed for electric vehicle demand that never materialized, stationary storage vendors are getting a better deal.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there was a total of 53 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion cell production capacity in 2015 -- but only 40 percent of that was utilized.

"Stem is expecting a similar drop in pricing over the next 18 to 24 months." 8)

By 2020, GTM Research expects average lithium-ion battery costs to hit $217 per kilowatt-hour. "But we're already starting to hear numbers in the $200 to $250 per kilowatt-hour range," said Manghani.

 

[Blueshift]

`Kay. Perhaps NOT a normal-type "new battery breakthrough PR release"... BUT... "Lithium-Ion Battery Prices Fell 70% in the Last 18 Months"?
http://www.greentechmedia.com/artic...-battery-prices-fall-70-in-the-last-18-months

There are a couple of reasons for the 70 percent drop in pricing. Expansion of worldwide production capacity played a role. Since much of the new capacity was designed for electric vehicle demand that never materialized, stationary storage vendors are getting a better deal.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there was a total of 53 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion cell production capacity in 2015 -- but only 40 percent of that was utilized.

"Stem is expecting a similar drop in pricing over the next 18 to 24 months." 8)

By 2020, GTM Research expects average lithium-ion battery costs to hit $217 per kilowatt-hour. "But we're already starting to hear numbers in the $200 to $250 per kilowatt-hour range," said Manghani.

Does this mean we will see price cuts from battery and battery pack vendors?
When if ever, will this trickle down to the consumers? Does this mean people should wait for the price to drop to buy batteries

 

[parabellum]

I think, people should just live their life, and buy batteries when they need them. Time is unrecoverable resource. But apparently yes, every time I need new batteries, there are cheaper option available on the market.

 

[LockH]

Another take on falling battery prices. "Falling Battery Prices Bring Opportunities and Pitfalls to EVs and Energy Storage"
http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/01/falling-battery-prices-bring-opportunities-and-pit.aspx

Article ends:

The battery market will be fascinating to watch over the next five years, but if the adjacent solar industry is any indication, I would want to invest in companies buying batteries and putting them to work, not companies building out capacity that may see prices fall every year for the next decade.