Li-ion batteries: news, progress, history and background

Article on Business Insider : Tesla Stock Is Tanking After A Third Model S In Two Months Catches Fire ( Mamta Badkar Nov. 7, 2013) A Tesla Model S car caught fire on Wednesday in Smyrna, Tennessee, according to Tesla Motors Club blog (via ValueWalk). This is the third Tesla to Model S vehicle to catch fire in the past six weeks, a Tesla spokesperson confirmed to Reuters. The driver of the vehicle was said to have sustained no injuries and a Tesla team is on its way to Tennessee to see what happened. Tesla again pointed out that the fire was the result of an accident and not  "spontaneous." @Nashvillian_ on Twitter posted this image : I-24 #tesla #teslafire pic.twitter.com/ia9tbftn4V — E (@NASHVILLAIN_) November 6, 2013 A Tesla Model S caught fire in Mexico back in October after the car crashed through a concrete wall and into a tree. Before that, another Model S caught fire after colliding with a large me...

Unlike dense ceramic coatings applied as a separate layer on competing separators, PPT’s products contain ceramic particles that are thoroughly distributed throughout their chemically inert PVDF polymer. The particles reside primarily in the pore walls, leaving a large and uniform open pore structure that enables ions to pass through with less resistance and less heat generation.  * More power in high-current applications  * Reduced separator shrinkage  * Increased thermal stability with less cell degradation  * Extended cycle life * Higher bake-out and operating temperatures  * Improved puncture and abuse resistance    Although, the application of such separator may improve safety, however according to presented test data it will have minimal effect, or not significant. Depends on battery package, it may have serious explosion (due to electrolyte flammability) at much lower temperature.  

Polypore’s Celgard Files Suit Against Sumitomo Over Batteries - Bloomberg : "" The complaint, filed Feb. 22 in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina, claims Sumitomo is infringing a patent issued in 2002 for a separator in high-energy rechargeable batteries. The separators prevent short circuits that can reduce efficiency and limit safety problems from overheating. (Via Bloomberg .)

Lithium's Prospects - Seeking Alpha : As gas prices reach a staggering $4 per gallon, with early predictions in the $5 range for summer, many consumers who have been reluctant might now be considering the electric alternatives to keep their wheels turning. Lithium-ion batteries, the technology in hybrid electric cars and consumer electronics, are just one part of the lithium market but could be where the most growth and potential lie. Lithium is used in a wide range of applications, from nuclear weapons to medicine. As of 2010, the most common use for lithium was as flux for glass and ceramics (29% of lithium usage in the USA), with the battery industry trailing closely (27%). The most notable use of lithium-ion batteries is in purely electric and hybrid electric vehicles, but lithium also powers cell-phones, iPods, iPads, laptop computers, and other consumer electronics. Some of its other uses can be seen in high-heat lubricating greases, air purification, certain optical devices...

Panasonic to begin mass-production of long-life Li-ion battery system for solar-powered homes in Europe : Panasonic Corporation will begin mass- production this month of a compact, secure and long-life lithium-ion battery system the company has developed for European homes. This marks the first time for the company to produce in volume such a system designed for Europe. The lithium-ion battery system consists of the Panasonic battery module with nominal capacity of 1.35 kWh and a battery management system designed to control charge and discharge of the battery in accordance with customer needs. The battery system stores excess energy generated from the photovoltaic (PV) power system during peak hours of PV generation and discharges the energy as needed, providing a solution as a household battery storage system that helps self-consumption of solar-generated power. It will also enable households to reduce the dependence on grid power and facilitate the further spread of green ener...

According to DigiTimes Apple may increase battery capacity of upcoming high-end version of new iPad The battery capacity for the high-end version of Apple's new iPad - due to be unveiled in January 2012 - will be increased to 14,000mAH compared to 6,500mAH used currently, according to industry sources. Apple's battery suppliers Simplo Technology and Dynapack declined to comment on matters concerning clients. {Apple is set to unveil two versions of its next-generation tablet, one for the high-end segment and one for the mid-range segment, the sources said.}? Meanwhile, the penetration rate of lithium-polymer batteries such as those used in iPad 2 is expected to reach 15% in 2012 compared to 5% in 2011, the sources estimated. Global production of lithium-polymer battery cells will top 400 million units in 2011, and the prices of the cells are expected to remain higher in 2012 after being hiked by 20% in the second quarter of 2011, the sources indicat...

Lux Reseach has just ranks the players in the lithium-ion battery markets on both sides of North Pacific. The strong winner is LG Chem Power, while Altair Nanotechnologies, International Battery, Valence, Ener1, and A123 are ranked as "Caution" and "Strong Caution." China is home to a number of top contenders. Although the list from Lux Research is not complete it shows strong competition on the market and suggest to make strong partnerships. Related articles Nanotubes, sulfur expand battery storage (go.theregister.com) Better lithium-ion batteries are on the way (sciencedaily.com) Superior Anode For Lithium-Ion Batteries Developed (tech.slashdot.org) Sulphur gives battery 10x more storage (holykaw.alltop.com) Revolutionary conducting polymer enables silicon use as next generation of lithium-ion battery anodes (physorg.com) A stretchy binder material can Boost Battery Storage by 30% (nextbigfuture.com)

Battery pack makers on a rise: Simplo, Dynapack achieve historical high in August revenues Taiwan -based battery maker Simplo Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both seen their revenues achieve historical high in August.  Simplo has announced revenues of NT$4.79 billion (US$167.78 million) for August, up 7.33% on month and 42.84% on year, with combined revenues from the first eight months in 2011 reached NT$30.86 billion, up 25.37% on year. Meanwhile, Dynapack announced revenues of NT$2.26 billion for August, up 13.84% on month and 40.67% on year with combined revenues from January to August reached NT$14.1 billion, up 23.09% on year.  Although PC players are conservative about the IT market in the second half, benefiting by Apple's strong performance, the battery makers are expected to achieve historical record for the third-quarter revenues and will have chance to continue achieving new record in the fourth quarter, according to sources from mark...

Yet another "hybrid" type or some kind of battery/capacitor energy storage concept... Battery-like device could power electric cars - CNN.com : "AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Millions of inventions pass quietly through the U.S. patent office each year. Patent No. 7,033,406 did, too, until energy insiders spotted six words in the filing that sounded like a death knell for the internal combustion engine. An Austin-based startup called EEStor promised 'technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries,' meaning a motorist could plug in a car for five minutes and drive 500 miles roundtrip between Dallas and Houston without gasoline. By contrast, some plug-in hybrids on the horizon would require motorists to charge their cars in a wall outlet overnight and promise only 50 miles of gasoline-free commute. And the popular hybrids on the road today still depend heavily on fossil fuels. 'It's a paradigm shift,' said Ian Clifford, chief executive of Toronto-base...

Sony is now licensed to use 3M technology in its batteries - Jul. 30, 2007 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- 3M Co. said Monday it has reached agreement in patent settlement with Sony Corp. over the technology in a type of battery used in laptop computers and cell phones. St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M said in a statement that Sony's Sony Electronics unit is now a licensed source of lithium ion batteries containing 3M cathode technology. Specific terms of the settlement are confidential, 3M said. Sony was not immediately available for comment. 3M said the patent dispute against Sony and other companies was filed in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota and the United States International Trade Commission in March. The company said it holds patents on cathode materials containing nickel, manganese and cobalt, which the company says are an important technology for current and next generation lithium ion batteries. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are found in laptop computers, mobile phones an...

The KillaCycle, an all-electric motorcycle, is now the fastest electric vehicle of all time. At a drag race in Chandler, Ariz., the bike completed a quarter mile in 8.168 seconds, breaking the six-year-old record of 8.801 held by Dennis Berube with an electric car for more than six years. The bike cranked it up to 155.87 miles an hour. Even more impressive, it hit this level of performance twice, on April 3 and April 4. The bike is powered by 990 lithium ion cells from A123 Systems, a Massachusetts start-up that is also making batteries for General Motors. (A123 also makes the batteries for the Atlas Powered Rope Ascender, a device invented at MIT that can scoot a person 300 feet up a rope in about a half a minute.) An earlier version of the bike only had 880 battery cells. Full story

The Bolloré Group is a French company with revenues of nearly 6 billion euros in 2006. This leading battery manufacturer has just acquired the assets of Avestor, a Quebec firm previously operated by Hydro-Quebec and Anadarko. As a result, some fifty people will now be working on the development of lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) batteries to be used in electric cars. This is great news for companies involved in the development of electric car technologies and high-performance batteries for this type of vehicle. In addition to strengthening the significant power of the Bolloré Group in this field of expertise, the recent purchase of Avestor will give a new boost to this industry and reinforce Quebec's position in the development of advanced terrestrial transportation. Besides the facilities near Quimper, France, the Bolloré Group will benefit from a new 12,000 square meter plant in Boucherville, which will manufacture zero-maintenance, high-performance batteries. Even though both firms ...

Another ad for A123 and their battery on The New York Times (previous week ago - Forbes, see below): A123Systems, a start-up in Watertown, Mass., says it has created a powerful, safe, long-lived battery. If the cell fulfills the ambitions of its maker, that softer sound will be the future of automobiles. A123Systems’ ambition is to apply a new technology, born from original science, to solve a difficult problem. The company’s chairman is Gururaj Deshpande, the entrepreneur who also is a co-founder and chairman of Sycamore Networks. As he explained: “This company can play a role in reducing our dependence on oil and in cleaning up the environment. Any company that gets to contribute to those efforts in whatever measure would have done good in the world.” Full story

LEVconference.org : "Light Electric Vehicle Conference 2007 Hsinchu Taiwan, March 20-23, 2007" Highlights 20 March 2007: EnergyBus The industry meets to to learn about and discuss the further developlment of the EnergyBus. Experts will explain the functions and advantages of this stan- dardized communication protocol and its plug system. In one sentence: It will revolutionize the LEV world. 21 March 2007: Battery Safety Leading manufacturers will provide an insight into the latest battery developments. Learn all about battery shipment and testing according to UN regulations and the liability of LEV manufacturers and distributors – a key issue after prominent battery fires in the past. 22 March 2007: Technology The most innovative motor, transmission sensor, power electronics, and chip manufacturers will present their achievements and future strategies. ExtraEnergy will present the latest results of the 2006/07 pedelec and e-bike tests. 23 March 2007: Markets and Legislation N...

1. Saab planning hybrid based on GM system (Luxury division also shows ethanol-powered concept. Executive declines to set target date for hybrid) GENEVA (Reuters) -- Saab Auto has a hybrid vehicle in development based on technology being developed by parent company General Motors Corp, a senior executive said on Tuesday. Saab will also cut development costs by sharing more parts with other GM (Charts) vehicles, integrating the Swedish brand more closely in GM's operations, Saab Managing Director Jan Ake Jonsson said on the sidelines of the Geneva auto show. Full story 2. Hybrid Car Sales, February 2007 Toyota and Nissan made the big splash this month in their hybrid car sales. Toyota sold 187,330 vehicles, an increase of 12.2 percent over February 2006. Of those, 10.1% were hybrids. Meanwhile, Nissan debuted the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Full story 3. Lotus Hybrid Proton Gen.2 Lotus is looking to break into the hybrid marketplace with a prototype to be unveiled at the Geneva Internatio...

Nano-Batteries That Keep On Going - Forbes.com : "Nano-Batteries That Keep On Going Josh Wolfe, Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report 03.06.08, 4:30 PM ET" An interesting article was published today on Forbes about continue developing affords on battery technology implementing nano-particles as active material. The article focused on potential market and main (so far) player A123 leaving behind technical problems and/or advantage. Most interesting here that "in December, the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, a group that includes DaimlerChrysler (nyse: DCX - news - people ), Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ) and General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ), awarded A123 Systems a 36-month, $15 million contract. The contract will fund development of a lower-cost lithium-ion phosphate battery technology with enhanced power, lifetime and durability for hybrid-electric vehicle applications". "Also, earlier this month, GM awarded contracts for undisclosed sums ...

Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. Announcement of New Independent Director — Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: ABAT), a developer and manufacturer of rechargeable Polymer-Lithium-Ion('PLI') batteries, announced today that it has appointed John J. McFaddento their Board of Directors as an outside Director and Chairman of theAudit Committee of the Board. This appointment will be subject toshareholders election at the next scheduled shareholders meeting. Mr.McFadden brings to the Board a wide range of financial skills. Mr.McFadden joined The First Boston Corporation in 1968 and retired from thatCorporation in 1996. While at First Boston, Mr. McFadden held severalsenior positions, including Treasurer. Upon retirement from First Boston,Mr. McFadden served as Vice Chairman of Cambridge Holdings, LLC, a privateinvestment firm. Currently, Mr. McFadden is a consultant to financialinstitutions and energy-related companies, including BB&T and OptimiraEnergy. Article URL: h...