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

A story in MIT's Technology Review, written by yours truly, looks at progress in the development of solar batteries for small electronic devices. Researchers in Europe have paired together a thin-film organic (polymer) solar cell and a flexible polymer battery, with the end result being a super thin, flexible solar battery that can automatically recharge remote controls, sensors, and even mobile phones when exposed to indoor or natural light. Full story

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

back to 2006 again when Nanoexa and Decktron jointly announced a definitive agreement to develop and transfer into commercial use new lithium battery technology originally developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The goal of this agreement is to commercialize next generation rechargeable lithium battery technologies from Argonne’s Battery Technology Department. Together, the organizations will introduce into the marketplace batteries with increased power output, storage capacity, safety and lifetime that will be utilized in high-rate applications such as hybrid/electric vehicles, power tools, and radio control devices. Full story

back to summer of 2006 A research team led by Carnegie Mellon University Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering Professor Prashant Kumta has discovered a nanocrystalline material that is cheaper, more stable and produces a higher quality energy storage capacity for use in a variety of industrial and portable consumer electronic products. Kumta said the discovery, published this summer in Advanced Materials Journal, has important implications for increasing the longevity of rechargeable car batteries, fuel cells and other battery-operated electronic devices. "We have found that synthesis of nanostructured vanadium nitride and controlled oxidation of the surface at the nanoscale is key to creating the next generation of supercapacitors commonly used in everything from cars, camcorders and lawn mowers to industrial backup power systems at hospitals and airports," Kumta said. Full story

Researchers at Delft University of Technology can predict how nanostructuring – the extreme reduction of structure – will affect the performance of Li-ion batteries. The nanostructuring of battery materials is likely to be common practice in the future, but it is not always performance-enhancing. The research findings have recently been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. A Li-ion battery is currently the smallest and lightest way to store as much rechargeable electrical energy as possible. However, the batteries are slow to charge and discharge, and this restricts their suitability for applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles. This sluggish performance is largely determined by the relatively long distance the lithium-ions have to travel through the electrode material in the battery. The speed at which the ions make their way through the electrode material is also slow compared to that in electrolyte (the fluid between the electrode material). The curren...

Not much information right now. This certainly doesn't mark the first case in which the US Army has fiddled with hybrid vehicles, but the Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) that the military is currently testing out most definitely ups the ante in other areas. The diesel-electric hybrid truck touts an insanely rugged frame designed to "sustain the concussion of a roadside bomb," and after it brushes off that weak attempt to render it immobile, the remote weapons system should inflict a fair amount of vengeance on the enemy. Moreover, the highly-spec'd machines also feature night vision capabilities, touchscreen controls, swarms of video cameras, and ballistic-grade glass to boot. Unfortunately, the limited fleet of MSVs are currently being recognized as "concept vehicles" to be used for demonstration purposes alone, but we're sure there's a number of defense contractors that could piece together a slightly less vicious version for your own garage if ...

DigiTimes daily IT news : "Toshiba lands more NAND flash orders from Apple but Samsung caught in 50nm bottleneck Bits + chips | Mar 26, 11:46 Besides a warm up in demand for NAND flash, Taiwan industry players attribute the recent price rise in the NAND flash spot market to extra orders that Toshiba landed from Apple and Samsung Electronics’ speculated bottleneck issues in its transition to 50nm production. Sources at Taiwan-based memory module makers said that they have received notification from both Samsung and Hynix Semiconductor about a price rise in April. Read more "

Here some photos taken at that huge exhibition Taipei Cycle Show - 2007

PARIS, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Saft, [Euronext Paris: FR0010208165, SAFT] leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-end batteries for industry and defence, announces its certified results for the full year ended 31 December 2006. Results highlights - Full year 2006 sales of EUR 560.2m: - Above original guidance of EUR 540m - EUR 550m and revised guidance of EUR 550m + 1% - Good growth in core businesses resulted in net sales fall of only EUR 7.1m (-1.3%) compared with full year 2005 (at constant perimeter and constant exchange rates), despite c. EUR 35m fall in sales to the US Army. - Achieved profitability guidance, despite headwind from nickel costs (which more than doubled in 2006) and a very poor performance from RBS. After adjusting for non-recurring items in both 2005 and 2006: Full story

15 March 2007 Japanese scientists have made a paper-like, polymer-based rechargeable battery. The battery, designed by Hiroyuki Nishide, Hiroaki Konishi and Takeo Suga at Waseda University, has an electrode made from a redox-active organic polymer film about 200 nanometres thick. The polymer has nitroxide radical groups which act as charge carriers. The battery has a high charge/discharge capacity because of its high radical density (two radicals for each repeat unit). According to Nishide, this is just one of many advantages the 'organic radical' battery has over other organic-based materials which are limited by the amount of doping. 'The power rate performance is strikingly high - it only takes one minute to fully charge the battery,' said Nishide, 'and it has a long cycle life, often exceeding 1000 cycles.' Full story

Components in Electronics - CIE : "Implantable Li-ion rechargeable battery EaglePicher Medical Power claims it’s introduced the industry’s first modular rechargeable lithium-ion implantable battery that promises to spare developers in neurostimulation and other implantable markets the timeconsuming process of developing a custom battery for each new device. These modular Li-ion batteries will be available in a range of capacities from 50 to 500mAH, and the company plans to add other chemistries depending on customer demand. EaglePicher Medical Power - www.eaglepicher.com"

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 ...

With new Li ion polymer battery new MacBook catches fire 3am last night. I woke up to my girlfriend screaming (yelling "Matty!") and the dog barking. She fell asleep on the couch in the back lounge of our house. I jumped out of bed and raced out thinking that maybe somebody had come through the back door or something. As I was running I saw a fire. At first I thought that the lamp had fallen and set fire to the curtain. As I got closer I realised it was my mac book .... burning! I picked it up and blew on it and swung it around to put the flames out. The book shelf it was sitting on was burnt and there were a couple of magazines that were on fire too. I quickly put those out and calmed down. Read full story

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...

Taipei Int'l Cycle Show 2007 / 2007/03/24 ~ 2007/03/27 News and information about this show will be available soon.

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...

Batteries can pose fire risk to planes - USATODAY.com : "Batteries can pose fire risk to planes" By Peter Eisler and Alan Levin, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — A rash of fires on planes has spurred the government to plan new restrictions on how airline passengers may carry lithium batteries used to power laptop computers and cellphones. The Department of Transportation, which already bars bulk shipments of some lithium batteries on passenger planes, expects to propose more restrictions later this year, said Bob Richard of the DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. While the agency has no immediate plans to ban the batteries from carry-on luggage, he said, the risks of batteries in airplane cabins are being studied. Restrictions on carrying the batteries in checked items are possible, Richard said. "We recognize that the American public wants to be able to carry their batteries and electronic equipment aboard aircraft, but we have to weigh the safety is...

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...