Batteries

Ultrafast aluminum battery – safe alternative to today’s batteries Date: April 6, 2015 Source: Stanford University Summary: Scientists have invented the first high-performance aluminum battery that’s fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive. Researchers say the new technology could replace many lithium-ion and alkaline batteries in wide use today. Stanford University scientists have invented the first high-performance aluminum battery that’s fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive. Researchers say the new technology offers a safe alternative to many commercial batteries in wide use today. “We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the... Read More

Batteries Of The Future: Charge in seconds, last months and power over the air While smartphones, smart homes and even smart wearables are growing ever more advanced, they’re still limited by power. The battery hasn’t advanced in decades. But we’re on the verge of a power revolution. Big technology companies, and now car companies that are making electric vehicles, are all too aware of the limitations of current lithium-ion batteries. While chips and operating systems are becoming more efficient to save power we’re still only look at a day or two of use on a smartphone before having to recharge.... Read More

Glass-coated sulfur particles could improve battery life by 1,000 percent. Lithium-ion batteries have taken us a long way in phones,tablets, and even cars over the years, but it’s not a perfect technology — battery capacity holds us back. Scientists have been on the lookout for an alternative, but nothing has quite panned out yet. There’s been considerable interest around lithium-sulfur batteries in the last few years, and a breakthrough experiment from the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside could make these batteries the next big thing. All it takes is a little glass. Traditional lithium-ion batteries have... Read More

UPDATE – WE HAVE LANDED IN NAGOYA (JAPAN). Unfortunately the currentweather window to reach Hawaii has closed. The cold front is too dangerous to cross, so we have decided to land in Nagoya Airfield, also known as Komaki Airport, and wait for better weather conditions in order to continue. We would like to thank JCAB, MILIT, MOFA, Japanese Customs and Immigration JSDF, Nakanihon Air Service, Centrair and Kuehne-Nagel​, for their incredible help to our team in Nagoya. The Solar Storage Batteries are performing incredibly well.  This technology is the future of civilisation In the moment of truth – since Bertrand Piccard had the idea... Read More

Sir James Dyson made his first investment outside his eponymous company this week, ploughing $15m into a company called Sakti3 whose solid-state technology promises cheaper and more energy-dense batteries. The idea being that the cash will help bring the company’s creation outside the lab and to commercial reality – in Dyson products. But what is a solid-state battery, and what other technologies are being developed to give smartphones, electric cars and cordless vacuum cleaners a longer life? We look at some of the most promising research today. Solid-state batteries A battery is composed of electrodes and an electrolyte. Electrodes were... Read More

New high power lead acid batteries are on the way. Advanced Battery Concepts (ABC) will extended production of its new GreenSeal lead-acid batteries to include an ultra-lightweight, high-power version capable of starting automobiles and with considerable hybridization applicability. The new battery includes 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V batteries and will undergo full production qualification at ABC’s Michigan development facility in 2015. ABC has been testing the 12V batteries’ cold-cranking amp capabilities in trials that have seen it start a full range of vehicles including an Acura 2.2L V4, Impala 3.3L V6, Yukon 5.3L V8 and a Tundra 6.6L V8 Turbo... Read More

Tesla Motors Inc. will announce a home battery and a “very large” utility-scale batteries on April 30, according to an e-mail sent to investors and analysts. The e-mail Tuesday from Jeffrey Evanson, Tesla’s head of investor relations, said the company “will explain the advantages of our solutions and why past battery options were not compelling.” Khobi Brooklyn, a Tesla spokeswoman, said that “we’ll share more information next week,” without confirming the e-mail. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk had tweeted on March 30 that Tesla would announce a “major new product line — not a car — will be unveiled” on... Read More