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Inhabitat's Week In Green: solar panels, solar planes, solar trains
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. It was an interesting week in green tech, as Inhabitat explored the past and future of solar technology. We dug up the world's first modern solar panel (still working after 60 years!) and wrapped our brains around MIT's plan to create super-efficient photovoltaic panels by folding them up like origami. Not to be outdone, IBM unveiled plans to roll out a new solar desalination system that could transform entire expanses of desert into rivers. Solar power also took to the skies this week as the Solar Impulse plane made its first successful flight. And speaking of futuristic transportation, Minority Report-style podcars may be just around the corner if this solar powered urban transit system takes off. We were wowed by Finland's new all-electric supercar, which will be vying for the Progressive Auto X Prize this summer. We also took a look at several innovative kid-friendly designs including an incredible Game Boy made from paper and a biometric baby monitoring alarm clock that lets parents monitor their babies' temperature and heart-rate remotely, as well as cue up lullabies from anywhere. The past week also produced several promising developments from the realm of energy storage as Hitachi announced that it's developing lithium-ion batteries that last twice as long. And finally, meet BOB, a battery the size of a building that is capable of powering an entire town in Texas. The gigantic sodium sulfur backup battery can store up to 4 megawatts of power for up to 8 hours.
Hitachi claims secret chemical formula will improve battery cathodes, double longevity
Before lithium-ion batteries, portable gadgets were a nightmare, forcing road warriors and Discman-toting teens to either swap disposable cells or deal with rechargables that (with few exceptions) were tricky to recharge. Of course, Li-ion batteries also have a downside: as laptop and cell phone users have no doubt found out, they too become disposable before long. One reason why is that acid in the electrolyte can corrode the cathode material -- and now, Hitachi claims it's found a way to strengthen its own. Using an undisclosed combination of elements to replace some of the manganese used in the company's cathodes, Hitachi claims they can strengthen their crystalline configuration to resist acid, reduce cost, and best of all, double the usable life of a lithium-ion cell to about ten years. We've heard similar claims before, of course, with other battery manufacturers promising us twenty years, but it looks like this technology might make it out of the lab. NEDO, a Japanese government organization, has commissioned Hitachi to bring these batteries to life for industrial applications like wind farms. Cell phones, sadly, will have to wait.
EcoloCap claims nanotube-infused Lithium-X battery has 99 percent efficiency, fuels our long-range EV dreams
The more we hear about the next generation of rechargeable batteries, the more nanotechnology seems integral to the case, as scientists work to improve the capacity of electrodes in the popular Lithium-ion chemical battery structure. Silicon nanowires are an exciting future possibility, and one current solution uses nano-structures made of iron phosphate. But the firm we're highlighting today, EcoloCap, has decided to revisit our versatile friend: the carbon nanotube. The company has just spread the word that its Nano Lithium X battery can generate a minimum of 200 amp-hours with a single cell (a Tesla requires 6,831 cells) at half the cost of a traditional Li-ion and with greater than 99 percent efficiency. Truth be told, we don't know if the tech actually exists, and we'd never even heard of the company before today -- but if this solution does materialize with the voltage to match its longevity, it'll bring a badly needed eco-boost of competition to a market with far too few players.
Scientists discover method for rapid charging Li-ion batteries
Huzzah! Yet another discovery for us to add to our ever-expanding list of "awesome things that'll never actually happen!" Ibrahim Abou Hamad and colleagues from Mississippi State University have reportedly devised a method of charging batteries that could hasten the process rather significantly, and better still, it could provide "an increase in battery power densities" as well. The only problem? Lithium-ion batteries have been disappointing tech users for years, and so long as Energizer and Duracell are calling the shots, we kind of doubt a lot will be done to improve the longevity of 'em. Skepticism aside, the new method involves some fancy black magic surrounding molecular dynamics simulations, and researchers have found a way to boost charging time by "simulating the intercalation of lithium ions into the battery's graphite anode." We know we just went way over your heads on a Friday afternoon, but if techobabble's your thing, all you can handle is right there in the Source link.
New lithium-ion battery could last 20 years, long after you've broken the devices they once powered
Modern gadgetry (you know, as opposed to "ancient gadgetry," such as the abacus and the hour glass) lives and dies by its batteries, so it's no surprise that lots of time and effort is spent researching both wacky alternatives to the tried and true power cell, as well as ways to make existing cells better. Among the latter, Nikkei is reporting that Eamex in Osaka, Japan, has developed a lithium-ion battery that will last some twenty years of regular use -- that's 10,000 charges! The secret to the long-lasting lithium-ion? In current designs, the tin that's used for the battery's negative electrode weakens through continual charging and recharging. The new design, however, calls for tin-coated resin that stabilizes the electrode and prevents deterioration. Why didn't we think of that? Look forward to seeing these exciting, new batteries debut in electric scooters sometime this year. [Warning: Source link requires subscription]
Panasonic and new best friend Sanyo plan one week storage battery for the home
One of the big obstacles in alternative energy is that some of its primary gathering mechanisms -- solar, wind, reclaimed heat -- aren't continuously available, so no matter how much of a science lab you have bolted to your roof, you still might run out of TV electricity during a calm night's Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon. Well, Panasonic's recent buy of Sanyo brought with it some choice battery tech, and the newly joined companies think they can be the first to build and ship a storage battery for home use. The plan is to release the lithium-ion cell in 2011, with enough juice in it to power a home for a week (a Japanese home, we presume), and the battery will be paired with a system to allow the user to monitor electricity usage on their TV. Of course, fuel cells have traditionally been looked to as the great home energy storage hope, but we doubt any will be able to compete with the tried-and-true lithium-ion by the time 2011 rolls around.
South Korean researchers devise a safer lithium ion battery
While some researchers are focused on making batteries that are both safer and longer-lasting, it seems like the folks at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (or KAERI) are simply concerned with making 'em really, really safe. To that end, they've now announced that they've managed to develop a new type of "separator" that is said to be far more resistant to heat and impact than traditional polyethylene separators. Made from a mix of polyethylene, nano-alumina and flourine-based resin that has been subjected to radiation, the new separator can supposedly hold up to temperatures of 150 degrees Celsius and "considerable outside impact," and it can apparently be applied to all sorts of lithium-ion batteries -- including everything from phones to laptops to electric cars. Of course, there's no word as to when we might actually see the new and improved batteries, but KAERI has apparently already applied for the necessary patents for the new technique.
Tesla Roadster keeps on rollin', goes 313 miles on single charge
What could be a better feeling than beating a world record? Beating your own world record. The Tesla Roadster has put an extra exclamation mark on its world-conquering single-charge antics by raising the bar from 241 miles back in April to an even more impressive 313 this week. As you can see in that homemade "world record" sign above, that's 501 kilometers in metric terms, or pretty much the exact distance between Paris and Amsterdam. The Global Green Challenge in Australia -- where this feat was achieved -- allows only production battery-powered vehicles to compete, meaning that the new record is down to driver skill on the part of one Mr. Simon Hackett, and not some newfound techno mojo. Kinda makes those long recharge times seem like less of a burden, no?
New Sony lithium ion batteries promise 4x the capacity, 99% recharge in 30 minutes
Sony's certainly had its share of battery problems but, like most battery-makers, it's also doing its part to try to improve things, and it's now announced a new lithium-ion battery that should not only be more stable, but last significantly longer than traditional batteries as well. That's apparently possible in part due to its use of an olivine-type lithium iron phosphate for the cathode material, which should help boost the battery's overall lifespan to four times that of conventional lithium ion batteries, not to mention provide an 80% capacity retention after 2,000 charge-discharge cycles and, perhaps most impressively, a promised 99% recharge in just 30 minutes. According to Sony, the batteries are especially well suited for use in power tools (where they'll first show up), but it does say they'll also eventually be "expanded to a wide range of other mobile electronic devices."[Via Sony Insider]
Exploding iPod blows up in Apple's face
Apple's got a lot of problems when it comes to overheating iPod batteries -- not only is the situation potentially dangerous, every move Cupertino makes is subject to sensational misinterpretation. Take today's Times UK story this morning about 11-year-old Ellie Stanborough, whose iPod touch blew itself up last month: when her father Ken contacted Apple for a refund, it seems he got a little bit of a runaround, but was eventually sent a settlement agreement offering a full refund if the family agreed to keep the deal confidential. That's actually totally standard practice when companies settle out-of-warranty claims, but since the agreement was written by lawyers, it contained a bunch of vaguely threatening language about how breaking confidentiality might result in Apple relentlessly suing everyone until Liverpool itself goes bankrupt and the populace is forced to resort to cannibalism and network television. Cue hysterical media coverage. Now, it's no secret that lithium-ion batteries like those used in the iPod have a long history of overheating and exploding, and Apple's certainly had large-scale problems with defective cells -- the first-gen iPod nano has been recalled in Korea and Japan, for example. It's also obvious that the sheer number of iPods sold means there are more exploding iPods than anything else -- and while we're sure some accountant at Apple has a spreadsheet showing the exact failure rate is acceptable, all we've got right now is story after story of these things blowing up with zero context. So here's our suggestion to Apple: maybe instead of having lawyers draft individual settlement agreements full of impenetrable and scary legalese for each and every jilted iPod owner out there, why not simply fess up to the problem, let people know exactly how common it is and how to avoid it, and provide a dead-simple replacement option for people who've had their iPods go up in smoke? That would put everyone at ease, and make these types of stories much less likely to blow up in a media feeding frenzy. Or, you know, do nothing because overwhelming market share inevitably leads to arrogant laziness -- your call.[Via TUAW]
Apple recalls faulty first generation iPod nano players in Korea
While Apple may have moved on to selling the 4th generation iPod nano, consumer protection agencies are still focused on gen-1. For good reason too, apparently, as there's mounting evidence that those early white and black plastic players have a tendency to overheat, swell, and possibly burst into a nasty chemical fire. Responding to four formal consumer complaints made between December and June, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards sent a request to Apple on June 25th recommending that Apple "aggressively" collects first generation iPod nano with Lithium Ion batteries made by the Chinese company ATL. Initially, Apple agreed to replace faulty units as they did in Japan upon request by the consumer. However, KATS is now reporting that Apple will recall the players under its own initiative making this the first formal iPod nano recall we can, uh, recall.
MIT builds battery from bacterial virus, humans to power machines by 2012
We've been tracking MIT professor Angela Belcher's attempt to build batteries and nano-electronics from viruses since 2006. Scientifically speaking, the so-called "virus" is actually a bacteriophage, a virus that preys only on bacteria while leaving humans of diminishing scientific knowledge alone to doubt that claim. Now, in a new report co-authored by Belcher, MIT research documents the construction of a lithium-ion battery (pictured after the break) with the help of a biological virus dubbed M13. M13 acts as a "biological scaffold" that allows carbon nanotubes and bits of iron phosphate to attach and form a network for conducting electricity. Specifically, MIT used the genetically engineered material to create the battery's negatively charged anode and positively charged cathode. Best of all, MIT's technique can be performed at, or below room temperature which is important from a manufacturing perspective -- a process that MIT claims will be "cheap and environmentally benign." Already MIT has constructed a virus-battery about the size of that found in a watch to turn on small lights in an MIT lab. Belcher claims that just a third of an ounce (about 10 grams) of the viral battery material could power an iPod for 40 hours. In time and with enough effort MIT expects to scale the technology to power electronic vehicles. Remember, when the time comes choose the red pill.[Via Scientific American, Thanks James]
Tazzari Zero's preliminary specs released
Italian industrial firm Tazzari has announced preliminary specs and launched a new website for its plug-in auto, the Zero. Measuring 113.5 inches long and sporting 15-inch wheels, the city-bound electric car weighs in at 1,200 pounds -- 312 of that from the lithium-ion Fe battery. It'll handle 88 miles with a full charge that takes 9 hours to fill, but you can reportedly juice up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Top speed is 56 MPH, so don't expect to be driving this on the highway, and it can go from 0 to 31 in under 5 seconds. The company says it's due out later this year in Europe and the Carribean for less than 20,000 Euros ($25,760), and yes, there's a dozen Crayola-inspired colors available. Hit up the official site for a trailer.[Via Autoblog Green]Read - Preliminary specsRead - Official Tazzari Zero website
US alliance to wrestle electric car batteries away from Asia
From our perspective, it appears that we've reached a tipping point with regards to interest in the electric / hybrid automobile. No wonder considering the environmental and national security risks presented by a continuation of an oil-only approach. Unfortunately for the troubled US automotive industry (and economy), the single biggest money generator from a global fleet of electronic vehicles -- the lithium-ion battery cell -- is likely to be manufactured in Asia along side the lithium ion batteries found in our consumer electronics. According to the Wall Street Journal, "More than four dozen advanced battery factories are being built in China but none, currently, in the U.S." That could change, however, with a little determination, private investment, and a government willing to clear the way for manufacturing of this highly toxic contributor to the US infrastructure. Already, we've seen that Intel is being coaxed into building electric car batteries. Now, a group of 14 firms (including 3M and Johnson Controls-Saft) have stepped up to form an alliance with a US government laboratory. The National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture is modeled after SEMATECH, a public-private venture from the 80s that helped restore US prominence in computer semiconductor technology. The goal is to create a shared-cost, "open foundry" for members to perfect and ultimately produce automotive batteries. Problem is, they need upwards of $2 billion to build a plant to manufacture batteries that no one has ordered. Of course, that's a pittance when compared to the bailout requests made by the Big 3. Hmm, jobs and an industry dominating money machine... hey Obama, you listening?[Via Ars Technica]
Andy Grove pushing Intel to manufacture electric car batteries
Former Intel chairman, Andy Grove, has been a prominent supporter of plug-in hybrid automobiles ever since he left his post at Intel. Now, in his role as Intel advisor, Grove is pushing CEO, Paul Otellini, to diversify Intel by manufacturing advanced batteries for plug-in electric vehicles. His argument is two fold: 1) the market is potentially huge (read: big profits!) as the world seems to be at an eVehicle tipping point, 2) with such little manufacturing capacity left in the US (and US automakers in deep trouble), if someone like Intel doesn't take on the challenge then the market will left be to Chinese and Japanese interests like BYD motors and the soon-to-merge Panasonic and Sanyo -- all of whom are positioning themselves to dominate the emerging battery market. While the move from silicon to battery tech might sound radical, it's worth remembering that Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones was once a wood-pulp mill. Of course, if Intel ever perfects Tesla's its wireless power technology then this whole battery argument is moot.
Panasonic agrees to controlling stake in Sanyo, seen issuing hearty backslaps to executives
Ah here we go, a major acquisition following a quarter of disturbingly bleak financial results from Japan's tech community. First from the chute is Panasonic, which according to Nikkei and other members of the media elite, has reached a preliminary agreement to takeover its troubled domestic rival, Sanyo -- details to be announced on November 7th. The chatter began in ernest over the weekend with plenty of folks blabbing about Panasonic's plan to create a "battery superpower" meant to dominate a future that envisions a taller, more slender mankind tooling about in form-fitting jumpsuits from the safety of silent, electric cars. The deal would also extend Panasonic's range of consumer electronics while giving it access to Sanyo's solar panel production. Yeah, yeah, we get it, now let's just make it official already, k fellas?[Via Times Online]
Japan investigates exploding first generation iPod nanos, again (update: issues consumer warning)
Look, it's pretty clear that the lithium-ion battery in the first generation iPod nano has the potential to burst into flames. Seriously, how many more cases do we have to see? Even after giving Apple a stern talking-to and ferocious wag of the finger back in March, Japan's government is once again investigating possible battery defects that caused a pair of Tokyo nanos to burn: nano model MA099 recently singed a piece of nearby paper while a model MA005 nano burned a traditional tatami mat in January (no injuries were reported). Presumably Apple is calculating the cost-of-recall at this very moment. In other words, take the number of 1st gen nanos in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, they don't do one.Update: Japan has issued a warning to iPod nano users saying, "Users need to be careful about overheating of the machines," particularly when charging the players. Japan's government has reported a total of 14 similar incidents to Apple related to models MA004J/A, MA005J/A, MA099J/A and MA107J/A all sold between September '05 and September '06 -- two of which resulted in minor burns. NHK claims that Apple does not plan a recall but is ready to exchange defective parts.
Microwave process could cut cost of lithium-ion batteries
While there's plenty of folks out there focused on making lithium-ion batteries safer and longer-lasting, there's also thankfully some dedicated to making 'em cheaper, which is especially welcome when we're talking about the expensive batteries powering cars. Among those in the latter camp is University of Texas at Austin professor Arumugam Manthiram, who has devised a method of using microwaves to heat a concoction of commercially available chemicals, which ultimately results in the Rorschach test of rod-shaped particles of lithium iron phosphate pictured above. While the use of lithium iron phosphate instead of the more commonly used lithium cobalt oxide apparently cuts back on the total amount of energy the batteries can store, it is apparently particularly well-suited to delivering large bursts of power, which should make the batteries ideal for use in hybrid vehicles. What's more, while the actual cost of the materials may not be much cheaper than other solutions, the sheer speed at which Manthiram's process works could allow for higher production rates from the same amount of equipment, which should result in cheaper batteries by the time they roll off the assembly line.[Via Daily Tech]
Tesla to supply Mercedes-Benz with lithium-ion batteries?
Man, Tesla's been busy today -- in addition to the announcement of the Model S and Elon Musk's promise of a sub-$30K electric car in four years, word on the street is that the company's inked a deal with Daimler AG to supply it with lithium-ion batteries for upcoming electric cars. Daimler's CEO has said the company was open to leasing battery tech to get out an electric Smart by 2010 and it's rumored that the German marque is looking to ditch gas entirely by 2015, so going to Tesla, which has been working on battery tech for some time, isn't a totally out there proposition. Just a rumor for now -- given Tesla's generally-prickly relationships with others, we'd wait for an official announcement before getting too excited about a Roadster-powered SLR, but it's certainly intriguing.
Hitachi Maxell claims new Li-ion battery with 20x the power
Nikkei's reporting that Hitachi Maxell, in association with Nagasaki University, NIAIST, and Fuji Heavy Industries, has developed a new kind of lithium ion battery that can supposedly store 20 times the power, but is also cheap and easily mass produced. Apparently this new kind of battery drops cobalt, an expensive staple of the traditional Li-ion recipe, instead making use of nano-infused lithium with manganese. You know how it goes though -- unrealistic and exponential battery developments are all well and good, but until we see it productized, we're not exactly liable to buy into the hype. [Warning: subscription req'd]
