battery

Scientists as Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a solid electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries that will provide greater energy density. The substance is made by manipulating lithium-thiophosphate so that it could conduct ions 1000 times faster than in its natural bulk form. The researchers used nanostructuring to alter the structure of the crystals that make up the material.

By altering it in this way, the solid electrolyte was not flammable as a liquid electrolyte would be. Chengdu Liang, who led the study, said: "Cycling highly reactive lithium metal in flammable organic electrolytes causes serious safety concerns," Liang said. "A solid electrolyte enables the lithium metal to cycle well, with highly enhanced safety."

The team developed the solid electrolyte by refining lithium-thiophosphate until it could conduct ions at a faster rate than in its natural state.

"We started with a conventional material that is highly stable in a battery system - in particular one that is compatible with a lithium metal anode," said Liang.

One of the research paper’s coauthors, Adam Rondinone, said the method can be scaled up to create large amounts of the material based on the same nanostructuring.

The ALABC, jointly with Controlled Power Technologies, has received an award for its LC Super Hybrid technology. The UK’s Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership presented the award at a ceremony in London for the category ‘Low Carbon Innovation by a small medium sized enterprise.’

The awards, supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, recognise innovative projects that promote the rise in lower carbon vehicles and reducing transport emissions.

The LC Super Hybrid programme is a joint initiative between ALABC and CPT to demonstrate the capabilities of available technologies to promote affordable low carbon vehicles. The collaboration promotes how CO₂ can be reduced through electric hybridisation at low voltages using lead-carbon batteries.

Allan Cooper with Nick Pascoe

“This award is very timely as it will help raise awareness of the advanced work we’re doing with micro-mild hybrid vehicles,” commented Nick Pascoe Chief Executive of CPT. Allan Cooper of the ALABC said they and CPT are delighted to have received the award.

The LC Super Hybrid 12V vehicle has been demonstrated to great success, a 48V version is due to be ready this year to provide torque assist to the engine for launch and acceleration, optimise fuelling during cruise conditions, and harvest kinetic energy during braking.

LC Super Hybrid features an electric supercharger and start-stop technology
developed by CPT along with an advanced lead-carbon battery.

Daimler, Ford and Nissan have signed a three-way agreement to collaboratively develop fuel cell electric vehicles to accelerate getting the technology onto the road. The deal will see each company developing its own vehicle but with a common fuel cell system, sharing development and investment costs.

The companies hope to have affordable fuel cell EVs ready by 2017 with common components to standardise and define global specifications for the technology and encourage faster commercialisation.

(L - R: Raj Nair of Ford, Thomas Weber of Daimler and Mitsuhiko Yamashita of Nissan)

“Working together will significantly help speed this technology to market at a more affordable cost to our customers,” said Raj Nair, group Vice President, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company. “We will all benefit from this relationship as the resulting solution will be better than any one company working alone.”

Each company will invest equally to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system that each company can use in their individual FCEVs. This work will be done at several sites around the world to speed up engineering development.

A similar agreement was made by Toyota and BMW in June 2012, and extended in January 2013, to develop a fuel cell system for a lightweight sports vehicle.

Emerson Network Power has introduced three new models of the Liebert DSE, room-based data centre cooling systems. The 80kW, 85kW and 150kW units will join the current 125kW unit, will be available across North America.

The Liebert DSE features the EconoPhase pumped refrigerant economiser that cools without the cost of water consumption or air contamination thus lowering operational costs.

The unit also features compressors to make the most of part-load efficiency, electronic expansion valves to support lower condensing temperatures, and variable speed electrically commutated plug fans that adjust the unit airflow to demand based on usage.

“The Liebert DSE represents the state-of-the-art in data centre room cooling and demonstrates that major increases in cooling efficiency can be achieved without compromising data centre reliability and performance,” said Steve Madara, Vice President, global cooling, Emerson Network Power. “These new models give data centre designers and managers more options to configure data centre cooling that is scalable, reliable and economical.”

Capstone Turbine’s German distributor E-Quad Power Systems has ordered two C1000 micro-turbine packages, one C200, 14 C65s and four C30s, totalling $2.9 million in product expected to ship in the next six months.

"The January orders from our German distributor E-Quad are almost equal to the total amount E-Quad purchased from Capstone in the previous nine months and are consistent with reports that the German market is starting to rebound," said Jim Crouse, Capstone's VP of Sales and Marketing.

"Despite the slowdown in the European market, Capstone has posted higher year-over-year quarterly revenues for 23 consecutive quarters. A rebound in Germany and France would definitely ease some of the overall headwinds we have experienced in Europe," said Darren Jamison, Capstone's President and Chief Executive Officer.

E-Quad Power Systems, headquartered in Herzogenrath, Germany, provides project planning, installation supervision, start-up and maintenance of Capstone products. E-Quad is focused on oil & gas resource recovery, turbo electric and combined heat and power applications.