The London 2012 cable car carrying passengers over the Thames cost US$70 million, making it the most expensive built.
The cabins, built by Swiss CWA, will use Maxwell Technologies’ ultracapacitors for the power supply and energy management on board. The cars only charge at the end of the line, so this must be done in seconds. Two 48V ultracapacitor-modules units mounted on top of each car power the five-minute journey.
Read the full article in the Summer 2012 issue of BEST magazine.
Exide Technologies' battery recycling plant in Frisco, Texas US, is to close by the end of this year after a battle by city residents over environmental issues.
The company is now being sued by two environmental groups concerned about the impact the plant has had on the health of the population.
The groups feel regulators failed to take action on violations being committed at the plant as found on inspections.
"There are chronic contamination problems at Exide that still pose a hazard to Frisco residents and property. There's also a long history of law-breaking that the company must be held accountable for," said Colette McCadden, secretary of Frisco Unleaded.
Exide has been a target of critics in recent years because of lead emissions that exceed the US federal air-quality standard. That standard was tightened in 2008 because of mounting research into the dangers of exposure to the toxic metal at very low levels.
Exide are ceasing operation at the end of this year and the city is buying the land to re-generate.
Things are looking better for the company elsewhere however. In India Exide are planning to expand their manufacturing capacity. They will focus upon the invertor segment as opposed to automotive batteries.
Lithium demand is booming due to to an explosion in tablets and smartphones. GTSO Resources is beginning to recover used lithium using ‘urban mining’ (or recycling) techniques.
"Lithium prices have already tripled, and no one expects them to level off anytime soon,” said GTSO CEO Paul Watson.
Electronic waste contains metal deposits 40 to 50 times richer than mined ores, up to 85% are lost to landfills. GTSO is planning operations to recover lithium, tungsten and other discarded materials.
Johnson Controls Inc. has begun a new partnership with PolyPlus Battery Corporation, a California-based battery manufacturer, and also announced plans for a Chinese automotive battery plant.
PolyPlus will receive US$8.99 million from the US Department of Energy to invest in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries over the next three years.
PolyPlus is developing batteries that are lighter store more energy than the lithium-ion batteries that Johnson Controls currently produces.
Johnson Controls also announced this week signing a deal in China for a facility producing batteries for stop-start vehicles. It will be the first of its kind the company has in China.
Things are looking gloomy for Massachusetts-based A123 Systems Inc as the money is close to running out.
Share prices have plummeted following the recall of hundreds of defective battery packs from one of its Michigan plants and now the company is trying to sell more shares to rescue itself from financial ruin. This setback cost the company US$51.6 million last quarter, as it had to recall and replace the faulty batteries. This blow was preceded by one of A123’s major customers cutting its order for batteries after saying it would be building less electric vehicles.
A123 lost US$125 million in the first quarter of 2012 and has yet to turn a profit since it first sold stock publicly in 2009. In 2009 shares peaked at US$25 a share but are now just over one. A123 must sell a lot of shares to stay afloat and cover its operating costs.
This comes just weeks after the firm announced plans to unveil a new technology, which they claim would allow batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles to operate at extreme temperatures. The batteries, called Nanophosphate EXT, would cut the cost of production and reduce costs.
The idea is to eliminate the need for separate heating and cooling systems in lithium-ion batteries. Chief executive David Vieau called it a "game changer" for the electric vehicle and telecommunications markets. Production of Nanophosphate EXT is planned to start in 2013 to cover orders put in by a German automaker.
Researchers at Ohio State University said the batteries performed impressively at high temperature without losing storage and power generating capabilities. The testing has shown the battery can retain more than 90% of its initial capacity at 45 and deliver starting power at -30°C.
The announcement of this development led to an upsurge in A123 shares which had been struggling around the US$1 mark for weeks, rose to US$1.58 last month.
This July the price is back down. Vieau’s promise to “power through it” may sound hollow in the face of plummeting share prices but he is determined to help A123 ride out the storm. His plan is to raise funds selling stocks and warrants while trying to attract customers to buy A123’s products, unfortunately for Vieau this market is looking saturated.
Tokyo-based W-Scope Corporation has developed a separator for lithium-ion batteries that can withstand higher temperatures without damage, increasing safety by reducing the risk of battery fires.
The new separator material can withstand temperatures of 200°C for one minute without damage. In comparison, other separators can only withstand temperatures up to around 160°C, according to W-Scope.
The company has begun shipping samples and plans to begin mass production of the new separator in the second half of the year, offering versions in thicknesses ranging from 0.03 mm to less than 0.01 mm.
W-Scope predicts around 10 firms will begin using its new separators during 2013, and that by 2015 these value-added products will account for roughly 30% of its overall separator shipments.
A Japanese hybrid train company has made an engine 45% smaller and 20% more economical on fuel than conventional diesel locomotives. Kinki Sharyo use a diesel engine combined with lithium-ion batteries. Unlike diesel trains the hybrid only requires one engine for two locomotives making it lighter and more economical on fuel.
Saft is producing lithium-ion cells for Schuco’s photovoltaic energy storage system available this year.
The system determines if energy is stored, consumed or sold back to the grid. The system control unit detects how much self-generated electricity is available and combines this information with external data. Electricity is only exported when production exceeds storage capacity.
点击这里访问我们的中文网站