Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Introduces Fast-Charging, Noncombustible Batteries

A team of engineers led by 94-year-old John Goodenough, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery, has developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage. Goodenough’s latest breakthrough, completed with Cockrell School senior research fellow Maria Helena Braga, is a low-cost all-solid-state battery that is noncombustible and has a long cycle life (battery life) with a high volumetric energy density and fast rates of charge and discharge. The engineers describe their new technology in a recent paper published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science. “Cost, safety, energy density, rates of charge and discharge and cycle life are critical for battery-driven cars to be more widely adopted. We believe our discovery solves many of the problems that are inherent in today’s batteries,” Goodenough said. The researchers demonstrated that their new battery cells have at least three times as much energy density as today’s lithium-ion batteries. A battery cell’s energy density gives an electric vehicle its driving range, so a higher energy density means that a car can drive more miles between charges. The UT Austin battery formulation also allows for a greater number of charging and discharging cycles, which equates to longer-lasting batteries, as well as a faster rate of recharge (minutes rather than hours). Today’s lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes to transport the lithium ions between the anode (the negative side of the battery) and the cathode (the positive side of the battery). If a battery cell is charged too quickly, it can cause dendrites or “metal whiskers” to form and cross through the liquid electrolytes, causing a short circuit that can lead to explosions and fires. Instead of liquid electrolytes, the researchers rely on glass electrolytes that enable the use of an alkali-metal anode without the formation of dendrites. The use of an alkali-metal anode (lithium, sodium or potassium) — which isn’t possible with conventional batteries — increases the energy density of a cathode and delivers a long cycle life. In experiments, the researchers’ cells have demonstrated more than 1,200 cycles with low cell resistance. Additionally, because the solid-glass electrolytes can operate, or have high conductivity, at -20 degrees Celsius, this type of battery in a car could perform well in subzero degree weather. This is the first all-solid-state battery cell that can operate under 60 degree Celsius. Braga began developing solid-glass electrolytes with colleagues while she was at the University of Porto in Portugal. About two years ago, she began collaborating with Goodenough and researcher Andrew J. Murchison at UT Austin. Braga said that Goodenough brought an understanding of the composition and properties of the solid-glass electrolytes that resulted in a new version of the electrolytes that is now patented through the UT Austin Office of Technology Commercialization. The engineers’ glass electrolytes allow them to plate and strip alkali metals on both the cathode and the anode side without dendrites, which simplifies battery cell fabrication. Another advantage is that the battery cells can be made from earth-friendly materials. “The glass electrolytes allow for the substitution of low-cost sodium for lithium. Sodium is extracted from seawater that is widely available,” Braga said. Goodenough and Braga are continuing to advance their battery-related research and are working on several patents. In the short term, they hope to work with battery makers to develop and test their new materials in electric vehicles and energy storage devices. This research is supported by UT Austin, but there are no grants associated with this work. The UT Austin Office of Technology Commercialization is actively negotiating license agreements with multiple companies engaged in a variety of battery-related industry segments. http://www.engr.utexas.edu/news/8203-goodenough-batteries

Broadbit introduces sodium battery

BroadBit is a technology company developing revolutionary new batteries using novel sodium-based chemistries to power the future green economy. We have already made high performance lab samples and are now commercializing the technology for next generation electric vehicles, portable electronics, starters and grid energy storage. Our batteries enable: Increased range/use time Longer lifetime Reduced cost Improved environmental friendliness Scalable to any production volume The batteries are based on metallic sodium and other widely available and plentiful compounds. Our active materials include sodium chloride (NaCl), which is also known as table salt. BroadBit is also developing a high power and low cost battery capable of fully recharging in 5 mins! Transportation Our batteries enable longer range electric vehicles. We eliminate range anxiety and make electric vehicles competitive in price. Engine Starters Our batteries provide increased durability for starter applications. We eliminate dead batteries due to cold temperature or over discharging. Portable Electronics Our batteries allow electronics such as laptop computers, sensors, and flashlights to be lighter and last longer between charges. Backup Power Our batteries enable cheaper and smaller energy storage systems for backup power applications. http://www.broadbit.com

BroadBit has invented and is commercializing a new type of metallic sodium battery in two families: Hi-Energy batteries with twice the energy per weight and Hi-Power batteries with ten times the power as todays lithium-ion batteries. BroadBits Hi-Power batteries can be fully charged in as little as 5 minutes. BroadBits batteries are made with abundant and cheap raw materials (e.g. table salt) and its manufacturing process is simpler than Li-ion. With these advantages, BroadBit expects its cost per kWh to be a third that of Li-ion when in mass production. Moreover, initial tests of the technology show no detectable degradation in battery performance over 600 cycles. This is because, unlike Li-ion, there are no side reactions, dendrite formation or mechanical stress due to ion intercalation. These innovations, if BroadBit can turn them into mass production and meet their promises, could make mobile devices lighter, faster charging and longer lasting and will finally enable low-cost, high range and convenient electric vehicles including cars, buses, bikes and even electric air planes and bring about the long awaited post combustion era of transportation. BroadBit is now scaling production of its proprietary electrolytes, anodes and cathodes and is looking for partners worldwide to assemble batteries from its components. Tech reloaded You can contact BroadBit here: david.brown@broadbit.com

Graphene polymer battery offers high energy density, safety and fast charging

A collaboration between Graphenano and its Chinese partner Chint has led to a graphene battery that surpasses any current lithium ion battery, and it could soon replace batteries in domestic use and electric cars. POWERING THE FUTURE The Spanish company Graphenano has introduced a graphene polymer battery that could allow electric vehicles to have a maximum range of a staggering 800 kilometers (497 miles). The battery can also be charged in just a few minutes. And it could do more than revolutionize electric cars. The company notes that the battery is designed for a number of uses, and could be put in houses, bicycles, drones, and even pacemakers. Dubbed Grabat, the batteries will be manufactured in Yecla, Spain and will have an energy density of 1,000 Wh/kg (for comparison, lithium batteries generally have a energy density of 180 Wh/kg). Grabat will also have a voltage of 2.3 V. If that’s not enough, the battery could discharge and charge faster than a standard lithium ion battery (almost 33 times that of lithium). It also does not exhibit memory effect, a phenomenon in which charging a battery multiple times lowers its maximum energy potential. Best of all, independent analyses by TÜV and Dekra have demonstrated that the batteries are safe and are not prone to explosions like lithium batteries, and tests conducted by the company have shown that, after being short-circuited, the battery is able to return to work with 60% of the load. GOING THE EXTRA MILE If you haven’t heard of this wonder material, graphene is a nanomaterial that is just one atom thick. It is amazingly hard, yet flexible and elastic. It has long been known that graphene has very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It’s also light and produces electricity after being hit by light. The company expects to have prototypes as early as mid-2016, with commercial batteries being produced by the end of the year. They project that, by 2019, they will have made a turnover of 3,000-4,000 million euros. If Grabat does become a success, and powers the next Tesla, reaching that figure doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

Aquion Energy's Salt water batteries returns to the market in 2018

Since March of this year the Aquion Energy’s Pittsburgh Pennsylvania based R&D and Engineering teams have been working to improve upon the chemistry and quality of the original Aquion S-Line/Aspen battery stack. Improvements will include a boost to the energy density of the stack, continued improvements to cycle life and lifetime capacity degradation all while using the same materials that make Aquion Energy batteries the safest and most sustainable batteries on the market. It was this commitment to safety, sustainability, and a portfolio of projects across the globe which attracted a large US capital private equity fund to acquire Aquion Energy. This fund has allowed Aquion Energy to emerge out of the restructuring period in just three months since the company filed for Chapter 11 protection. With capital funding now secure, Aquion can confidently re-enter the market with expanded global manufacturing capabilities. Ultimately these capabilities will result in some of the most competitive acquisition and operational costs in the energy storage industry.

A thermoelectric material (ytterbium silicide) with a high power factor at room temperature

Osaka University-led researchers create a thermoelectric material (ytterbium silicide) with a high power factor at room temperature

(a) Three-dimensional crystal structure of YbSi2, (b) view along the a-axis, and (c) along the c-axis. CREDIT: © 2017 Kurosaki et al. Phys. Status Solidi RRL 2017, 1700372. doi: 10.1002/pssr.201700372

IMPROVED POWER FACTOR AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Thermoelectric (TE) materials could play a key role in future technologies. Although the applications of these remarkable compounds have long been explored, they are mostly limited to high-temperature devices. Recently, researchers at Osaka University, in collaboration with Hitachi, Ltd., developed a new TE material with an improved power factor at room temperature. Their study, published in Physica Status Solidi RRL, could help bring these materials out of the high-temperature niche and into the mainstream.

TE materials display the thermoelectric effect: apply heat on one side, and an electric current starts to flow. Conversely, run an external current through the device, and a temperature gradient forms; i.e., one side becomes hotter than the other. By interconverting heat and electricity, TE materials can be used as either power generators (given a heat source) or refrigerators (given a power supply).

The ideal TE material combines high electrical conductivity, allowing the current to flow, with low thermal conductivity, which prevents the temperature gradient from evening out. The power generation performance mainly depends on the “power factor,” which is proportional to both electrical conductivity and a term called the Seebeck coefficient.

“Unfortunately, most TE materials are often based on rare or toxic elements,” according to study co-author Sora-at Tanusilp. “To address this, we combined silicon – which is common in TE materials – with ytterbium, to create ytterbium silicide [YbSi2]. We chose ytterbium over other metals for several reasons. First, its compounds are good electrical conductors. Second, YbSi2 is non-toxic. Moreover, this compound has a specific property called valence fluctuation that make it a good TE material at low temperatures.”

The first advantage of YbSi2 is that the Yb atoms occupy a mixture of valence states, both +2 and +3. This fluctuation, also known as Kondo resonance, increases the Seebeck coefficient with keeping metal-like high electrical conductivity at low temperature, and therefore the power factor.

Second, YbSi2 has an unusual layered structure. While the Yb atoms occupy crystal planes similar to pure Yb metal, the Si atoms form hexagonal sheets between those planes, resembling the carbon sheets in graphite. This blocks the conduction of heat through the material, and therefore keeps the thermal conductivity down, preserving the temperature gradient. The researchers believe that heat conduction is further suppressed by controlling the structure in nanoscale and traces of impurities and other defects.

The result is an encouragingly high power factor of 2.2 mWm-1K-2 at room temperature. This is competitive with conventional TE materials based on bismuth telluride. As corresponding author of this study Ken Kurosaki explains, “The use of Yb shows we can reconcile the conflicting needs of TE materials through carefully selecting the right metals. Room-temperature TEs, with moderate power, can be seen as complementary to the conventional high-temperature, high-power devices. This could help unlock the benefits of TE in everyday technology.

Bicycle lights without batteries or drag from generator/dynamo

Credit:   Luke Dormehl  Digital Trends December  28, 2017

When it comes to lights, cyclists typically have one of two options: Either a battery-powered light which needs replacing every so often or a dynamo-powered light which uses the spinning of your bike’s wheels to generate power, but which cause friction that can slow you down. A new Kickstarter campaign 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dynamodirk/magnic-microlights-non-contact-driven-brake-shoe-b?

seems to offer a perfect third solution, however: Smart brake lights that work courtesy of a completely contactless dynamo-powered battery. The promise? Endless light without resistance — via so-called eddy currents, loops of electrical current induced within conductors thanks to a changing magnetic field.

“When faced with Magnic Light for the first time, many believe that this is either a fake or a perpetual motion generator,” inventor Dirk Strothmann told Digital Trends. “Both aren’t true, but the underlying eddy current technology is so fascinating because the magnetic fields only appear when there is motion — in our case the rotating rim. By hiding a rotating magnet wheel inside a black box, the perpetual motion illusion is perfect. But in our case, this is more than a magic trick because this concept has several advantages over standard dynamos: an air gap between wheel and generator means no problems with dirt, rain or snow, and an encapsulated unit without external cables is better protected and feels like a battery light that is never empty.”

Magnic Microlights: Non-contact driven brake shoe bike light

In addition to excellent illumination, Strothmann has also created smart versions of the brake lights which offer a turn signal that’s triggered via a quick double pump of the brake handle, alongside smartphone-controlled navigation signals and sensor-free speed tracking.

Strothmann is no stranger to Kickstarter. He has two successful Kickstarter campaigns he has delivered in the past, which means that people willing to stump up some pre-order cash aren’t doing so on an unproven entity. If you would like to get hold of some of his new lights, you can currently place an order on Kickstarter, where he is selling a set of both the smart new rear lights and also front lights for 99 euros (around $118). Other price options are also available — including a basic set of front and rear lights for a frankly ridiculous $1.20 (!!) for the first 1,000 people to sign up. Shipping is set to take place in November 2018