Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: adamg on 27/06/2006 20:54:34
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I just read on the Motley Fool about a company called !123Systems that claims that its new M1 Lithium-Ion battery has a charge density of 3,000 KwH/kg. I can't find the density of a lead acid battery, but I know that current Lithium-Ion batteries have 5 times the energy density of Lead-Acid batteries, and so the M1 Li-Ion should be 25 times as energy dense.
In addition to being the most energy dense battery yet devised, the M1 is also claimed to have a life span of 1000 cycles, and can recharge in 5 minutes.
This info peaked my interest because, if true then it would be possible to retrofit a GM EV-1 with M1 batteries and get a range of 1,250 miles, (the first generation of this wonderfull electric car was 50 miles).
In addition, by building the entire thing out of Carbon Fiber one would cut the weight in half, and thus double the range to 2,500 miles, or 4,000 kilometers.
And the thing could be recharged in 5 minutes!
Now, assuming that my rational isn't completly bonkers, wouldn't such a vehicle make fuel cell cars obsolete?
Hydrogen is nothing more than a very energy intensive battery for vehicles to run on, and here we have batteries that allow us to go from renewable energy straight to a super efficient battery power car. Why play around with hydrgoen at all?
Hydrogen dosn't make sense for one's home, as the amount of energy needed to electrolyse water is 10 times what you can get out of the fuel cell itself.
And now it makes little sense for vehicles, with the rapid advances in batteries.
With Jet engines capable of running on bio-diesel or ethanol,(derived from wild growing switch grass, or lawn clippings) why go the hydrogen route at all?
I know that bacteria can produce H2 more cheaply than electrolysis, but with zero emission cars and carbon neutral planes around the corner, do we really need to invest trillions in a hydrogen infastructure?
Is there something I am not considering, that would make a hydrogen economy more beneficial than a renewable electric/ethanol mixed one?
Adam Andrew Galas
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I apologize for misspelling the name of the company that manufacturs M1 batteires. Its A123Systems.
Adam Andrew Galas
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well this news to me; if this technology is for real, it sounds revolutionary.
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http://www.a123systems.com/html/technology.html
It appears that M1 batteries are also better for the environment as they lack the heavy metals contained in current Li-Ion batteries.
This is some truely amazing stuff. Hopefully by 2015 further advancements in battery tech will double or triple capacity as well as shorten recharge time and bring down costs.
Adam Andrew Galas
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I would at this stage be very cautious about backing any one horse in this race, but I think it is indicative of how fast electrical storage technologies are moving in general at present. It should be an interesting few years to come in this field, whichever technology finally proves itself to be dominant.
George
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I would at this stage be very cautious about backing any one horse in this race, but I think it is indicative of how fast electrical storage technologies are moving in general at present. It should be an interesting few years to come in this field, whichever technology finally proves itself to be dominant.
George