Energy Storage - Promising New Tech

[PTFC Brian]

There has been a lot of good development over the past 10 years in energy storage, and a lot of 'break-throughs' that go nowhere. However, these two newer advancements could be real, and not only for EV's, but aircraft and robotics as well.

https://electrek.co/2020/12/08/tesl...new-fast-charging-battery-major-breakthrough/
German-Dutch research for 1,000-km battery - electrive.com

e-Bikes could be lighter, recharge significantly faster, and operate better without losing energy at higher and lower temps.

 

[bluecat]

and a lot of 'break-throughs' that go nowhere.

Yes, I remember very well the Theranos story. Exciting technology. Revolutionary low amount of blood. And at the end Revolutionary low amount of truth.

Then came Nikola with the hydrogen truck. Running downhill by gravity. Partnership with major companies becomes less than a letter of intent.

Now, another company enters the stage. In science, it’s usual to do so called "peer reviews". I wonder if this company has the balls to allow such investigation. But in comparison what the EU (and Dr. Merkel) does, the US way is the better one - then they don't waste taxpayers money. See the following report:

‘We want to create an integrated value chain for battery cells in Europe…’

This week, 24th to 27th of November, the European Conference on Batteries 2020 is taking place. The online event has been organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in the framework of the German EU Council Presidency. The European Conference on Batteries places a special focus on the topics of sustainability, skills development and innovation. European and international participants from industry, science and politics will be sharing the most recent developments.

The event is linked to the launch of two ‘Important Projects of Common European Interest’ (IPCEIs) concerning the battery value chain. These two projects involve more than 60 companies from across Europe promoting innovation to create new value chains.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said; ‘We want to create an integrated value chain for battery cells in Europe – ranging from the processing of raw materials to battery cell production and recycling. Therefore, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is providing funding worth nearly €3 billion to the German projects involved the two IPCEIs on batteries. In future, Europe is to produce the most innovative and environmentally friendly battery cells, giving rise to tens of thousands of jobs along the value chain…’

The first IPCEI on batteries involves seven Member States: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden, its State aid funding was approved during December 2019. The seven Member States are providing €3.2 billion and the project involves seventeen European Companies.

The second IPCEI on batteries, which comprises 12 participating Member States and some 50 companies, is currently being reviewed by the European Commission in relation to State aid rules.

 

[fxr3]

Yes, I remember very well the Theranos story. Exciting technology. Revolutionary low amount of blood. And at the end Revolutionary low amount of truth.

Then came Nikola with the hydrogen truck. Running downhill by gravity. Partnership with major companies becomes less than a letter of intent.

Now, another company enters the stage. In science, it’s usual to do so called "peer reviews". I wonder if this company has the balls to allow such investigation. But in comparison what the EU (and Dr. Merkel) does, the US way is the better one - then they don't waste taxpayers money. See the following report:

‘We want to create an integrated value chain for battery cells in Europe…’

This week, 24th to 27th of November, the European Conference on Batteries 2020 is taking place. The online event has been organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in the framework of the German EU Council Presidency. The European Conference on Batteries places a special focus on the topics of sustainability, skills development and innovation. European and international participants from industry, science and politics will be sharing the most recent developments.

The event is linked to the launch of two ‘Important Projects of Common European Interest’ (IPCEIs) concerning the battery value chain. These two projects involve more than 60 companies from across Europe promoting innovation to create new value chains.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said; ‘We want to create an integrated value chain for battery cells in Europe – ranging from the processing of raw materials to battery cell production and recycling. Therefore, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is providing funding worth nearly €3 billion to the German projects involved the two IPCEIs on batteries. In future, Europe is to produce the most innovative and environmentally friendly battery cells, giving rise to tens of thousands of jobs along the value chain…’

The first IPCEI on batteries involves seven Member States: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden, its State aid funding was approved during December 2019. The seven Member States are providing €3.2 billion and the project involves seventeen European Companies.

The second IPCEI on batteries, which comprises 12 participating Member States and some 50 companies, is currently being reviewed by the European Commission in relation to State aid rules.

Geez Bluecat, that’s a lot of smart in your post! I’m gonna have to turn my battery on next time I challenge any of your thoughts on wheel size, mirror placement, etc....... “when Bluecat speaks, I listen.”

 

[bluecat]

I’m gonna have to turn my battery on next time I challenge any of your thoughts on wheel size, mirror placement, etc.......

It's cheap to be sceptical - and it cost more to argument. So let me try:

I don't believe in innovation, I know, innovation will happen. And I also know, Dr. Merkel was unable to plan innovation, but she easily wasted billions of €. Her "Photovoltaik-Initiative" was a complete disaster. Now, the EU started a "Battery-Initiative". What's different? The government is always the worst entrepreneur. That's why the venture-capital-way is the better one.

Batteries for the automotive industry will be different from those for e-bikes. In cars, the size of the cells is no topic. In cars, batteries have active temperature management. In cars, capacity is huge, so partial charging makes sense. In cars, the maximum current is rarely used and can be split to many cells. In cars, the amount of cells is way bigger.

In all these cases, the requirements to a battery cell in a e-bike are the opposite. The question is: Is the market for high level e-bike battery cells large enough?

I can't give an estimate; two possible scenarios: A major player (in cell manufacturing) elaborates a e-bike cell line. Some startups, stuffed by venture capital, buy university technology and do the pre-commercial development.

 

[bluecat]

This picture is, of course, a fake. It was rendered on a computer.

Nevertheless, the message is true: The stationary storage of energy as hydrogen is the best option. The hydrogen is generated from water with the excess of solar- or wind energy. Once transformed into liquid hydrogen, the storage time is almost unlimited. For the way back, a fuel cell is used. The whole circle runs with surprisingly high efficiency. The concept is the same as with a Tesla wall charger. But in different, you can store not only energy from day to night but from season to season.

Why not in a vehicle?

Because such technology is a dead end. The efficiency is already very high, no more improvements possible. But - and this is the killer argument - the energy density has also reached its final limit. The energy density is the key point, especially in ebikes. It defines how many Wh can be stored in 1 L / 1 kg storage compartment. In terms of batteries, this value increases from year to year...

Why hydrogen vehicles are built?

The primary reason is the artificial market. The government pay money to such companies. Subsidies, as mentioned in the article above, can be helpful to start and support a process. But if there is no chance to gain readiness for marketing, they are only waste of money (and a risk for corruption). The second reason lies in the company history of Nikola.