Hopeful new battery tech on the horizon

[Alaskan]

@Ravi Kempaiah is probably already aware of this. Given his expertise on this topic I am eager to read his thoughts on whether this aluminum ion battery technology will be the next big leap that will find its way into our bikes.

Developer Of Aluminum-Ion Battery Claims It Charges 60 Times Faster Than Lithium-Ion, Offering EV Range Breakthrough

The graphene aluminum-ion battery cells from the Brisbane-based Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) are claimed to charge up to 60 times faster than the best lithium-ion cells and hold more energy.

www.forbes.com

 

[PedalUma]

I saw this also. Good stuff. We will see how it plays out. That is exactly why we shouldn't worry too much about battery life. Our batteries with be obsolete before they run out of recharges.

 

[RabH]

Looks promising so lets hope it is the future, no doubt they will be ultra expensive though!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Wow. I'm not usually excited by reports like this as the story can easily disappear back into research and never emerge, but this looks great. Can't help but fantasise about my vado SL with half the batt weight and twice the range !

Plus: c h e a p e r !

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Thanks for tagging me here.
Ironically, the last chapter of my doctoral dissertation involves some work on Aluminum ion, potassium ion, and Magnesium ion batteries and all data (mine and other researchers) show that these batteries are at least 10 years away from commercializing. Whatever these ions can do, Li-ion can do better and the existing infrastructure to manufacture Li-ion batteries is rapidly expanding. So, press releases don't tell you the full picture. What works in lab-scale gets really challenging in mass manufacture scale and that is why venture capitalists have wised up to huge battery claims because once you lose a few hundred thousand $$, they would want to know every single detail.
For phones, automobiles, Li-ion will be the dominant battery chemistry for the next 5-10 years.

For grid-scale storage, there is some hope on Liquid metal batteries and flow batteries have promising performance metrics.

 

[retiredNH]

It's about as promising as hydrogen fusion has been for the past 60 years. And when developers are touting their own research, keep your hand on your wallet. There's often a start-up company looking for funding somewhere in the background!

The problem so far with this type of battery is shelf life, according to articles in Nature and elsewhere. I've been seeing articles about alternative energy storage approaches for years, including many types of battery technologies. None have gone anywhere. Lion itself has taken years to get to the point where it's useful, competitive and commercially viable.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Google says ..."A prototype Li-ion battery was developed by Akira Yoshino in 1985, based on earlier research by John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, Rachid Yazami and Koichi Mizushima during the 1970s–1980s, and then a commercial Li-ion battery was developed by a Sony and Asahi Kasei team led by Yoshio Nishi in 1991."

I often think of how many automobile companies have tried and gone belly up. Yet today we have working automobiles with amazing safety features far beyond just workable transportation - and they come as standard features. (Interestingly, I am amazed at how many ebike brands there are. I can't keep track of them and haven't even heard of most of them.)

The point is some things will work and some will stick around to be our new go to battery. A lot had to be tried and go by the wayside. That's how we learn what works.

My brother in an electrical engineer in the power industry. For a lot of years he was upset any time someone brought up wind farms or solar tech - tax dodges all. Well solar at least is pretty good now and I hear of other advancements that may make it great.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Great article Alaskan. The auto companies talk about bringing it online pretty soon, if their thoughts pan out. Graphene is something I have been watching for a long time as it holds so much promise in batteries and other places. Also in the end of the article they mention a sodium battery tech that I read about recently which sounded promising.

Edit: Oop that was a lithium- sulphur tech in this article.

 

[Art Deco]

Google says ..."A prototype Li-ion battery was developed by Akira Yoshino in 1985, based on earlier research by John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, Rachid Yazami and Koichi Mizushima during the 1970s–1980s, and then a commercial Li-ion battery was developed by a Sony and Asahi Kasei team led by Yoshio Nishi in 1991."

I often think of how many automobile companies have tried and gone belly up. Yet today we have working automobiles with amazing safety features far beyond just workable transportation - and they come as standard features. (Interestingly, I am amazed at how many ebike brands there are. I can't keep track of them and haven't even heard of most of them.)

The point is some things will work and some will stick around to be our new go to battery. A lot had to be tried and go by the wayside. That's how we learn what works.

My brother in an electrical engineer in the power industry. For a lot of years he was upset any time someone brought up wind farms or solar tech - tax dodges all. Well solar at least is pretty good now and I hear of other advancements that may make it great.

The technology just has to get to the first tipping point, then it snowballs really fast.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Great video Ravi thanks for putting it up.

 

[PedalUma]

I have a friend who makes satellites. NASA will only approve Ni-Cad. What if the US as part of infrastructure pumped funds into risky basic research into battery technologies? NASA, DARPA.. No one company, institution could do it alone. We got vaccines quickly because we made that a priority.

 

[Elkman]

The devil is in the details as there are already multiple types of lithium batteries with different cathode materials being used. The lithium cobalt oxide ones used with cell phones and laptops are cheap but the least safe and lowest life expectancy. In December I replaced the floodedl lead acid batteries in my RV with lithium ion phosphate which are much safer but not as energy dense (not a problem with a Group 31 size battery).

Equally important is having more efficient motors and drive assemblies. The new Bosch motors released this year are supposed to be 20% more efficient as well as provide more power for the rider. This happened with the first brushless motors that improved power and made more efficient use of battery power.

 

[PedalUma]

The devil is in the details as there are already multiple types of lithium batteries with different cathode materials being used. The lithium cobalt oxide ones used with cell phones and laptops are cheap but the least safe and lowest life expectancy. In December I replaced the floodedl lead acid batteries in my RV with lithium ion phosphate which are much safer but not as energy dense (not a problem with a Group 31 size battery).

Equally important is having more efficient motors and drive assemblies. The new Bosch motors released this year are supposed to be 20% more efficient as well as provide more power for the rider. This happened with the first brushless motors that improved power and made more efficient use of battery power.

Good point. The printed stator is one example of such a leap. Ditching the iron core and windings. https://www.infinitumelectric.com/technology/how-it-works/
My battery representative emailed me last night. No one in Asia has access to premium cells. The supply chain as totally dried up.
Correction: More news as of today. At the industrial level in Asia prices for premium cells have gone up by 50-60%. This is being past on to each level of mark up.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The new Bosch motors released this year are supposed to be 20% more efficient

If those were at 75% efficiency than increasing their efficiency by 20% would mean 90% efficiency. Hard to believe that. Perhaps the increase has been on torque, not efficiency.

 

[kmccune]

It's about as promising as hydrogen fusion has been for the past 60 years. And when developers are touting their own research, keep your hand on your wallet. There's often a start-up company looking for funding somewhere in the background!

The problem so far with this type of battery is shelf life, according to articles in Nature and elsewhere. I've been seeing articles about alternative energy storage approaches for years, including many types of battery technologies. None have gone anywhere. Lion itself has taken years to get to the point where it's useful, competitive and commercially viable.

I give you the "aluminum-air" battery- not rechargeable, though it still had merits.Its tech that was under development probably 50 yrs ago.
"The proof is in the pudding", the button batteries should provide 'proof of concept'.
If viable these things could go in production virtually overnight.
The aluminum air battery was supposed to be rebuilt or replaced every couple thousands of miles in vehicles.Electrochemical Energy Reviews volume

 

[Gionnirocket]

Thanks for tagging me here.
Ironically, the last chapter of my doctoral dissertation involves some work on Aluminum ion, potassium ion, and Magnesium ion batteries and all data (mine and other researchers) show that these batteries are at least 10 years away from commercializing. Whatever these ions can do, Li-ion can do better and the existing infrastructure to manufacture Li-ion batteries is rapidly expanding. So, press releases don't tell you the full picture. What works in lab-scale gets really challenging in mass manufacture scale and that is why venture capitalists have wised up to huge battery claims because once you lose a few hundred thousand $$, they would want to know every single detail.
For phones, automobiles, Li-ion will be the dominant battery chemistry for the next 5-10 years.

For grid-scale storage, there is some hope on Liquid metal batteries and flow batteries have promising performance metrics.

Interesting vid' Ravi... thanks.
Do you know where this stands almost 5 years later?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Interesting vid' Ravi... thanks.
Do you know where this stands almost 5 years later?

I believe they are still in Series B funding stage and working on scaling up.
They have great technology but to commercialize it at the level it makes sense economically, they are still not there.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I believe they are still in Series B funding stage and working on scaling up.
They have great technology but to commercialize it at the level it makes sense economically, they are still not there.

View attachment 88150

Thanks Rav'
Yeah I bounced around their website as well.
Looks like an initial installation is set to start 3rd quarter of this year... Very interesting.

TerraScale to deploy Ambri liquid metal battery at Energos Reno Project

Ambitious tech for an ambitious campus project

www.datacenterdynamics.com

I wonder if under a high enough duty cycle the heat generated could have a secondary use?

 

[kmccune]

Thanks Rav'
Yeah I bounced around their website as well.
Looks like an initial installation is set to start 3rd quarter of this year... Very interesting.

TerraScale to deploy Ambri liquid metal battery at Energos Reno Project

Ambitious tech for an ambitious campus project

www.datacenterdynamics.com

I wonder if under a high enough duty cycle the heat generated could have a secondary use?

Sure, co-generation, heat homes or a greenhouse or deice, heat is a very useful state of matter. Check out the "Finnish" sand heat storage( sorry no link) I had the plans in the 1980s for a "Hahsa" think thats what they called it- much better than an outside wood furnace.

 

[john peck]

@Ravi Kempaiah is probably already aware of this. Given his expertise on this topic I am eager to read his thoughts on whether this aluminum ion battery technology will be the next big leap that will find its way into our bikes.

Developer Of Aluminum-Ion Battery Claims It Charges 60 Times Faster Than Lithium-Ion, Offering EV Range Breakthrough

The graphene aluminum-ion battery cells from the Brisbane-based Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) are claimed to charge up to 60 times faster than the best lithium-ion cells and hold more energy.

www.forbes.com

I read something about this almost a year back in ´New Atlas¨. It would be much lighter too. Can´t wait,
but what should I do with the 4 L.I. batteries I have? Just think, you could fully charge on the road during a
sandwich break, unlimited range. The auto industry or big oil is bound to kill it. EVs might eliminate
fumes, but at $50k, they still won´t cure freeway gridlock. Corporate will fight to keep us the slaves
of industry.