New battery research yielding results

This is the time for battery companies to take the lead. Many of the emerging “green” industries are dependent on electrical power storage for success. Electric vehicles and intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar need batteries or other types of power storage. Current battery technology has problems for which new research is developing solutions.

Lithium ion is the present battery technology of choice for its dense energy storage but heat produced during both charging and discharging cycles is a serious problem. Just remember stories of laptop computers and cell phones catching fire and notice how warm your digital camera battery is immediately after recharging. A few solutions aimed at this problem are beginning to appear.

Quallion, based in California, has developed a partial cure for heat build-up in Li-ion batteries for use in heavy-duty trucks to reduce time spent with the engine idling. Their design uses arrays of interconnected, smaller batteries that produce less heat individually and are easier to keep cool en-masse. The arrays are connected to allow continued performance even if individual cells fail. The Li-ion battery arrays weigh much less than a similar amount of storage using conventional lead-acid batteries. Using battery power for interior lights and cooling/heating while parked would significantly reduce the amounts of greenhouse gasses produced by the idling diesel engines of these over-the-road trucks.
Another coming change applies new research to the anode(negative side) of Li-ion batteries. Graphite is the present material of choice but has a limited capacity to hold lithium. The amount of lithium determines the amount of energy that can be stored in a given battery. Silicon can hold nearly ten times as much lithium as graphite but develops cracks after several charge/discharge cycles because of the expansion/contraction caused by the heat produced. Putting micron-sized pores in the silicon surface give enough room for expansion/contraction without cracking. This breakthrough will allow batteries of the same size and weight to hold many times the amount of power now possible. Much smaller batteries for large-scale uses, such as electric vehicles and buffers between solar/wind installations and the commercial power grid should soon be on the way.

Cathode(positive side) research is also bearing fruit. BASF is experimenting with a Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese(NCM) cathode material that could have wide applications. They claim up to 60% more energy storage capacity for same-sized batteries. This amount of increased storage could mean up to 50% more distance per charge for an electric vehicle. For consumer electronics it would mean greatly extended use time for laptop computers, cell phones, etc…


One of the older and better-established battery technologies might also make a comeback thanks to new research. Sodium-Nickel-Chloride(Na-beta) batteries have been around for a long time but like other types of rechargeables produce heat when recharged. It seems changing the shape of the battery from the traditional long cylinder to a flat pancake produces much less heat. An added bonus is the ability to deliver up to 30% more power. The materials that go into Na-beta batteries are cheaper and more easily available than those required for Li-ion batteries.

Another older battery technology is also being revived. GP Batteries received this year’s Battery Manufacturer of the Year-Alternative Chemistries award. They developed a new Nickel-Metal Hydride battery for use in electric vehicles.

Continued research and creative thinking is all of the above areas are needed. Battery storage plays an important role in the continued integration of greener/renewable energy sources into everyday life. Grid interface is a major problem for more widespread use of intermittent power generation like wind and solar. Better battery storage solutions are one way to move forward.

While battery company stocks have been lagging behind other “green” sectors, this situation will not last forever. Batteries have too large a role to play in the success of alternative energy production. The companies that best take advantage of new research will come out ahead in market share and stock share price. I watch several of the largest and most innovative battery companies closely and think they may soon follow the solar PV industry along the path of increasing share prices.

A new way to harvest solar energy

A new and much more efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity has been discovered. The process is called Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission(PETE). PETE could double or even triple the current efficiency of photovoltaic conversion by also taking advantage of the heat that usually goes to waste. Another plus is that PETE becomes more efficient at high temperatures while current photovoltaic technology becomes less efficient at increasing temperatures.

PETE is achieved by coating the photovoltaic semiconductor material with a thin layer of cesium. Research continues on which semiconductor materials work best for this process. PETE seems to work well at temperatures as high as 800C. The added efficiency over current photovoltaic materials could finally make solar price-competitive with oil. The new process uses already-existing and easily available materials and has been tested in southern California's Mojave Desert.

The research is being done by a joint venture of Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The work is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Department of Energy. The original paper was published in Nature Materials after a success
ful demonstration of PETE.

photo courtesy of: freephoto.com

Creativity

My creativity takes a variety of paths and requires a variety of actions. I write about what I do and find interesting(this blog is just one example): real estate, investing, photography, food. I photograph(examples also on this blog): mostly nature and wildlife but also architecture, still life, portraits, weddings and to illustrate my articles. I cook: a range of cuisines and fusions centering on fresh, healthy ingredients. I invest: in local single-family homes and in world-wide stocks concentrated on earth-friendly technology.

Maintaining creativity in these areas means spending some time each day doing each of them. This keeps me in active practice and keeps the basics mostly out of the thought process. The constant practice means I don’t have to stop to think about basic punctuation or grammar or spelling while writing; I don’t have to stop to think about which lens focal length or f/stop to use to get the perspective and depth-of-field wanted in a photograph; I don’t have to stop to think about whether to sauté or roast ingredients for an experimental dish; I don’t have to stop to think about how to enter a “buy” or “sell” order for stocks. Constant practice by constant doing takes the very basics of an activity out of the thought process and allows focusing on the creative aspects of the activity: to tell a story or just report the facts, everything in the frame in sharp focus or only the main subject, a medley of complementary flavors or the predominance of lemon/dill.

Continuous research is also a creativity booster. I read pretty much everything from science fiction to action/spy novels to stock/real estate investing techniques/theories to photography magazines and manufacturer’s equipment updates/new releases. It is important to think about these new(or old) ideas and how they tie in with personal philosophies/practices. I do not have the budget for a new lens but Canon has just released a 8-16mm fisheye zoom lens, stimulating me to think about new ways to use my current lenses. An organic gardening blog or Twitter post causes me to try a new spice or vegetable, a short story contest entry gives me style ideas to incorporate into my real estate column posts. I try to maintain a Zen attitude about life and always be open to new ideas and ways of doing.

Operating this way most effectively keeps me out of ruts. Concentrating too hard or too long on one activity or one technique puts me into a rut, which is then difficult to get out of. If I find myself not getting excited about photographing wildlife or landscapes I will park downtown and spend some time wandering around looking for interesting street scenes or architectural details or man/nature juxtapositions. If I feel uninspired for my next real estate column I might research the latest battery technology breakthroughs as a mental refresher. When feeling burned out on a house rehab a long swim in the Gulf of Mexico can get my thoughts back on track.