Low cost rechargeable (car) battery takes 2 min to charge and lasts 20 years

Impetus · 19-10-2014 9:47am #1

Singapore based Nanyang Technological University has announced a rechargeable battery based on titanium dioxide (of which there is an abundant supply on the earth, and which is used as a food additive), which can charge to 70% of its capacity in 2 minutes and lasts around 20 years. It is apparently cheaper to produce than convention LiOn batteries.

The fast charging would mean that batteries could be smaller, as it would be no big inconvenience to stop at a charging station for 2 or 3 minutes to re-charge. The charging stations would need high capacity connections to the grid to deliver the power over such a short period. A 450 kW street socket (1000v x 450 amps) - which will require a new connector standard - (you can buy connectors with this capacity at the moment - non standard design).

The batteries are expected to be on the market within the next two years.

http://media.ntu.edu.sg/NewsReleases/Pages/newsdetail.aspx?news=809fbb2f-95f0-4995-b5c0-10ae4c50c934

shedweller · 19-10-2014 3:19pm

Theres a potential game changer!

Markcheese · 19-10-2014 3:28pm

Does this mean tesla's mega factory is bust before it even starts ...

Impetus · 19-10-2014 6:05pm

Markcheese wrote: »

Does this mean tesla's mega factory is bust before it even starts ...

I don't think so.

"Lithium-ion batteries usually use additives to bind the electrodes to the anode, which affects the speed in which electrons and ions can transfer in and out of the batteries.

However, Prof Chen’s new cross-linked titanium dioxide nanotube-based electrodes eliminates the need for these additives and can pack more energy into the same amount of space.

Manufacturing this new nanotube gel is very easy. Titanium dioxide and sodium hydroxide are mixed together and stirred under a certain temperature so battery manufacturers will find it easy to integrate the new gel into their current production processes."

Just mix and stir and put the gook (gel) into the existing battery platform. It provides a huge increase in the surface area over which the power is stored. Nano technology has massive potential for lots of things.

Just make them ejit-proof.

Heroditas · 20-10-2014 9:18am

Really interesting to read stuff like this and it's advancements like that which will help the rollout of electric cars even more.
An issue is going to be the infrastructure though if the car requires something like a 450kW supply point. Connections like that are costly. If you wanted 8 or 9 of those charging points, you'd need a 4000kVA substation. That's bigger than most existing MIC connections in the country!

Impetus · 20-10-2014 11:36am

Heroditas wrote: »

Really interesting to read stuff like this and it's advancements like that which will help the rollout of electric cars even more.
An issue is going to be the infrastructure though if the car requires something like a 450kW supply point. Connections like that are costly. If you wanted 8 or 9 of those charging points, you'd need a 4000kVA substation. That's bigger than most existing MIC connections in the country!

While the new battery technology has the potential to turn the tables on the system, a small office building or similar needs 450 Amps. And not every charging point will need to be super-express speed. Not every parking space will be occupied and charging at the same time. Most charging will probably take place at home or in a workplace car park – ie during overnight or work day periods.

Charging at multi-story car parks can be scaled based on duration of parking – eg 1 or 2 hours – with perhaps the option for the motorist to select the speed of the charge – s/he might leave the car in the car park all day.

This leaves fast charging concentrated mainly to motorways and N roads – and the charge stations can be sited near the ESB grid.

Smart metering can also be brought to bear on the load. Eg When there is a lot of wind, the price per kW/h goes down. Charging over-night should be cheaper than during the peak demand time during the day. The price of fast charging could be at a premium to slow charging. Battery or capacitor systems could be used to support high speed charging points, especially where grid connections were strained.

The location of express charging points should be planned for well in advance – like they did in France when the autoroute pathways were planned, combining them with high tension electricity cables and TGV lines.

The system’s capacity to store energy using a price incentive will be positive for the wind and other generators of power. It makes the recent anti-wind remarks of a certain economist badly timed, and short sighted.

Speaking of timing – this will not happen overnight. In two years the battery becomes available. The Irish are late adopters generally speaking. It will also take the auto industry time to increase the range of vehicles that can make use of electricity.

While super-fast charging will generally be used by long distance drivers and procrastinators... the availability of the speed of charging will remove the excuse for not buying an e-car (range anxiety), and the 20 year battery life will be a bonus

Birdnuts · 20-10-2014 1:28pm

Impetus wrote: »

Smart metering can also be brought to bear on the load. Eg When there is a lot of wind, the price per kW/h goes down. Charging over-night should be cheaper than during the peak demand time during the day. The price of fast charging could be at a premium to slow charging. Battery or capacitor systems could be used to support high speed charging points, especially where grid connections were strained.

The location of express charging points should be planned for well in advance – like they did in France when the autoroute pathways were planned, combining them with high tension electricity cables and TGV lines.

The system’s capacity to store energy using a price incentive will be positive for the wind and other generators of power. It makes the recent anti-wind remarks of a certain economist badly timed, and short sighted.

Not really - you can't run a modern economy based on when the wind blows. Wind only provided 5% of its installed capacity last month according to Eirgrid. Do you seriously think business/domestic users should be constrained in their activities in such a way??. Such an approach would be devastating for the economy with a major flight of capital, industry and jobs to countries with more sensible energy policies

Heroditas · 20-10-2014 1:29pm

Impetus wrote: »

While the new battery technology has the potential to turn the tables on the system, a small office building or similar needs 450 Amps. And not every charging point will need to be super-express speed. Not every parking space will be occupied and charging at the same time. Most charging will probably take place at home or in a workplace car park – ie during overnight or work day periods.

Charging at multi-story car parks can be scaled based on duration of parking – eg 1 or 2 hours – with perhaps the option for the motorist to select the speed of the charge – s/he might leave the car in the car park all day.

This leaves fast charging concentrated mainly to motorways and N roads – and the charge stations can be sited near the ESB grid.

Smart metering can also be brought to bear on the load. Eg When there is a lot of wind, the price per kW/h goes down. Charging over-night should be cheaper than during the peak demand time during the day. The price of fast charging could be at a premium to slow charging. Battery or capacitor systems could be used to support high speed charging points, especially where grid connections were strained.

The location of express charging points should be planned for well in advance – like they did in France when the autoroute pathways were planned, combining them with high tension electricity cables and TGV lines.

The system’s capacity to store energy using a price incentive will be positive for the wind and other generators of power. It makes the recent anti-wind remarks of a certain economist badly timed, and short sighted.

Speaking of timing – this will not happen overnight. In two years the battery becomes available. The Irish are late adopters generally speaking. It will also take the auto industry time to increase the range of vehicles that can make use of electricity.

While super-fast charging will generally be used by long distance drivers and procrastinators... the availability of the speed of charging will remove the excuse for not buying an e-car (range anxiety), and the 20 year battery life will be a bonus

An office with 500-600 people will typically have an MIC of over 500 with a max demand of about 450kVA.
While not every charging point will need to be one of the express ones, there will still be a relative need for them. Otherwise, what is the point of having this express charging at all?
Even having one super-charger at any one point will require quite a bit of investment and potential upgrading to the local network. That's just not debatable, it's a fact. That capacity needs to be provided for.

Wholeheartedly agree with your last sentence!

Impetus · 20-10-2014 1:34pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Not really - you can't run a modern economy based on when the wind blows. Wind only provided 5% of its installed capacity last month according to Eirgrid. Do you seriously think business/domestic users should be constrained in their activities in such a way??. Such an approach would be devastating for the economy with a major flight of capital, industry and jobs to countries with more sensible energy policies

While I haven't checked your 5% figure, this is why we have and will need to increase grid inter-connectivity to other countries. Export wind energy when there is a surplus, and import energy when there is a shortage. Smart metering also plays a large role in the economics of managing this.

Birdnuts · 20-10-2014 1:40pm

Impetus wrote: »

While I haven't checked your 5% figure, this is why we have and will need to increase grid inter-connectivity to other countries. Export wind energy when there is a surplus, and import energy when there is a shortage. Smart metering also plays a large role in the economics of managing this.

So more expensive wind farm/pylon sprawl?? The wind farm output across Western Europe last month was very poor thanx to a large HP system. After this enormoursly expensive spend on wind power related infrastruture you will still need back up which is why the likes of Germany is installing coal fired power stations at a rapid pace and the Brits going ahead with a new nuke. At a time when Europe needs to compete to attract invesment and jobs these "wind power at any cost" policies will simply benefit our compeditors

Heroditas · 20-10-2014 1:48pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

So more expensive wind farm/pylon sprawl?? The wind farm output across Western Europe last month was very poor thanx to a large HP system. After this enormoursly expensive spend on wind power related infrastruture you will still need back up which is why the likes of Germany is installing coal fired power stations at a rapid pace and the Brits going ahead with a new nuke. At a time when Europe needs to compete to attract invesment and jobs these "wind power at any cost" policies will simply benefit our compeditors

Germany is installing coal plnts to replace their nuclear fleet.

Funny how Ireland is still attracting FDI despite our investment in renewables at a time when naysayers are saying that this investment and cost will harm our competitiveness.

Birdnuts · 20-10-2014 1:57pm

Heroditas wrote: »

Germany is installing coal plnts to replace their nuclear fleet.

Funny how Ireland is still attracting FDI despite our investment in renewables at a time when naysayers are saying that this investment and cost will harm our competitiveness.

I thought wind was meant to replace Nuclear in Germany??. Doesn't sound like they've much confidence in it doing that?? In any case its the same story in Denmark(they import alot of nuke and coal power) when the wind fails. The full costs of Irelands current energy policies will become more apparent in the next decade - then we will see if this foreign investment sticks around(and we know from history how fickle these multinationals can be!!). The fact that we already have one of the most expensive retail energy costs in the EU despite falling oil/gas prices should act as a red flag for all concerned in this area.

Impetus · 20-10-2014 2:00pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

So more expensive wind farm/pylon sprawl?? The wind farm output across Western Europe last month was very poor thanx to a large HP system. After this enormoursly expensive spend on wind power related infrastruture you will still need back up which is why the likes of Germany is installing coal fired power stations at a rapid pace and the Brits going ahead with a new nuke. At a time when Europe needs to compete to attract invesment and jobs these "wind power at any cost" policies will simply benefit our compeditors

Wind energy is a minority sport in most European countries. The continent is large so most countries are distant from the sea, and mountains create other problems. When the global economy recovers, one of the largest components in inflation will be energy prices. Ireland has wasted much of the energy in natural gas by converting it into electricity first. There is little or no waste to energy infrastructure. If you buy energy (eg gas, oil, etc) you will be paying the current price for the commodity. If you make your own energy, while you have an up-front capital cost which is fixed, and a long shelf life over which to amortize it.

There is no escaping the electrification of transport systems. I have no time for EU CO2 targets or obeying many of their stupid decisions. My focus is on the practical logic of the electrification of virtually everything. Close to 100% of home heating in Norway is electric - even though the country has large oil and gas reserves. In this low density populated country, trains run on electricity too.

Heroditas · 20-10-2014 4:48pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

I thought wind was meant to replace Nuclear in Germany??. Doesn't sound like they've much confidence in it doing that?? In any case its the same story in Denmark(they import alot of nuke and coal power) when the wind fails. The full costs of Irelands current energy policies will become more apparent in the next decade - then we will see if this foreign investment sticks around(and we know from history how fickle these multinationals can be!!). The fact that we already have one of the most expensive retail energy costs in the EU despite falling oil/gas prices should act as a red flag for all concerned in this area.

No, they have had renewables on the system in Germany for years. Germany started building more coal stations after Fukushima and they decided to axe their nuclear fleet.

Your claim regarding multinationals is unfounded. Energy prices have risen massively in Ireland over the last decade and a half yet multinationals are still firmly entrenched here.
What concerns these companies most is a high quality energy system with reliability of supply - something that very few countries outside Europe can actually guarantee them unless they provide their own generation capability.

Greensleeves · 21-10-2014 9:19am

Heroditas wrote: »

No, they have had renewables on the system in Germany for years. Germany started building more coal stations after Fukushima and they decided to axe their nuclear fleet.

Exactly. And when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine Germany needs fossil fuels to keep the lights on: coal and lignite are the cheapest sources so that's what Germany burns.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-21/merkel-s-taste-for-coal-poised-to-upset-130-billion-green-drive.html

Heroditas · 21-10-2014 12:40pm

I see this thread has become bogged down in the usual arguments regarding the merits of renewables.

Impetus · 25-10-2014 8:55pm

The main car manufacturers are increasing the output of electric cars. These will need electricity rather than gasoline or diesel. It will have to come from somewhere. A country in the fortunate position of Ireland can either decide to import gas and or oil to make this electricity - which costs about 6 billion a year outflow from the economy, or invest capital to harvest local wind and other forms of energy (and stop using landfill), and use import/export to make up the balance (surprus or deficit) using international interconnectors. Renewable energy is "dirt cheap" in the long term - eg hydro. Even though it may look like a big deal when first installed. No different to the DART Dublin when they changed it from diesel trains - there were headlines in the newspapers about the waste of money on electrification of the system - £150 million wasted on electrification stories stick in one's mind.

The main national railway lines need to be electrified, and Cork city could do with a "Luas" running from Mahon to Kent Station to city centre, to UCC to CUH, and on to Ballincollig. There are nearly 400,000 people in that catcchment area. Ban buses from the city centre and instead use buses as feeders to a tram system with frequent service and sub branches at the ends (eg Mahon = T1, Dougloas = T2 spur etc). Luas makes a profit and a tram in Cork would be just as profitable and most of the route in Cork needs very little relocation of underground services unlike Luas.

Rechargeable cars are great, but an urban area depends on high quality, frequent, public transport to keep things moving sans bouchons. A traffic jam involving electric cars is nearly as bad as one with conventional vehicles, aside from the lower pollution.

http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/10/porsche-mercedes-building-electric-cars-to-challenge-tesla/

Low cost rechargeable (car) battery takes 2 min to charge and lasts 20 years

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