Energy Storage

The U.S. Army is working on a water-in-salt electrolyte (WiSE) that is non-toxic and is not affected by mechanical damage. Dr Lorenzo Grande interviewed Kang Xu for an update on their progress.

Just like the Battery Show in the U.S. is the prime location for exhibitors to showcase their battery innovations and manufacturing capabilities, AABC Europe is the leading conference in the Old Continent when it comes to the quality of its speakers. This year from the 30th January to the 2nd February, the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference was hosted as usual at the Congress Center Mainz along the river Rhein in Germany. In this premium article, IDTechEx analysts Mr. Gonzalez and Dr. Grande will give a summary of their week in Mainz as well as insights into the wider implications for the automotive battery industry. This account focuses on everything that happened on DAY ONE.

Whether inside your laptop computer or storing energy outside wind farms, we need high-capacity, long-lasting, and safe batteries.

EnZinc is a US start-up working on the development of rechargeable Zn/air batteries, which they envision can be a low-cost alternative to Li-ion for electric mobility applications.

GNext is an Italian company focused on producing low-cost and high-volume graphene inks using its high yield (30%) process. Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh interviewed their Director and Co-founder, Dr Simone Ligi.

Alstom has successfully performed the first test run at 80 km/h of the world's only fuel cell passenger train Coradia iLint on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony.

Dr Lorenzo Grande spoke to Thierry Baert and Thomas Mathivet from Solvay. They are expanding their battery material portfolio by developing gel polymer electrolytes that are based on their proprietary PVDF binders.

Ukraine badly needs low-cost, zero-emission renewable energy to replace risky, dirty and expensive options and expand the economy efficiently.

The Graphene and 2D Materials Europe event will be the 10th business-focused IDTechEx exhibition and conference.

n the future, a new type of tiny redox flow battery will supply tightly packed electronic components with energy, while also dissipating the heat they produce.

Kokam Co Ltd has introduced the XPAND battery pack, delivering electric vehicle manufacturers a safe, high performance, cost-effective battery solution for electric bus, tram, truck, ground support equipment, military, marine, special-purpose and other commercial and industrial electric vehicle applications.

CAP-XX, a leading developer of supercapacitors that deliver peak power to support batteries, has launched its first compact cylindrical supercapacitors to provide high performance at low cost for less space-constrained devices.

To sustainably power electronics by converting mechanical energy into electricity, energy storage is essential to supply a stable regulated electric output, something traditionally realized by a direct connection between the two components through a rectifier.

NGK Insulators is a Japanese conglomerate which produces sodium/sulphur batteries for stationary applications. A fire accident in 2011 cost the company $600M but they are now back in the game.

Kuraray is a Japanese conglomerate. They have developed a hard carbon for Li-ion anodes with high capacity that can compete with graphite in terms of specific capacity.

Technology Analyst Dr Lorenzo Grande interviewed Philippe Stevens from EDF. They have developed a rechargeable Zn/air battery with a specific energy of 450 Wh/kg, as well as an aqueous Li/air battery.

Suppliers such as Delphi argue that autonomous cars will sell first to organisations, notably as taxis but, after a delay, they will be bought strongly by private individuals. IDTechEx notes that many cities will ban private cars, autonomous or not

One of the keys to building electric cars that can travel longer distances and to powering more homes with renewable energy is developing efficient and highly capable energy storage systems.

Researchers at Uppsala University have patented a cellulose battery separator derived from Cladophora, a type of seaweed found in the Baltic Sea.

A team of engineers led by 94-year-old John Goodenough, co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery, has developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage.