Energy Storage

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.

The field of battery energy storage is set to grow significantly over the coming years. The question that incumbents, raw materials suppliers, end users, and innovators are all asking themselves is whether Li-ion batteries will keep the lion's share of the market, or whether disruptive innovation will drive technology diversification according to applications.

Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx, gives an overview in the lead up to the event. The exhibition runs alongside the conference tracks and takes place on 10-11 May in Berlin, Germany. It will showcase over 200 exhibiting companies from 61 countries, many demonstrating the technologies in action.

The new IDTechEx report, "Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) 2017-2027" finds that making electricity by flying kites and the like can potentially address two very different opportunities: kill diesel or kill wind turbines.

FDK Corporation and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd have announced that they have jointly developed lithium cobalt pyrophosphate, which has high energy density, for the cathode material of all-solid lithium-ion batteries.

BioSolar Inc, a developer of breakthrough energy storage technology and materials, has further described its plan to help drive down the cost of lithium-ion batteries.

In November 2015, the research group presented results showing that they had caused roses to absorb a conducting polymer solution. Conducting hydrogel formed in the rose's stem in the form of wires. With an electrode at each end and a gate in the middle, a fully functional transistor was created.

IDTechEx Analyst Dr David Pugh interviewed Brian Lakamp, Founder and CEO of Totem Power ahead of the launch of their smart lighting and charging solutions in the summer of 2017.

Researchers may have just found a solution for one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the next wave of rechargeable batteries — small enough for cellphones and powerful enough for cars.

A new type of battery developed by scientists shows promise for sustainable, high-power energy storage. It's the world's first battery to use only hydronium ions as the charge carrier.

Researchers have created a high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries using waste silicon sawdust.