Energy Storage

Few of the giant car makers have shown urgency in transitioning away from the internal combustion engine. What's more, the automotive market is set to decline once again in 2019 whilst electrifying newcomers made huge gains in front of sleeping incumbents' noses. Although a large fraction of this is orders (not deliveries), if OEMs do not wake up now, they never will.

IBM Research is building on a long history of materials science innovation to unveil a new battery discovery. This new research could help eliminate the need for heavy metals in battery production and transform the long-term sustainability of many elements of our energy infrastructure.

Chemists have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight. In lab experiments, the research team mixed plastics with their catalyst in a solvent, which allows the solution to harness light energy and convert the dissolved plastics into formic acid - a chemical used in fuel cells to produce electricity.

Volvo Buses is now giving a second life to batteries from electric buses. In a unique cooperation with Stena Property and Stena Recycling's subsidiary BatteryLoop, bus batteries are used for energy storage and as an energy source in Gothenburg's Fyrklövern residential complex. The project is a step towards circular economy in electromobility creating new commercial possibilities for companies.

Previously SiNode, Nanograf develop silicon-graphene composite electrodes for Li-ion batteries. They presented at the IDTechEx Show USA 2019.

Thermal interface materials (TIM) play a crucial role in numerous sectors, from lithium-ion batteries to 5G base stations, LEDs, consumer electronics and more. Heat dissipation is often on the of the limiting factors as many industries look to increase power and reduce the size.

With the launch of wearable devices and smartphones that require high capacity of electricity such as foldable phones and 5G phones, the interest in batteries are increasing and various battery types are developed. For example, flexible batteries embedded in the mobile watch band or wireless power sharing batteries that have developed from wireless charging.

Visblue are a Danish start-up developing a modular vanadium redox flow battery. IDTechEx caught up with marketing manager Katharina Laursen.

Solid-state Li-ion thin film batteries are small, compact and may have flexible construction. They don't contain any aggressive liquid substances, so they are safe to use.

A three-year scientific research project currently underway at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is showing promising results to unlock the untapped potential of lead batteries. Lead batteries currently supply over 70% of the world's rechargeable battery energy needs. Yet, possibilities exist to expand their performance to meet growing energy storage and transportation demands.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are a revolutionary technology, found in everything from cellphones to cars. But the chemistry behind them is facing a looming challenge. Lithium-ion batteries cannot be recharged indefinitely; the materials in these batteries' electrodes expand and crack with each cycle, gradually decreasing their storage performance until they are useless. The resulting demand for fresh lithium, cobalt and other necessary elements puts a strain on natural resources.

A smart contact lens with a rechargeable supercapacitor power source that can be charged up wirelessly could be used to track a wearer's health, without compromising on comfort.

AllCell Technologies design and manufacture LI-ion battery packs. Their phase change material thermal management technology helps them produce lightweight and long lasting batteries.

24M are developing thick electrode Li-ion cells and low cost manufacturing techniques. Lead engineer, Matt Tyler, presented at the IDTechEx Show USA 2019.

General Motors and LG Chem announced plans to mass-produce battery cells for future battery-electric vehicles. Together, the companies will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally owned joint venture company.

Northvolt and Swedish power provider Mälarenergi are partnering to establish a battery energy storage system at an electric vehicle charging station in Västerås, Sweden.

Supra G are an Australian start-up developing graphene based electrodes for supercapacitors. IDTechEx analyst Alex Holland caught up Supra G CEO, Dr Yufei Wang, and advisor Dr Fred Davis.

Zenlabs are a start-up developing Li-ion batteries which utilise silicon oxides at the anode. They presented their developments at the IDTechEx Show USA 2019.

XING Mobility are a Taiwanese company that focus on the specialty electric vehicle sector with their 3G connected, immersion cooled modular battery packs.

Our use of battery-operated devices and appliances has been increasing steadily, bringing with it the need for safe, efficient, and high-performing power sources. To this end, a type of electrical energy storage device called the supercapacitor has recently begun to be considered as a feasible, and sometimes even better, alternative to conventional widely used energy-storage devices such as Li-ion batteries.