Energy Storage

A molecule that transports oxygen in blood could be key to developing the next generation of batteries, and in a way that's environmentally friendly.

Researchers have revealed how microalgae produce hydrogen, a clean fuel of the future, and suggest a possible mechanism to jumpstart mass production of this environmentally-friendly energy source.

Electronics that can be embedded in clothing are a growing trend. However, power sources remain a problem.

IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 1 November 2016 presented by Chairman Dr Peter Harrop.

EVs use a lot of their precious electricity  heating occupiers in winter so improvements are afoot. Making replacements for dumb structural parts that double as occupant focussed heating has attraction as has directed infrared - "heat the person not the space" but less focussed heat pumps are efficient contenders

A French-US team has succeeded in improving the energy density of a rechargeable battery without increasing its size (limited to a few square millimeters in mobile sensors).

Researchers have for the first time developed a supercapacitor that uses no conductive carbon at all, and that could potentially produce more power than existing versions of this technology.

At IDTechEx we are convinced that lithium-ion batteries will dominate the automotive scene over the coming ten years and possibly the coming fifteen years. During that time we shall see peak lead acid battery the biggest nail in its coffin being when electric vehicles more widely abandon them and even those conventional vehicles modified to stay legal under impending carbon dioxide laws abandon them, relying totally on lithium-ion units.  

Litarion produces lithium-ion battery cells for high-performance applications. The company also supply electrodes as well as ceramic separators. Since April 2015, Litarion has become a subsidiary of Electrovaya.

Engineers have developed an innovative bio-manufacturing process that uses a biological organism cultivated in brewery wastewater to create the carbon-based materials needed to make energy storage cells.

Toyota and Daimler presented at a recent IDTechEx conference on their fuel cell vehicle programs. A questioner asked them to reveal the unique selling proposition of fuel cell vehicles. They said there is no USP.

By using highly conductive, flexible carbon nanotube mats, scientists have developed a new type of flexible lithium-ion battery that not only stores energy, but can be folded, bent and manipulated hundreds of times without voltage fluctuations.

PowerCell Sweden AB has signed an important agreement with 3M to secure future supplies of MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly). The agreement with 3M secures PowerCell's supplies for the increased demand of the fuel cell stacks PowerCell S1 and S2.

IDTechEx Technology Analyst Lorenzo Grande looks at the example of TankTwo. While the US Government throws millions of dollars into post-Li-ion development, and private companies struggle with smartphone recalls due to defective batteries, a bunch of innovative inventors are putting a good deal of lateral thinking into how to make the best of what is already on the market.

At IDTechEx we believe that the future of the energy, mobility, electronics, and communications industry will be strongly shaped by the development of one key enabling technology, that is, energy storage. At the historical tipping point of structural change in these sectors there has never been a better time for a dedicated forum on energy storage as key enabling technology.

Panasonic Corporation announced that it has developed a Flexible Lithium-ion Battery with a thickness of only 0.55mm.

TankTwo is a Finnish company developing smart Li-ion batteries that enable a full charge in 3 minutes by physically refuelling an EV tank with 18650 cells.

Battery researchers have been focusing on lithium metal electrodes as leading contenders for improving the amount of energy that batteries can store without increasing their weight.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have made an important breakthrough which could lead to the design of better fuel cell materials.

The South Korean giant Samsung just got itself into dire straits as the story behind the reported battery fires related to the Galaxy Note 7 unfolds even further. As of September, 92 accidents have been reported in the US alone.