In “The Lightsaber Battery,” author Richard Rogers asks if recent electric vehicle battery research makes a lightsaber battery possible. After reviewing Star Wars technology and the current state of battery technology, his conclusion is a conditional yes! However, the final stage of light saber development depends on a Kyber crystal which amplifies and channels the cosmic energy of the Force. Unfortunately, a crystal like that hasn’t been discovered in our universe yet.

Star Wars fans and electric battery developers do not despair! The need for longer-lasting electric vehicle batteries has raised cycle life goals similar to the lightsaber’s requirements—and electrochemists are rising to the challenge! That galaxy “far, far away” is coming closer and closer. (more…)

ECS’s Detroit Section is proud to present guest speaker Fabio Albano at its October 10 section meeting. He will speak on:

“Best of Both Worlds: A Marriage of Two Battery Technologies”

Fabio Albano
Vice President of Technology
NantEnergy, Inc. (formerly Fluidic Energy)
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

When:
Thursday, 10 October, 2019

Schedule:
17:30h | Reception
18:30h | Dinner
19:30h | Speaker (more…)

Deadline for submitting abstracts
December 2, 2019
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #4

Symposium A04: Battery Student Slam 4

Symposium focus: This special symposium is dedicated to students working on energy storage and energy conversion. In the student slam, students have the opportunity to present flash oral presentations on their work in a 10-minute time slot. All students enrolled at a valid degree-granting institution may submit an abstract describing their presentation. (more…)

Elon Musk promised—and Jeff Dahn delivered! With the publishing of a ground-breaking paper in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (JES), Dahn announced to the world that Tesla may soon have a battery that makes their robot taxis and long-haul electric trucks viable. Dahn and his research group is Tesla’s battery research partner. Dahn says “… that cells of this type should be able to power an electric vehicle for over one million miles and last at least two decades in grid energy storage.”

According to Doron Aurbach, JES batteries and energy storage technical editor, “This comprehensive article is expected to be impactful in the field of batteries and energy storage. It is a very systematic study by one of the most renowned and prestigious electrochemistry groups in the world. It was a pleasure for me as a technical editor to handle this paper. It substantiates all the statements about the truly high quality and importance of JES, one of the leading and most prestigious journals in electrochemistry. JES provides an excellent service to the global electrochemistry community—and thousands of ECS members—regardless of ‘impact factors.’” As of today, Dahn’s JES article has received over 31,563 abstract views, over 17,000 articles downloads, and quotes in news outlets around the world. (more…)

Impact Canada is working on a $4.5-million project known as the Charging the Future Challenge. The goal is to accelerate made-in-Canada battery innovation, build a clean energy future, and provide economic growth in Canada. The 18-month challenge offers five finalists the opportunity to pitch their ideas for battery breakthroughs to a jury for a chance to win up to $700,000 each to develop battery prototypes, with the winner receiving a $1 million grand prize. (more…)

Jeff Dahn

More efficient, longer-lasting batteries are needed to ensure the future of the electric vehicle market. Thanks to Jeff R. Dahn and his Dalhousie University research team, a “million-mile battery” may soon be a reality. Dahn is Tesla’s battery research partner. In “A Wide Range of Testing Results on an Excellent Lithium-Ion Cell Chemistry to be used as Benchmarks for New Battery Technologies,” Dahn describes a new Li-ion battery cell with a single crystal NMC cathode and an advanced electrolyte. The new battery should power an electric vehicle for one million miles and last at least 20 years in grid energy storage—making Tesla’s electric-powered semi-autonomous driving cars and trucks viable.

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Naoki Ota. Photo Credit: 24M

ECS’s Detroit Section is proud to present guest speaker Naoki Ota at its September section meeting. He will speak on:

“Lithium-Ion Batteries: Semi-Solid Electrode Technology—Next Generation Product / Manufacturing Platform for Lithium Ion”

Naoki Ota
President and CTO
24M Technologies, Inc.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA (more…)

Energy storage is crucial for the successful transition to renewable energy. Yet lithium-ion batteries have major limitations. Demand for lithium has increased exponentially, but production has not kept pace. Extracting lithium by brine mining is a long, costly, energy-intensive, and dangerous process with significant environmental impact. Access is difficult as most lithium mines are in South America.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras developed a rechargeable iron ion battery to replace lithium. It uses mild steel as the anode and can store a high amount of energy. The iron battery withstood 150 cycles of charging and discharging under controlled conditions. After 50 cycles, the battery had 54 percent capacity retention. (more…)

Canada is looking for its next big battery breakthrough!

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