Posted on 09/17/2006 11:46:42 AM PDT by PeaceBeWithYou
Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., a leading provider of advanced nanomaterials and alternative energy solutions, detailed why its NanoSafe rechargeable, nano titanate battery technology provides fundamental improvements, including high power versus other rechargeable batteries.In anticipation of Altairnano's delivery of its first NanoSafe battery pack for use in an electric vehicle in September, this is the final of four planned news releases identifying features of Altairnano NanoSafe batteries that may prove advantageous in the power rechargeable battery market. In the three previous releases, Altairnano detailed why its nano titanate battery technology delivers high battery safety, rapid recharge and long battery life. The combination of these features has the potential to make Altairnano's NanoSafe batteries ideal for power applications such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.
How Does a Rechargeable Battery Work?
A battery consists of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a porous separator that keeps the electrodes from touching, and an ionic electrolyte, which is the conducting medium for ions (charged particles) between the positive and the negative electrodes. When the battery is being charged, ions transfer from the positive to the negative electrodes via the electrolyte. On discharge these ions return to the positive electrode releasing energy in the process.
Existing Lithium Ion Batteries
Rechargeable lithium ion batteries currently use graphite for the negative electrode and typically lithium cobalt oxide for the positive electrode. The electrolyte is a lithium salt dissolved in an organic solvent which is flammable.
An important attribute of large format batteries is their ability to deliver power quickly. During charge, lithium ions deposit inside the graphite particles. However, the rate at which lithium ions can be removed during discharge - the useful power-producing cycle of a battery - is limited by the electro-chemical properties of the graphite and the size of the graphite particles. The electrochemical properties relate to the existence of a high resistance crust (call the Solid Electrolyte Interface or SEI) that impedes the removal of lithium - the first step in power production. Also, graphite's large particle size means that lithium atoms inside the particle must travel a long distance to escape. This further increases the impedance and reduces power.
So power is restricted by the ion removal capability in lithium ion batteries, resulting in power levels of the order of 1000 watts per kilogram (W/Kg). Also, power can be affected by external factors such as temperature. At low temperatures, the lithium ion removal rate is significantly less than at room temperature resulting in power delivery at these temperatures that is greatly reduced.
Given that power delivery is governed by fundamental properties of the materials the only option is to change the materials and chemistry of the battery.
The Altairnano NanoSafe Battery
Altairnano solved this problem by using an innovative approach to rechargeable battery chemistry by replacing graphite with a patented nano-titanate material as the negative electrode in its NanoSafe batteries. The outcome is that Altairnano's NanoSafe batteries deliver power per unit weight and unit volume several times that of conventional lithium ion batteries. Altairnano laboratory measurements indicate power density as high as 4000 W/Kg and over 5000W/litre. By using nano-titanate materials as the negative electrode material, the formation of an SEI is eliminated. In addition, the nano-titanate particles are up to 100 times smaller than a typical graphite particle thereby greatly reducing the distance a lithium atom must travel to be released from the particle. These properties also mean that even at very cold temperatures, a nano-titanate battery will produce high power.
The same technology also dramatically increases battery charge and discharge rates; rapid charge is important for next generation electric vehicles so they could be charged in a few minutes rather than hours as with current lithium ion technology. As has been indicated in previous releases the NanoSafe cell has demonstrated that surges of power can be delivered without risking thermal runaway or performance damage to the battery.
Altairnano will be demonstrating its NanoSafe battery technology at the California Air Resources Board Zero Emission Vehicles meeting in Sacramento, September 25th through 27th, 2006.
Ping for Tech.
Interesting
Your search for 'Altair Nanotechnologies ' returned no Stock matches.
Gee, I guess necessity really IS a mother.
We need a Moore's Law for batteries.
If true, cost competitive, and scalable, yes. Battery technology has been stagnant for a long, long time. Little incremental improvements at best. This would be a large jump in capabilities all at once. A lot of good things would spin off of this.
Here ya go....
http://www.b2i.us/profiles/investor/DetailedQuote.asp?page=d&b=1&LangID=1&BzID=546&to=sd&Symbol=
It's altairnano, now. Name changed slightly like...18 months ago.
Battery development ping.
Can I get one of these for my IBM Thinkpad notebook computer?
Lithium ion batteries are interesting, but I think they lack the potential of ultracapacitors.
From http://www.rexresearch.com/weir/weir.htm and
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/01/eestor_ultracap.html
... new ultracapacitor made by start-up company EEStor of Austin TX.
-- It is a parallel plate capacitor with barium titanate as the dielectric.
-- It claims that it can make a battery at half the cost per kilowatt-hour and one-tenth the weight of lead-acid batteries.
-- As of last year selling price would start at $3,200 and fall to $2,100 in high-volume production
-- The product weighs 400 pounds and delivers 52 kilowatt-hours.
-- The batteries fully charge in minutes as opposed to hours.
-- The EEStor technology has been tested up to a million cycles with no material degradation compared to lead acid batteries that optimistically have 500 to 700 recharge cycles
The market doesn't seem to think to much of their technology, given the price and chart.
Gullible tech weenies falling all over themselves over what ammounts to a bullshit press release from another nerdy fake start-up.
The name 'Altair' goes back to the late 60's when some techies out in New Mex tried to launch the world's first micro-computer...it was a wet dream that preceeded the PC years later.
Advanced battery tech will likely come from the megas who own and control the franchise or their carefully groomed select "spin-offs". The tech annals are full of folklore...try Googling "cold fusion" for starters.
It's vaporware until I'm driving one, and satisfied with it.
Thanks for the tip. I like the mineral nanotechs. There's a number of them.
Search under stock symbol ALTI.
Getting something now. Hmm. Slightly off its historic high and also up from its historic low. Doesn't look like a hot stock.
Not to me, either. I'll add it to my watchlist, though.
EPS : -0.24
Not a good sign
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