Posted on 06/10/2014 6:46:54 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
Israeli company Phinergy claim to have produced a battery that can power a Citroen C1 for 3000km, and have demonstrated a 1800km drive with a more practical version, three times that available from commercial electric cars. Even more dramatically, the battery weighs just 100km, a fifth of the weight of those in the Tesla Model S.
Metal-air batteries use the oxygen in the air around them, rather than storing it in liquid or solid chemicals. They can store far more energy than most competing technologies. Not needing to contain the oxygen can also cut the weight dramatically – Phinergy claim that 70% of the weight in a conventional car battery is in the cathode, mostly just to store the oxygen.
With such benefits, metal-air batteries have been a topic of research for some time. Lithium-air batteries have theoretical energy per weight almost as high as petrol. However, a range of practical problems have prevented widespread commercialization.
Aluminum-air batteries don't have the same potential energy per kilogram of lithium-air battery, but could theoretically reach energy densities many times better than the lithium-ion batteries that are currently the industry standard.
One of the challenges for metal-air batteries is to capture enough oxygen to provide the power required. Phinergy's porous electrodes have the surface area to allow this. A silver-based catalyst prevents carbon dioxide from permeating the electrodes, a common problem for other experimental versions of this technology that reduces their lifespan to the point of impracticality.
Like anything based on aluminum, there is a lot of embodied energy in Phinergy's batteries, but they are manufacturing their products in Quebec, where the electricity is almost entirely sourced from hydroelectric stations, keeping the carbon footprint small.
The big disadvantage of aluminum-air batteries is that they don't last. The aluminum turns to aluminum-hydroxide. While this can be recycled, it can't be recharged by plugging the battery into a powerpoint. Instead the whole battery will need to be replaced when the aluminum has been used up. Advocates of this system claim that battery swaps can be done quickly and easily.
However, any battery that needs to be replaced so frequently is not only expensive, but runs into the problem that has bedeviled many alternatives to gasoline-powered cars. People are reluctant to buy vehicles that depend on the availability of refueling or replacement stations if these are not available everywhere they might be needed. On the other hand, without a critical mass of owners of suitable vehicles, such stations are not viable.
By extending the capacity of the electric car to drive much further on a single charge, aluminum-air batteries greatly reduce this problem when it comes to quick recharge points, but at the cost of increasing the need to be able to access places where batteries can be replaced.
Phinergy's solution is to use a twin battery solution. A small lithium-ion battery will allow trips up to 50km, more than adequate for most city journeys. The aluminum-air battery will be saved for longer trips, avoiding the need to replace it except where the car is used for frequent long journeys. If the whole battery was aluminum-air the car's maximum range might be as much as 3000km, but with the need to replace the entire engine thereafter.
Even if these problems have been successfully addressed, it remains to be seen whether Phinergy have found a solution to the other major obstacle to aluminum-air batteries, the high cost of the anode.
A zinc-air battery could potentially offer even more advantages but has been hard to mass produce. Phyinergy claim they are on the way to commercializing that as well.
I only looked at one specific scenario: a long daily commute. Most people do not commute in Ferraris, unless they have too much money to waste. As Tesla Motors is not making a commuter car yet, the Model S is all that we can compare to. And it does not work, unless the customer is buying the car just because he wants it.
Additionally, I don't understand what "luxury" a Tesla offers to the driver. The range anxiety? The inability to run headlights or air conditioning whenever the driver wants? What else is there? A good radio? Oh, I found one. It has power steering.
You ought to do something about this. That's where you burn the money. Commuting in an SUV is neither cheap, nor comfortable (typically.)
For example, you can buy her a new, basic Prius for about $20K. They are very reliable, and run smoothly because of their all-electric CVT. Or you can get any modern car with good mileage, not necessarily a hybrid.
The Pacifica is an AWD wagon. Actually a very nice car, it’s basically a Mercedes and she loves it. It’s gotten long in the tooth though at just over 100k miles.
And I agree, all things considered, a Prius hybrid is probably where we’d end up. The newer models have a little more pep than the first several years did.
But then it’s time to crunch numbers on what those added MPGs really cost us considering we have no car payment now.
Gee I was thinking the Palis were woking on this as a result of their missile technology.
How many rods and furlongs is that?
Canadian Walleyes are mighty warriors, for sure!
My 2 year old prius gets 50-55 with winter mix fuel and 55-65 with summer mix fuel. For less than 20 grand it does what needs doing. Our other car gets 22 so it does make a difference.
...or about 1/2 the weight of Hillary's tush.
or about the weight of Mi......never mind
Wifey has a Pacifica too. Very comfy. Hard to see out of tho.built like a tank. Shes nailed three cars and it doesn’t even show.
It’s a status vehicle, well-crafted, beautiful exterior, beautiful interior. It’s very fast, with a full-size sedan rivaling most sports cars. There are many reasons to desire one that have nothing to do with putative economy. It just happens to be electric instead of internal combustion engine.
One rod equals 11 cubits.
And 11 cubits equals one Perch.
While one Perch equals one one Pole.
So one Pole equals one Perch but also equals 198 Kings Thumbs.
However four Poles still equals only one Chain.
And 198 Kings Thumbs equals one Rod, but not Fur-long.
OTH, a Connecticut Bushel only holds 28 pounds of oats but a New Jersey Bushel holds a full 32 pounds of oats .
Hopefully that clears up any remaining questions you might have about weights and measurements.
That is one of the few applications where I would go solar.
Somehow that sounds racist.
It sounds like a promising technology but I don’t want to drive a Citroen, so I guess it’s out.
That's foolish.
You can't race in a car with a battery that weighs 100km.
You can if you convert if from the metric system. 100 km sounds like a lot but if the battery only weighs 62 miles, that's a different thing.
If it was a 50 mile oval, you would win before you started.
“However four Poles still equals only one Chain.”
I haven’t heard a good Polish joke in ages. Thanks!
Yea your right , lets get rid of all oil products and then we will be in the liberal nirvana. Think of all the things that are made from the Satanic oil.
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