Battery Power - September/October 2013 - (Page 29)

iNdustry News at extreme temperatures. At completion of the contract term, PowerGenix NiZn batteries are expected to be fully tailored for Peugeot and ready for successful integration into vehicles. Lithium-Air Batteries: Technology Trends and Commercialization Prospects Electric vehicles are facing numerous technological challenges to replace gasoline internal combustion engine-powered cars. One of the biggest problems is low energy density of currently available li-ion batteries, which allows a short driving range of 150 km/charge. To boost full-scale development of the EV market, replacing current internal combustion engine cars, it is necessary to develop EVs with a similar single charge range of more than 500 km with internal combustion engine cars. According to NEDO (Japan), the energy density limit of li-ion secondary batteries is expected to be up to 250 Wh/kg. To develop EVs with the 500 km range, which is considered as a prerequisite for growth of the EV market, it is required to develop a new type of battery that has energy density of 700 Wh/ kg or more. Among several candidate technologies, metal-air batteries such as lithium-air and zinc-air batteries are considered as the most promising. The biggest advantage of metal-air batteries is very high theoretical energy density in spite of using oxygen as Natures inexhaustible source as well as eco-friendly characteristics. Comparing various metal-air batteries based on electric charge/ discharge and other electro-chemical characteristics, lithium-air and zinc-air batteries are recognized as the most likely candidates for next-generation secondary batteries for EV applications. Especially, lithium-air batteries show a similar level of energy density (11,140 Wh/kg) with gasoline (13,000 Wh/kg), and this is also the highest level among metal-air batteries. These potentialities have directed many researchers to focus on lithium-air batteries rather than zinc-air batteries since the mid-2000s. Although it is forecasted that lithium-air batteries are far away from commercialization due to many issues to be overcome, it is a very challenging field requiring knowledge and expertise of researchers in a variety of areas. Currently many global leaders such as IBM, Toyota and Samsung are continuously entering the R&D race with increasing investment, and these aggressive R&D activities based on technological achievements in the fields of li-ion and fuel batteries are expected to contribute to solving the technological challenge earlier, and accelerating commercialization. marketPlace Precision Expanded Metals & Polymers MicroGrid ® Expanded Metals and Polymers Engineered To Help You Build Superior Batteries From The Inside Out • Excellent Support Structure for Active Material • Engineered Geometry for Precision Weight, Thickness, Open Area and Conductivity • Superior Current Collector Screens • MicroGrid® Technology process ensures high reproducibility leading to more consistent battery production and quality www.expandedmaterials.com www.BatteryPowerOnline.com (203) 294-4440 September/October 2013 • Battery Power 29 http://www.expandedmaterials.com http://www.batteryrecycling.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - September/October 2013

ABB to Build World’s Largest Network of EV Fast-Charging Stations in the Netherlands
Duracell Powermat and Starbucks Expand Wireless Charging in Silicon Valley Area
Thermal Management of an Electrical Vehicle Battery Packing Using 1D and 3D CFD
New Battery Technologies - Added Value Electronics Can Turn Normal Batteries into Smart Battery Packs
A Novel Single-Compartment Concentration Cell Driven by Natural Evaporation for Green Energy Harvesting
Highly Accurate Li-Ion Battery Simulation
Batteries
ICs & Semiconductors
Charging, Testing & Monitoring
Industry News
Marketplace
Application Profile

Battery Power - September/October 2013