Long Life fast charging EV Battery

New battery technology could speed up the time it takes to charge electric vehicles, scientists say. Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a possible replacement for the current lithium-ion batteries on the market.

Scientists have developed a new coin-shaped sodium-ion battery with higher capacity and rapid charging rates, and the technology apparently has the potential to power anything from phones to cars.

Currently, it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to more than an hour to charge an electric vehicle in the US. The new batteries could charge EVs in seconds.

Sodium-ion is more widely available and cheaper than lithium, but it weighs three time as much.

The Swedish manufacturer Northvolt announced a breakthrough in the development of sodium-ion batteries earlier this year. The potential of sodium-ion was known, but the batteries on the market had a lower lower power output and storage capacity.

In a study published in the journal Energy Storage Materials, researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory said they had found a way to solve those issues.

In the study, they said that they developed a new framework and improved the battery. They claim that the new battery can achieve an energy storage capacity of 247 watt-hours per kilogram and deliver power at 34,748 watts per kilogram.

US manufacturers are eyeing sodium-ion technology. Natron Energy just started commercial-sale operations at its sodium-ion battery plant in Michigan this week, and battery maker Clarios recently announced a partnership with Swedish company Altiris.

There are over 2.4 million electric vehicles currently registered in the US, with the market share expected to increase by up to 11 percent this year.

Samsung SDI, the Korean giant’s battery biz, promised EV batteries that can charge to 80 percent capacity in a mere nine minutes, plus models that can perform at that level for 20 years.…

The ultra-fast charging battery will enter production in 2026. The long-lived product will start rolling off factory floors in 2029.

Samsung SDI teased the tech in March of this year. At the 37th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition (EVS37) taking place this week in Seoul, it is also displaying an anode-free all-solid-state battery (ASB) with a 900-watt-hour per liter density, which it eyes to start mass-producing in 2027.

Solid-state batteries are considered a significant step up from lithium-ion due to their higher energy density, faster-charging capabilities and perceived safety as ASBs are less likely to catch fire.

Samsung’s already tried to reduce the likelihood its kit catches fire, a live issue as Li-Ion-powered appliances and e-bikes spark domestic blazes that have regulators worried that low-quality products increase risks.

The Korean champ’s approach is to use vents that exhaust heat and gas so that if its batteries are involved in an accident or fire the chances of thermal runaway are reduced.

“New products from the company such as 46-phi batteries [a measure of battery diameter] are also part of the exhibition, along with a cell-to-pack (CTP) concept that increases energy density yet decreases cost,” stated Samsung.

The chaebol’s battery unit pitched the battery advancements as “super-gap” technology that will “pioneer the future global EV market.”

Japanese automaker Toyota has several battery undertakings, including in joint ventures with Panasonic. The company has claimed it is ready to roll out its solid-state-batteries with a range of 745 miles (1200 km) and charge time of 10 minutes by 2025.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/shopping/samsung-shows-off-battery-tech-it-says-will-see-you-gone-in-nine-minutes/ar-AA1nCqrT?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=85a081b430c14398a45dcb8d165768c2&ei=27

The world’s tallest wooden wind turbine

The world’s tallest wooden wind turbine is nearly complete — and its creators say it makes wind power way more efficient

“Wood enables building higher towers at a lower cost.”

By Rick KazmerDecember 1, 2023

The experts at Sweden’s Modvion are using the strength of wood to help capture the power of wind — and setting records in the process. 

The company’s unique, wood-based wind turbine was ordered by Sweden-based energy company Varberg Energi, and will be the world’s tallest wooden turbine when completed. It will stand at 344 feet including the blades, per an Electrek report on the news. Still under construction, the record-breaker is set for completion by the end of this year in Skara, Sweden. 

The company is also touting other benefits of the wood design, in addition to height. 

Modvion experts said on the company website that the laminated wood used to build the structure is stronger and lighter than steel, when part of the turbine structure. 

Photos on the company’s website show cranes stacking wooden cylinders that make the tower. The cylinders are divided into several semicircular parts, which are combined on-site. Since the turbine tower parts are hollow, the walls can be made thicker, increasing the strength. 

The modular wood design uses glue during assembly, instead of a heap of bolts. In short, the concept maximizes the strength of natural wood fibers, its builders said. 

“We’re bringing to market the next generation of tall towers in engineered wood, nature’s own carbon (fiber),” Modvion CEO Otto Lundman said on the company’s website. 

The Modvion team said that height matters when it comes to catching wind. As part of a point-by-point benefit guide, they claim the wood towers more efficiently reach the sky than other types, reducing cost. The reason, in part, is due to the fact that they don’t need as much reinforcement to support their own weight. The lighter materials also make for easier transport.

Modvion’s builders use Scandinavian spruce, which they said grows fast enough to overcome logging.

“Wood enables building higher towers at a lower cost, which makes wind power more efficient since winds are stronger and more stable higher up,” Lundman told Electrek. 

The team said wooden towers will contribute 90% less dirty air during their lifespan than their metal counterparts. When decommissioned, the intent is for the turbines to be reused in other construction projects, according to Modvion’s website.

The company already has a proven prototype in Björkö, an island in Sweden. It was built in 2020. Two other projects are in the works, including Varberg’s. 

“Modvion’s tower enables the construction of cost-effective, tall wind turbines — a key to a carbon-neutral energy system,” Varberg CEO Björn Sjöström said.

Green’ hydrogen energy production

Green’ hydrogen energy production just got a lot easier

Story by Sanjana Gajbhiye

I wonder how far along we would be today (on Hydrogen production) if we spent a fraction of the $ we have on EV technology?

‘Green’ hydrogen energy production just got a lot easier© Provided by Earth

The race for clean, sustainable energy is heating up, and green hydrogen is poised to take center stage. This versatile fuel has the potential to replace fossil fuels in everything from transportation to heavy industry. 

There’s just one catch — producing green hydrogen in the massive quantities we need has seemed impossible due to its reliance on a super-rare metal: iridium.

But a breakthrough from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan could be about to change everything. 

Their new technique reduces the amount of iridium needed in green hydrogen production by a whopping 95% – a game-changer for scaling up this transformative technology.

Green hydrogen

Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, can be extracted from water through electrolysis, a process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. When used as fuel, hydrogen emits only water vapor, making it a zero-emissions energy source.

Traditionally, extracting hydrogen from water has required significant energy, often sourced from fossil fuels, which undermines the purpose of clean energy.

Electrolysis powered by renewable energy, like solar or wind, offers a solution. This process produces “green hydrogen” without leaving a carbon footprint.

Electrolysis needs efficient catalysts, and iridium, while highly effective, is both rare and expensive. This makes large-scale green hydrogen production costly and challenging.

Iridium in hydrogen production

The RIKEN team’s innovation lies in the way they combined iridium with manganese oxide. Instead of using a large block of iridium, they isolated individual iridium atoms and strategically dispersed them across the surface of manganese oxide, a more common metal. This careful arrangement and bonding trigger unique chemical interactions.

This new catalyst achieves the same excellent hydrogen production rate as pure iridium would but with a fraction (only 5%!) of the rare, expensive metal. This makes it a far more accessible and cost-effective solution.

In electrolysis, catalysts can degrade over time, decreasing efficiency and increasing costs. This breakthrough catalyst maintains consistent performance for a remarkable duration – 3000 hours translates to over four months of non-stop hydrogen generation without any performance loss.

Oxidation states refer to how many electrons an atom has lost or gained in a chemical bond. Researchers believe that the iridium bonded with manganese oxide achieves an unusual +6 oxidation state, which could be the reason behind its significantly enhanced performance.

Significance of green hydrogen

“We expect our catalyst to be easily transferred to real-world applications,” says Ryuhei Nakamura, the study’s lead researcher. This means existing green hydrogen plants might be upgradeable, making the transition smoother.

Less iridium means lower upfront costs, making green hydrogen more competitive and attractive for investment. Iridium’s scarcity and high price create a huge barrier to scaling up green hydrogen production. 

This new technique dramatically lowers the amount of iridium required, making the whole process significantly more affordable to set up and run.

When the cost of a technology decreases, it becomes a more enticing investment opportunity. Lower upfront costs due to reduced iridium needs could bring in a wider range of investors, accelerating funding for green hydrogen projects and development.

Faster transition

This breakthrough could give us decades of breathing room as we develop truly sustainable catalysts made from common metals. Ideally, green hydrogen production wouldn’t rely on rare metals at all. 

However, developing efficient catalysts using earth-abundant metals takes time. This breakthrough buys us decades by greatly improving efficiency while we work toward fully sustainable solutions.

The global energy transition can’t happen overnight. This technology provides a realistic pathway: increased green hydrogen production while giving us time to perfect catalysts that are completely independent of rare metals.

Green hydrogen is a part of the bigger picture

The team is already collaborating with industry heavyweights to test their catalyst at scale. We could see this technology rolled out sooner rather than later.

Collaborating with industry players means moving quickly from the lab to testing in large-scale hydrogen production facilities. This significantly speeds up practical application.

If tests are successful, this technology could be integrated fairly quickly into existing hydrogen production processes. This means we might not have to wait years or decades for the benefits.

The RIKEN catalyst is fantastic news, but remember, it’s one piece of a much larger puzzle. To really unleash green hydrogen’s potential, we need:

  • Investment everywhere: Governments, companies, and investors need to step up their funding of green hydrogen infrastructure, from production to distribution.
  • A team effort: Green hydrogen will work best alongside other renewables like solar and wind. Smart energy grids are needed to balance it all out.
  • The consumer factor: Industries need incentives to switch, but so do we as individuals. Green hydrogen-powered vehicles or energy storage solutions could become part of our daily lives in the future.

This breakthrough reminds us of the incredible potential science has to address our global energy challenges. The green hydrogen revolution is still in its early stages, but progress like this makes it feel excitingly within reach. 

Let’s stay informed, and engaged, and push for policies that accelerate innovation and drive down costs – a cleaner, greener future is waiting.

The study is published in the journal Science.