eNewsletter

November 2010

Ioxus Increases Energy Density By 115 Percent with New Hybrid Capacitor
Ioxus, Inc. has developed a hybrid capacitor, a combination of an ultracapacitor and a lithium-ion battery, with an energy density 115 percent higher than standard electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs).  Its production of a hybrid capacitor makes Ioxus the only US company, and one of only two manufacturers worldwide, offering this technology.

Ioxus hybrid capacitors are similar to lithium-ion batteries, but they retain a better cycle life with more than 20,000 charge/discharge cycles possible rather than the hundreds or few thousand delivered by batteries.  The hybrid components offer advantages over standard ultracapacitors, as well, which have an energy density of 12.8 Wh/L.  The hybrid capacitor offers an enhanced capability of energy storage, providing power to applications more quickly and efficiently.

“When Ioxus received a federal appropriation earlier this year to work with Binghamton University on increasing energy density in ultracapacitors, we began developing hybrid cells capable of storing significantly more energy than traditional EDLCs,” said Mark McGough, CEO of Ioxus. “The result is our hybrid ultracapacitor, which supports the high cycle, wide temperature range and high power demands of applications like automotive subsystems, memory back-up, LED lighting and other products in consumer-focused markets.”

Ioxus’ hybrid capacitor offers benefits to industries beyond lighting, given its temperature range of -25°C to 60°C.  At the low end of the range, the hybrid capacitor loses only 5 percent of its energy while comparable battery energy loss would by 50 percent or more.

“The hybrid capacitor supports the mission of clean tech manufacturers across multiple industries who are intent on capturing higher power and longer cycle life with components that also deliver green energy,” said McGough.  “The hybrid capacitor is a breakthrough in energy density and power that will fuel the development of environmentally friendly applications in markets from transportation to consumer goods.”

Cadex Electronics Introduces the Next Generation of C8000 Battery Test Systems
Cadex Electronics Inc. has introduced the next generation of the Cadex C8000 Advanced Battery Testing System. The Cadex C8000 delivers the versatility needed to optimize batteries at every stage of product life. Its wide-ranging capability is well suited for use during initial product design right through to managing batteries in service.

A variety of life cycle testing options can be used to characterize the battery. Custom programming is available to create specific routines to monitor quality and performance and standard service programs are used for simple and effective battery maintenance.

The new C8000 version introduces a number of new features including control of thermal chambers to test the effects of thermal cycling on battery properties and load capture and playback capability to simulate actual battery performance in a device.

In addition, C8000 demonstrates its versatility with multiple battery interface options, standard programs for lead-acid, nickel and lithium chemistries, and standard or custom waveforms, all coupled with powerful BatteryLab PC software that allows advanced data capture and graphic analysis.

Tyco Electronics' Resettable Overcurrent Protection Device for Li-Ion Batteries Offers Size and Cost Benefits
Tyco Electronics has introduced of a Metal Hybrid PPTC (MHP) technology useful for high-rate-discharge battery applications at ratings above 30 VDC/30 A such as cordless power tools, e-bikes and back-up power supplies. MHP technology uses a new hybrid circuit protection approach that combines a bimetal protector in parallel with a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) device. This integrated solution provides resettable overcurrent protection and utilizes the low resistance of the PPTC device to help prevent arcing in the bimetal protector at higher currents, while also heating the bimetal to keep it open and in a latched position.

Due to advances in technology, smaller, lighter weight and higher power Li-Ion batteries can now replace nickel cadmium or lead acid batteries previously used in high-rate-discharge battery applications. This trend has resulted in a rapidly expanding market for high-rate-discharge Li-ion battery applications, which, in turn, has created the need for cost-effective, robust circuit protection devices that help ensure battery safety in end-products.

However, few protection solutions address high-rate-discharge battery applications and traditional circuit protection techniques tend to be large, complex and/or expensive.  In response, MHP technology provides a cost-effective, space-saving device that conventional circuit protection approaches are unable to deliver.
The initial product in a planned family of MHP devices, the MHP30-36 device, has a 36 VDC/100 A maximum rating and a time-to-trip of under five seconds at 100 A (at 25°C). The device's hold current is 30 A and the initial resistance is under two mOhms.

The MHP30-36 device offers improved arc suppression characteristics compared to standard breaker devices that must limit the number of switching cycles since arcing between contacts may damage them. The MHP30-36 device can also help reduce the number of discharge FETs and accompanying heat sinks in applications that typically use IC-plus-FET battery protection designs.

The MHP device technology can be configured for various applications, and higher voltage (up to 400 VDC) and hold current (60 A) devices are currently in development. Future design considerations include battery protection in Li-ion battery packs used in e-scooters and light electric vehicles (LEVs), as well as standby-power applications and non-battery applications such as electric motor protection.

Duracell Expands Smart Power Portfolio with Wireless USB Charger
Duracell has recently introduced the Duracell myGrid USB Charger. The newest addition to its Smart Power portfolio, the Duracell myGrid USB Charger is a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that gives users the freedom to stay connected to devices without searching for an outlet.

The Duracell myGrid USB Charger is compatible with hundreds of popular devices such as smart phones, e-readers, MP3 players, portable gaming devices, GPS units, Bluetooth headsets and virtually anything else that can be connected with a USB cable.

Charger is simple as it is compatible with the Duracell myGrid charging pad.  Users drop the Duracell myGrid USB Charger onto the myGrid and go, or it can be charged through its USB input.

The Duracell myGrid USB Charger provides extra power for more use-time on popular devices. The Duracell myGrid USB Charger can provide at least four hours on smart phones such as the iPhone and latest BlackBerry models, at least 100 hours of reading on e-readers such as the Kindle, at least 30 hours on MP3 players, and at least 10 hours on Bluetooth headsets.

International Battery Receives Grant from Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority to Develop a Bulk Energy Storage System Expandable to One Megawatt
International Battery has received an $800,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) to design, manufacture and test an 800 kilowatt-hour bulk energy storage system (BESS), expandable to one megawatt. This grant is part of PEDA’s mission to promote the development and use of Pennsylvania’s clean, indigenous energy resources and to stimulate economic development and job creation for Pennsylvania’s growing energy sector in an environmentally beneficial manner.

The storage system, which will accommodate International Battery’s large-format lithium batteries and battery management system (BMS), an inverter, as well as a control/communications system, will be housed in a 40-foot mobile container. International Battery will join forces with an inverter company for this  project.

The preliminary design work on the 800-kilowatt-hour system (expandable to one megawatt) has begun and is expected to be ready for initial testing by the second quarter of 2011. The company plans to install the BESS unit to a selected site where it will be integrated with on-site renewable energy sources and the grid.

A unique factor in the company’s development of its energy storage systems is its unique aqueous manufacturing process that is inherently green. The battery cells are fabricated using a water-based process instead of the common use of large quantities of organic solvent chemicals.

Perpetually Powered DSP Applications Made Possible With THINERGY
Infinite Power Solutions (IPS) has teamed with Texas Instruments (TI) to create the world's first perpetually-powered digital signal processor (DSP) solution using its solid-state energy storage solutions and ambient energy harvesting technology.  This is made possible by the ultra-low power consumption of TI's TMS320C5515 DSP and the ultra-efficient, high-peak current capability and near loss-less energy storage of the IPS THINERGY Micro-Energy Cell (MEC). 

The THINERGY solid-state MEC101-7S is rapidly and efficiently recharged by solar energy, even with extremely low light conditions, resulting in a perpetually powered DSP-based application for decades of maintenance-free signal processing.  The ultra-low power consumption of TI's TMS320C5515 DSP in active and standby modes enables sophisticated DSP computations, taking advantage of the high peak current of THINERGY technology in the most energy-efficient manner.  Potential applications include remote audio, very-low-bit-rate video surveillance, seismic monitoring, remote vibration sensing of bridges, buildings and industrial machinery and other innovative applications yet to unfold.

"The combination of our THINERGY MEC and TI's C5515 ultra-low-power DSP has the potential to create DSP solutions that operate autonomously and continuously for the life of the application," stated Tim Bradow, IPS' vice president of technical marketing.  "This achievement represents a major step forward in enabling ultra-low-power and low-duty-cycle applications requiring significant signal processing capabilities.  We are pleased to be a part of this major milestone achievement in DSP technology."

IPS' THINERGY family of MEC products are paper thin, inherently safe, can be recharged countless times and provide a true 'clean' energy storage solution that delivers a lifetime of power to micro-electronic systems without the prohibitive cost of battery replacement, maintenance and recycling.  Combining these attributes with an ultra-thin and flexible form factor makes THINERGY MECs well suited for enhancing existing products and enabling innovative new products across a broad spectrum of markets from medical devices to aerospace and consumer electronics.  

BASF Breaks Ground on Advanced Production Facility for Lithium-Ion Battery Materials
BASF has broke ground on a $50+ million facility in Elyria, Ohio, to produce advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries that will power the hybrid and full-electric vehicles of the near future.  

"This new facility will put BASF and the state of Ohio at the leading edge of the North American cathode materials market," said Frank Bozich, president of BASF's Catalysts division and member of BASF Corp.’s North American Executive Committee. "As the world's leading chemical company, BASF has the ability to make advanced cathode materials widely available as next generation lithium-ion battery production begins to ramp up in facilities throughout the country."

The new BASF production facility in Elyria is being built with the help of a $24.6 million grant from the DOE under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  

BASF is one of only two licensed suppliers of the Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL) patented Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) cathode materials, which employ a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. The license covers the broadest scope of NCM chemistry that can be used in today's lithium-ion batteries. When it is fully operational in 2012, the BASF plant is expected to be the most advanced cathode materials production plant in North America.

"By building this lithium-ion battery materials production facility in Elyria, we will create both construction jobs in the near term and good-paying, cutting-edge jobs to strengthen our future," said Representative Betty Sutton, who worked with BASF to help bring the new facility to Lorain County. "Today, we are demonstrating that manufacturing is not just part of our past, but also an important part of our future, positioning Lorain County as a global leader in this clean energy technology."

Since 2005, BASF has invested significantly in lithium-ion cathode materials research and development. In 2009, BASF and ANL signed a worldwide licensing agreement under which BASF would mass produce and market ANL's patented lithium-stabilized NCM cathode materials for use in advanced batteries that have higher energy density, are longer-lasting, and offer improved safety due to higher temperature stability.  

As part of its long-term strategy to invest in cathode materials, BASF will continue to further lithium-ion battery application development at its research facilities in Beachwood, Ohio, and Ludwigshafen, Germany.  

2011

January

10-11 - 10X Advanced Battery R&D, Santa Clara, Calif.

24-28 - 11th International Advanced Automotive Battery Conference and Symposia (AABC), Pasadena, Calif.

March

14-17- 28th International Battery Seminar & Exhibit, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Battery Japan
Tokyo, Japan
March 2-4, 2011

Battery Japan is the world's largest business platform for manufacturing and R&D of rechargeable battery.
This is the right place to be to expand your business with professionals of Rechargeable Battery Manufacturers, Next Generation Automobile Companies, Electronics Manufacturers, Renewable Energy Companies and all other players related to now and the future of energy storage!

APEC 2011
March 6-10
Fort Worth, Texas

Make your plans to attend APEC 2011, March 6-10 in Ft. Worth, Texas.  APEC 2011 continues the long-standing tradition of addressing issues of immediate and long-term interest to the practicing power electronics engineer. Outstanding technical content is provided at one of the lowest registration costs of any IEEE conference. APEC 2011 will provide:

1. The best power electronics exposition.
2. Professional development courses taught by world-class experts.
3. Presentations of peer-reviewed technical papers covering a wide range of topics.
4. Time to network and enjoy the company of fellow power electronics professionals in a beautiful setting.

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