Hybrid Vehicle Battery Market to Reach $2.3 Billion and Top Conventional OEM Battery Market by 2015
The world hybrid-vehicle market, estimated at 384,000 vehicles in 2006, is projected to reach 1.1 million units in 2010 and 2 million units by 2015, according to a new study, "The 2007 Advanced Automotive Battery Industry Report", to be published April 30th. Toyota, with a 2006 market share of 78 percent, will remain the clear market leader with a market share projected to drop to 60 percent in 2015. Honda, Ford and General Motors are next, with a projected combined market share of 25 percent in 2015; other automakers will claim the remaining 15 percent.
Strong (full) hybrids will continue to be the dominant hybrid architecture, with milder hybrids only holding limited market share, while plug-in hybrids are unlikely to reach commercial volumes inside the next 10-years, unless they are accepted as Zero Emission Vehicles in California.
The corresponding HEV-battery market, estimated at $600 million in 2006, is expected to grow to $1.4 billion in 2010 and $2.3 billion in 2015. In comparison, the conventional lead-acid OEM auto-starting battery business is currently $2 billion. NiMH batteries will continue to be the dominant HEV-battery technology through 2010, but are likely to later concede market share to Li Ion batteries. The report suggests that Li-Ion batteries can capture 5 percent of the market by 2010, and 36 percent by 2015. Introduction of this technology still poses a significant financial risk associated with unproven reliability, including longevity and potential safety issues.
Two Japanese battery producers, Panasonic EV Energy and Sanyo, share over 85 percent of the NIMH HEV battery market. Both companies are also developing Li Ion battery solutions for this market where over a dozen additional battery makers from Japan, Korea and the US are intending to compete. Market leader Panasonic EV Energy, a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic Batteries, will continue to enjoy over 70 percent market share for at least three more years while other developers are establishing production capability.
The hybrid-vehicle market will grow even faster than the above projections if the cost of petroleum-based fuels increases significantly and if the concern over global warming translates into notable government involvement, via taxation incentives or regulations, to encourage the production of fuel-efficient cars.
MicroSun Technologies Malasia Achieves ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 Registration
MicroSun Technologies, a source for customized battery packs and chargers, has announced that its Malaysia facility has achieved ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certification by AFAQ-AFNOR International, a global provider in management systems registrations.
AFAQ thoroughly assessed MicroSun’s quality and environmental systems and found them in compliance with ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 standards.
“This is an important milestone for us and a true testament to our commitment to achieving customer satisfaction and reducing the environmental impact of our operations. I’m very proud of our organization,” said Omar Tabbara, managing director of the Asia Operations of MicroSun.
Alan ElShafei, president of MicroSun, agrees. “It really does speak to the amount of time and effort spent meeting rigorous standards here at MicroSun. We are excited to have achieved this certification here in the US and now in Malaysia.”
ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 are recognized international standards on which suppliers can base the development of their products and services. The specifications for registration and certification are based on high and internationally recognized standards that ensure quality, compliance and continuous improvement in the global manufacturing environment.
Saft Batteries Give Life to First Portable Human Patient Simulator
Saft has been selected to provide lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for a portable Human Patient Simulator called iStan and developed by Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI). The iStan is the first wireless simulator product manufactured by METI.
The iStan is a full-size, computer-driven mannequin with a pulse, heartbeat and blinking eyes. The iStan mirrors human responses to various medical procedures such as IV medication, intubation and CPR. Saft’s batteries will be the primary power source for the iStan. METI is a manufacturer of medical simulation products that simulate real-world medical emergencies. METI simulators provide students, first responders and military medics with hands-on experience without harming real patients.
“We chose Saft for their proven track record of performance and adaptability to custom applications,” said Carlos Moreno, vice president of Engineering of METI. “We are confident Saft’s Li-ion batteries will provide our customers with unparalleled reliability so they can focus on teaching life-saving techniques.”
Saft will supply METI with its rechargeable and maintenance-free MP176065 battery packs. Each iStan can accommodate up to four battery packs, depending on programming complexity and power demands. With a very high-energy density (375 Wh/l and 165 Wh/kg) and enhanced charge recovery, these batteries will provide a solution for METI’s portable iStan.
BatteryCorp Awarded Patent
BatteryCorp, a provider of battery-based backup power solutions for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and telecommunications applications, has been awarded another patent pertaining to battery monitoring, analysis and reporting. The patented invention relates to the processes involved in the management of stationary batteries that are used for backup power in the UPS and telecom industries. The invention utilizes Ohmic baseline values and a method for incorporating business rules, or replacement logic, which is entirely automated.
Today companies manually or remotely monitor the state of health of their battery plant through the use of Ohmic testing devices. The Ohmic readings are then reviewed and may be manually analyzed to determine the state of health of the battery. Performing the various tasks involved in this type of manual process, including the sharing of information both internally and externally, generally takes hours over a period of days or longer.
BatteryCorp has engineered a number of innovative advancements in the activities which comprise battery management. Existing and additional pending patents in the US and China relate to advancements in algorithms for determining and reporting battery state of health, computing reserve run time, optimizing battery replacement strategy, automating the process of anomaly detection, and predicting battery failure before it occurs.
The application of BatteryCorp technology to battery preventative maintenance services dramatically reduces the cost, increases data integrity and offers unique and valuable insight into the state of health of the battery plant. The business intelligence inherent in these inventions can be delivered accurately in just minutes. This contrasts with the hours and days that are spent today to produce less comprehensive information.
This same patented technology is now being applied to improve the effectiveness of remote battery monitoring by enhancing the flow of critical information and reducing the overall cost. The OMS-BatteryTrak system combined with remote monitoring provides a significant improvement in UPS reliability by reducing the time from data collection to fault remediation.
Nexergy Develops Custom Battery Pack for Military/Aerospace Market
Nexergy, a designer, integrator and manufacturer of battery packs and chargers, announced the completion of a new portable power system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the military/aerospace market. The unique high-reliability solar and battery powered system, developed in conjunction with SION Power Corporation, utilizes SION lithium sulfur battery cells in a custom battery pack assembly complete with a sophisticated charging circuit developed by Nexergy.
The new UAV, designed to eventually stay airborne for months at a time at altitudes exceeding 50,000 feet, operates on solar and battery power only, meaning night-time flight must be fully battery-powered. In initial test flights, the new Nexergy/SION lithium sulfur portable power system increased the UAV’s battery-operated flight time by 80 percent.
Nexergy was able to optimize both the battery pack and charger during the design phase by taking into account all the requirements for the power source. A big design challenge was developing a “smart” charging system that could provide charge to the battery cells during daylight hours from the solar array, taking into account the unpredictability of solar energy due to factors such as solar panel angle, weather, and shifting atmospheric conditions. The engineers had to develop a “step charge” system that would vary the amount of charge based on the power being supplied by the solar cells, leaving enough power to drive the UAV motors. This was essential to the design solution, since the solar panels not only charge the batteries, but also power the motors during the day.
Another major challenge was properly balancing the large number of lithium sulfur cells used for the power system. Cell balancing circuitry was added to determine each cell’s capacity and to move charge accordingly, in order to maintain balance within the pack for optimal performance. Nexergy also added multiple safety devices to the battery pack to avoid the possibility of thermal runaway during charge, and to protect against excess current due to a fault in either charge or discharge.
Nexergy, as one of the few custom battery pack manufacturers with in-house surface mount printed circuit assembly capability, was able to design, build, and test prototypes of the sophisticated printed circuit boards required by the charger at their Columbus, Ohio facility.
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