Aug
19
A Look A Lithium Accumulators
August 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Many of us are familiar with accumulators in gas and hydraulic systems as a vessel that stores a volume usually with an internal diaphragm that has a spring force by a compressed gas. The result is a cell that can buffer the system gases or fluids smoothing pressure spikes.
As a practical point though, a lithium [...]
Aug
13
John Axsen and Ken Kurani at the University of California’s Institute of Transportation Studies completed what may become a landmark in getting good handles on the personal vehicles available for purchase in the coming years in the form of plugin hybrid electric vehicles. (A pdf download)
What the study learned is the state of consumer knowledge [...]
Aug
12
A New Kind of Refrigeration
August 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Imagine a refrigerator, air conditioner or other compressed gaseous system that has no more coils, compressors and controls. Penn State’s Qiming Zhang is offering that his research is yielding a refrigeration technique that is based in ferroelectric polymers.
Ferroelectric polymers exhibit piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects that are usually encountered in certain single crystals and ceramics. Ziang [...]
Aug
11
Breaking the Boundary - A Connection to a Better Fuel Cell
August 11, 2008 | 3 Comments
For a week I’ve marveled at the innovative connection made at Australia’s Monash University in which Goretex®, a material that’s commonly used in layered fabrics that allows passage of water vapor but not water droplets is being used in a fuel cell development.
Starting with the Goretex® the scientists at Monash applied a fine 0.4 [...]
Aug
8
A New Super ION Conductor for Fuel Cells
August 8, 2008 | 1 Comment
First, not to be confused with a super conductor for electrons as we usually think of “super conductors,” this new material is about moving ions. That has important, perhaps huge implications for fuel cells.
Solid oxide fuel cell technology requires ion-conducting materials as in solid electrolytes that transport the oxygen ions from cathode to anode. Today’s [...]
Jul
18
Spotlighting the Dark Horse of Alternative Fuels
July 18, 2008 | 2 Comments
While the world is watching with horror or glee at the price of oil and its products there is a dark horse out there growing stronger, gaining resources, gathering intelligence and innovation all pointed to pushing oil off of its pedestal. It’s methanol, the one carbon, four hydrogen and one oxygen atom molecule that has [...]
Jul
15
A Better Energy Plan
July 15, 2008 | 1 Comment
The past two weeks have seen T. Boone Pickens offer his solution to the fuel prices issue and Sunday saw the short version of the Andrew Grove and Robert Burgelman article published by the Washington Post. I admire all three of these men.
I met Mr. Pickens about 25 years ago at, if memory serves, at [...]
Jul
7
The Quickening of Recharge
July 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, a worldwide venture capital firm and SET Venture Partners announced an investment in Epyon B.V. a spin-off company of Delft University of Technology. The Epyon investment is a play in fast charging of lithium-ion battery technology and the selection by the venture firms is based on Epyon’s experience and developments in [...]
Jul
1
Greater Expectations
July 1, 2008 | 4 Comments
The bad news is piling up and making many feel that the way out isn’t in sight. I saw a poll earlier today that reported on folk’s feelings of hopelessness and wish now I’d kept the link, as it’s bugged me all day. Hard numbers will do to support the sensation; in 1970 3/4ths of [...]
Jun
30
A Fuel Cell Breaks Out
June 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The U.S. Department of Defense has adopted the Dupont and SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG product as the “M-25” with the announcement that the M-25 is already deployed. The M-25 is a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) that uses the Dupont fuel cell technology with the expertise of SFC in manufacturing and fuel cell control [...]
