Toyota's Battery 'Breakthrough' Can Lead To More Range, Longer Life (cnet.com)

Toyota thinks it's found a way to create more efficient EV batteries. The car company is calling its method, which allows a free flow of lithium ions from the cathode to the anode, the "world's first behavior observation method for lithium ions in electrolyte." CNET adds:Charging and discharging batteries can create lithium ion deviation. Some of these ions can get bunched up, which can affect a battery's performance over time. In order to help reduce that bunching, scientists need to see what's happening as the ions flow through the battery's electrolyte. That observation wasn't possible until now. Toyota made has replaced the phosphorous in a traditional lithium-ion battery electrolyte with heavier elements. These heavier elements, which ferry the ions through the electrolyte, are then bombarded with powerful x-rays, which allows researchers to observe how the ions flow through. So what does this all mean? By observing the lithium ions in the electrolyte, research and development dollars can be spent on preventing the bunching that degrades battery performance. Toyota believes its breakthrough can improve electric vehicle range by up to 15 percent and improve the battery's life simultaneously.

Comments

Another week another "battery breakthrough"

[Dorianny]

Every week there is at least one article in the news about a Lab "battery breakthrough." Wake me up when someone actually manufactures something.

Re:Another week another "battery breakthrough"

[Namarrgon]

And every article there's at least one comment grumbling that they don't have it now.

You already have batteries that are triple the capacity of the 1050mAh Li-Ions used in old Nokia phones, and dramatically better than the 30-minute talk-times of the original DynaTAC bricks. "Breakthroughs" in the lab can take many years to reach consumer products; silicon nanowire anodes were developed in 2007, but are only now reaching factories - and will take a couple more years before they scale capacity enough to be usable by major phone vendors.

Re:Eh...

[morethanapapercert]

My take on that is that, while lithium has its potential dangers, it seems like any other really power dense technology has the same fundamental problem. Whether it be chemical, electrical, electro-chemical or kinetic, storing a large amount of energy in a small package is going to be dangerous when (not if) power storage devices, or the devices which contain them, fail in certain ways.

For the sake of illustration, suppose we develop a better plastic that allows classic, well understood flooded lead-acid batteries to use a stronger solution of sulphuric acid and combine that with a way of making a reticulated lead foam. What you get is a lead-acid cell that can be up to half the size of the existing product, perhaps with a slightly better initial voltage or better cold cranking amps.

Only now: a) the risk of hydrogen build up explosions is higher b) the damage done by a leaking battery/acid spill is greater. c. Because a smaller form factor means closer terminal spacing, it is even easier for a mechanic to get a wrench or screwdriver caused short, shocking him and potentially welding the tool in place. d) Any hypothetical plastic that is resistant to very strong concentrations of sulphuric acid across a wide range of temperatures and internal pressures is likely going to be next to impossible to recycle.

Similarly, a kinetic system like a flywheel holds the potential to fail in entertaining (from a distance) ways if the bearings fail or if the base materials fail under load.