Posted on 11/28/2007 4:12:21 AM PST by thackney
Exxon Mobil Corp. believes it has found an answer to a problem that has bedeviled the auto industry in recent years: using rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, like those found in cell phones and laptops, to power cars and trucks.
This weekend, at a conference in Anaheim, Calif., Exxon Mobil will unveil a super-thin plastic sheeting the company says can improve the power, safety and reliability of lithium-ion batteries for use in automobiles.
Exxon Mobil considers the film a breakthrough because it allows battery makers to build smaller and cheaper battery systems — removing key obstacles that have kept automakers from building hybrid and electric vehicles on a wide scale.
"That desire to use batteries that are more powerful and lighter is something that the auto companies have yearned for for years," said Jim Harris, senior vice president at Exxon Mobil Chemical Co., a Houston unit of the Irving-based energy giant.
Today, most vehicles have toaster-sized nickel-metal hydride batteries under the hood. But battery makers and auto manufacturers have begun turning their attention to lithium-ion batteries because they are smaller, lighter, able to hold a charge longer and have a higher energy density.
"It's the natural next step for advanced battery technology," said Brian Corbett, a spokesman for General Motors Corp., which is developing models like the Chevrolet Volt that incorporate lithium-ion batteries.
Safety issues First introduced by Sony in 1991, lithium-ion batteries were designed to help slim down portable electronics devices. But automakers have struggled to adapt them for vehicles because of operational limitations, high costs and safety issues.
Last year, 6 million Sony lithium-ion batteries in Dell and Apple notebook computers were recalled because of overheating that in some instances resulted in fires.
That recall gave a boost to companies working on improving lithium-ion batteries, including Exxon Mobil Chemical, which has 20 years of experience in the field, and Boston-based Optodot Corp., which has also developed a separator film for lithium-ion batteries.
Separator films are membranes that keep the battery's positive and negative fields, which are wrapped in a jelly-roll configuration, from touching.
Exxon Mobil developed its film with Japanese affiliate Tonen Chemical. Invented in research labs at Exxon Mobil's Baytown complex, the film is the first to squeeze multiple layers of plastic into a single white sheet the width of a human hair.
The added layers enable the batteries to run at higher temperatures — and produce more power — while still protecting them from overheating, company officials said. It also incorporates features that cause it to shut down if there is a short circuit in the battery.
Exxon Mobil sees the separator film technology as more than just a chance to green up its image. Company officials said there is a legitimate business motive for pursuing the technology.
"Clearly, hybrid and electric vehicles are going to play a role in the future, and we want to be a part of that," Harris said.
This year, Americans will buy 354,000 hybrid vehicles, accounting for about 2 percent of total U.S. auto sales, according to J.D. Power and Associates in Troy, Mich. By 2012, hybrid sales will grow to 1 million, or nearly 6 percent of the market, the firm projects.
A hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to achieve better fuel economy and lower emissions than vehicles with only a traditional internal combustion engine.
But hybrids still cost roughly $3,000 more than their gas-powered counterparts, and can weigh up to 900 pounds more, leading to sluggish performance.
More practical If Exxon's film separator can reduce the costs and weight of battery systems, then hybrids could become more than a niche market, said Erich Merkle, auto analyst with IRN, an industry research firm in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"Quite honestly, that's the type of thing that's going to make hybrids much more practical, because right now there's some real economic factors that hold hybrid sales back," he said.
Exxon Mobil is working with the leading battery manufacturers to incorporate its film separator technology, Harris said. To date, the company has only produced test batches of the film but has the capability to begin mass production through its affiliate in Japan, he said.
Among the biggest lithium-ion battery manufacturers are Japan's Sony, South Korea's Samsung and Johnson Controls in Milwaukee, Wis.
But when asked if Exxon Mobil had contracts with those companies, Harris sidestepped, promising only that there is more news to come.
I think I read that new cars are using something other than old fasioned lead acid batteries.
“”No the basic issue is that exxon is claiming that they can downsize a car battery to the size of a PC’s battery.
That is not what is said. They are using the technology of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, like those found in cell phones and laptops. This will reduce the size of battery required to power a vehicle. They are not saying they will be the same size as a laptop.””
From the article:
Exxon Mobil considers the film a breakthrough because it allows battery makers to build smaller and cheaper battery systems — removing key obstacles that have kept automakers from building hybrid and electric vehicles on a wide scale.
Yes, smaller and cheaper than the batteries that can be used for vehicles today. It does not claim they will be laptop sized.
It seems to me that the first thing they should do is up the voltage of ordinary gasoline cars. Instead of a 12 volt system, they should change over to a 36 or even a 60 volt system. Sure the batteries will be bigger and more expensive, but they will save on wire and motors. A sixty volt motor is much smaller for equivalent power output than a 12 volt motor. Wires can be much smaller diameter too because you need fewer amps when using higher voltages. IN a luxury car, the weight savings could be quite a bit.
Now, the battery will be much larger and heavier, so there will be more incentive to find lighter smaller battery technology.
This electric vehicle development needs to be done in very small increments. I remember reading that they are going to improve the electrical systems of semis so that they don’t have to sit idleing all night long in the winter. THat is a good first step. Now we need higher voltage systems in passenger cars.
I also remember reading that one of the semi engine producers(cummins I think), was offering an option that would shut down all non essential electricity consuming devices and also shut down the alternator when accelerating hard or climbing hills. THis gave the engine just a little bit of a power boost. Then on the down hill side, the alternator would power back up and recharge the battery. This needs to be applied to passenger cars too. It would be even more productive on gasoline ingines since a gasoline engine needs electrical spark to run.
THen once these electrical upgrades are perfected, try applying the technology to hybrid vehicles. And once hybrids are good enough to stand on their own feet without government incentives and subsidies, they can start shrinking the internal combustion portion of the hybrid and increasing the electric portion of the hybrid. Eventually, you will have an all-electric vehicle.
Electric cars or hybrids already use much higher voltage than 12 volts.
The Tesla uses a nominal 375V
http://www.teslamotors.com/display_data/TeslaRoadsterBatterySystem.pdf
The generation II Prius Hybrid uses a nominal 274V
http://www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-technical-info
...And when your car won’t start, just hit ctrl-alt-delete and away you goooooooo...............
thanks for the ping
bmflr
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Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Posted on 11/15/2007 3:43:17 AM PST by Kevmo
THat doesn’t matter. You are missing the whole point of my post.
Advances come faster when a greater number of the product is being produced. THere’s more incentive. I’m saying battery tech will improve faster in vehicles that are being produced in greater numbers.
Currently, hybrids are a joke. Nobody cares if they really work or if they pay for themselves. They are subsidized and the costs are hidden one way or another. Otherwise they would never be produced.
Thanks for the clarification.
bump for later...
LOL... I like my formula better though. =)
MustangGT > I=E/R
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