MIT research may spell end for the battery.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/06/26/mit_research_may_spell_end_for_the_battery/ ^ | 6/26/06 | Hiawatha Bray

[G.Mason]

"You need help. It appears your DING got caught in your BAT!!"

LOL!!!

When one uses the phrase ... "I cannot give details" ... they are well beyond help.

[stevio]

Much less than 40 yrs my friend.

[js1138]

If you accidentally short a nicad, it will become pretty hot from releasing its energy over few minutes. If this capacitor holds as much energy as a nicad, and develops a catastrophic leak or is shorted, the same energy will be released in a small fraction of a second, with explosion.

Maybe someone will invent the fuse before it's too late.

Seriously, such a device will be self fusing. Carbon won't carry much current. The problem with batteries is the chemicals that splatter when they explode.

[from occupied ga]

I cannot give details

Now THIS I'm sure about LOL

[from occupied ga]

Seriously, such a device will be self fusing

Absolutely nothing to back this statement up.

Carbon won't carry much current

Another false statement. it all depends on the voltage and the size of the carbon conductor

[bkepley]

--If this capacitor holds as much energy as a nicad, and develops a catastrophic leak or is shorted, the same energy will be released in a small fraction of a second, with explosion.--

Gasoline is also explosive. I imagine if it works they will include methods of protection.

[ovrtaxt]

Adjusted for inflation, gas prices are the same or less than in 1980 or 1928.

But not 1996-1998! It was .99, with about .40 of that being taxes! cheap cheap cheap, but certainly not conducive to alt energy innovation.

[ovrtaxt]

LED technology is coming along very nicely. The color temperature of the white diodes is getting lower all the time. I think within a year or two, they will be almost indistinguishable from regular halogens.

[js1138]

The question is, what happens when a supercapacitor gets shorted. The answer is that the weakest point acts as a fuse. If there is no designated fuse, the part with the least current carrying capacity will melt and act as a fuse.

Carbon is not highly flamable. You might recall that before tungsten filiament lights were invented, the best source of electric light was arc lamps with carbon electrodes.

One would assume that supercapacitors would be constructed without lots of free oxygen in their makeup.

[martin_fierro]

L O L

[Sender]

"...and traffic continues to flow well
on the beltway and inroads, some delays
from the South, but overall...uh oh, looks
like we may have a thermal runaway inbound
on the North Loop, all lanes assumed closed."

[cowtowney]

"I'm glad the high energy prices are actually helping innovation. Energy prices infuriate me on a day to day basis, but at least the free marketeers are right about this point."

uh...when haven't the 'free marketeers' been right?

[from occupied ga]

Carbon is not highly flamable. You might recall ...

You might recall that coal and charcoal are carbon and oddly enough they burn just fine. In fact one of the dangers of coal mining is coal dust explosions due to the high surface to volume ratio of the dust. Carbon nanotubes by definition would have an extremely high surface to volume ratio.

One would assume that supercapacitors would be constructed without lots of free oxygen in their makeup

Chernobyl was constructed without free O2 also, but when it ruptured it took the Soviets days to get the graphite (another form of carbon) fire out.

answer is that the weakest point acts as a fuse

This is not by any means a given. An internal short would not have this effect.

[Thom Pain]

"Good God, what a clueless bunch to have as much influence as they have."

That's because there are so many millions of gullible Americans suffering from delusions of adequacy, yet so ill-informed as to be tragic. They choose to "feel" rather than to think.

[Buffalo Head]

"It's happened in the past; I cannot give details."

Are you referring to the 75 mpg carburetor that Detroit has suppressed since 1952, or the cure for cancer that doctors are suppressing, or cold fusion that Exxon is suppressing, or .................... ?

[Enterprise]

I remember when the first L.E.D. watches came out in the 70's. I talked to a man who bought a L.E.D. watch and at the time he paid 1,400 dollars for it. Hopefully, this battery technology will keep advancing and become widely affordable and useable in vehicles.

[Lloyd227]

"Count me a pessimist."

Ok, done. you're on the list

[Richard Kimball]

Don't believe the movie. The Tucker corporation came down because of the enormous costs of starting a car company, and because Tucker was an idea man, not a money man. Several of his fundraising ventures ran afoul of the SEC.

[mysterio]

Adjusted for inflation, gas prices are the same or less than in 1980 or 1928.

And those were price spikes, too. I almost hope it goes up a few more cents so you guys can't use that argument anymore. It's damned expensive for a lot of us, and it's tripled since the late 90s. That's a lot by anyone's standards. But I'm glad it's spurring innovation.

[mysterio]

uh...when haven't the 'free marketeers' been right?

NAFTA, CAFTA, and outsourcing, pretty much. Those are the recent ones.