IBM’s Pursuit To Develop A 500 Mile-Range Nano-Battery For EV’s
4 October 2009 | Green Cars | No Comments
We are all aware of the biggest problem today’s electric car(EV) face: the low-storage capacity batteries. In order to make positive steps forward in solving this matter, IBM, the giant computer technology company, has recently set the goal to develop a battery that could empower electric cars to reach a 500 mile-range, considerable more than today’s performances.
The plan is part of the Big Green Innovations program and is called the Battery 500 Project. The purpose of their action is to increase the mile-range of rechargeable batteriesfor EV’s from the current 100 miles to five times the amount, meaning 500 miles. The project is in cooperation with some U.S universities and the Department of Energy’ National Labs and is put in action at the IBM’s Almaden Laboratory in San Jose, California.
The key to developing such types of batteries is, according to the company, to make us of their nanoscale semiconductor manufacturing processes, and make further research on the lithium-air battery technology in order to boost the capacity of the battery. The lithium-air battery is special because oxygen from the air plays the role of the battery’s cathodes. The next step is to manipulate the micro-structure of the battery electrodes (anode and cathode), more exactly, to increase their surface area about 100 times, process that will facilitate the battery capacity.
Battery 500 Project involves more than 40 scientists and researchers from all over the world, and will deliver its first results and conclusions in about two years.
Tags: Battery 500 Project, Big Green Innovations, capacity, electric car, electrode, Green Technology, IBM, lithium-air, lithium-ion, nano-battery, Nanotechnology, oxygen