Panasonic’s Li-ion Battery Can Store Electricity for One Week of Use
When we talk about energy storage and batteries, we often think of those devices which helps us to power our gadgets. So, we use batteries for mobile phones, laptops, but could we use batteries to power an entire building? Panasonic Company says “Yes”! They recently announced the launch of a lithium-ion storage battery for home use. After they bought 50% stake in Sanyo, Fumio Otsubo, president of Panasonic said: “We’ll be the first to bring to the market a storage battery for home use, which can store sufficient electricity for about one week of use.”.
BMW ActiveE All-Electric Sedan will be Unveiled in Detroit
The car that we can see in the image, I think it is the greenest car of the week. When we talk about BMW we have to talk about power, safety and comfort, but also about high prices. These high prices are due to higher quality, but also are due to high fuel consumption. So, BMW recently announced the launch of the second electric car after the Mini E. The car is actually an all-electric sedan with a big trunk(approximately 200 liters).
Miletto Electric Scooter is 10 Times More Effective than Any other Scooter
Electric scooters are very useful today, especially in urban areas where traffic is often blocked because of agglomeration and where the air is polluted by vehicles that run with fossil fuels. Electric scooters Market is large enough today, and every producer tries to bring new improvements to their vehicles, to reach “the top of the pyramid”. A Japanese manufacturer recently announced that next year they will launch a new electric scooter model, 10 times more effective than any older model currently on the market.
Ultracapacitor Buses – More Greener And Cheaper
The search for more economical and fuel-efficient buses have led engineers from building hydrogen-fuel transit vehicles to hybrid-electric ones. But, as it turns out, the most environmentally-friendly and cheapest way to power buses proved to be the ultracapacitor buses. At least that is what a Chinese company, Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Company, and its partner for the U.S.A, Sinautec Automobile Technologies, states.
Charge Your Electronics With Voltaic Backpacks Made From Recycled PET Bottles
The invention of the solar cells, those devices that convert the energy of light into electrical energy, was really a bliss to mankind. The first solar cells were created in 1954 by three American researchers, Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller and Daryl Chapin, out of very thin stripes of silicon capable of about six percent conversion efficiency. After more than 50 years, today’s highest solar cell conversion is 22%. They were also the first ones to create solar panels.
Microfluidic Fuel Cells Could Provide Energy for Portable Devices
Daniel Spencer an engineer who recently finished studies at Meng in Electronic Engineering at the University’s School of Electronics and Computer Science, has found a new way to store electricity for portable devices.Daniel says that the energy source can not provide directly all the electricity and for this reason the electricity need to bestored in batteries.
LED-Flashlight without batteries – recharges in only 90 seconds
The company 5.11 Tactical, mostly known as a clothing manufacturer, gave last year the news that they build a highly technologized flashlight named “Light for Life”. The time has finally come the company set the product ready for selling and what this flashlight is capable of is pretty amazing.
The flashlight consists of 3 LED lights and requires no conventional batteries but instead is equipped with a new technology called Flashpoint Power, which uses ultracapacitor energy storage systems to benefit the recharging process.
Kinetic Charger nPower Personal Energy Generator
nPower PEG is a kinetic charger designed by Tremont Electric,perfect for your electrical gadgets,that will not remain without power during walks or travels (in motion) … The performances of this devices are not so high, but can load 80% of a mobile phone battery in an hour, during a simple walk.nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) is very small, fit in your pocket or purse, and is very easy to use (by simply connecting to your phone or mp3).Tremont Electric say that if everyone would wear such a kinetic charger one hour per day, the energy saved would be enough to power to 21.000 homes for a year. Read more
NoPoPo Urine Powered Flashlight
In some previous posts we presented many strange energy sources, but the next one is something very special.The flashlight in the picture above is powered by some special batteries based on urine(urine powered).These NoPoPo batteries can run up to 10 years, but can be recharged only 4 times.If you calculate the total duration of life of these batteries, in 4 loadings, we can appreciate that 40 years of life is something really revolutionary.Chinese Roll Charger Used for Recovery and Charging Batteries
Electric Harley Davidson Trunk Reaches 130 km/h
Electricity Shoe Generator for Your Mobile Phone
).Car That Runs on Cow Dung Methane
First Electric Car Charging Station
Nowadays we see that electric cars number is clearly growing,because this type of vehicles offers some important advantages, and people buy them without any delay.
We all know that the operation principle of these vehicles is based on batteries!These batteries are built with advanced technology, and are very efficient (have a high capacity of energy storage).Even so, sometimes these batteries should be charged for operate at normal parameters.
For this reason people are starting to build power stations for those hybrid, electric vehicles.Some days ago in Frankfurt, Germany was inaugurated a building of this kind,which is actually, The First Electric Car Charging Station from Germany(a loading station for electric cars).
This station is equipped with solar panels which distributes electricity for charging electric cars,small electric vehicles,scooters or other devices used on urban movement.This station was built in one of the crowded places from Frankfurt, in order to be available to anyone who passes and needs electricity for his electric vehicle.
Projects like this one will appear in a growing number becouse the electric vehicle production is also in growing number.
Alkaline Fuel Cell – Characteristics
This fuel cell is using a KOH solution in water as the electrolyte.The electrochemical reactions are:
-Anode: H2 + 2OH —> 2H2O + 2e ;
-Cathode: 1/2 O2 + H2O + 2e —> 2OH ;
-Overall: H2 + 1/2 O2 —> H2O
The electrodes’ high performances can be achived by adopting a good compromise between a high conductivity and their catalytical activity at 70 – 80 Celsius degrees.In a fuel cell, both gases, H2 and air system are circulated at low pressure: 2 – 4kPa.
In the ambient air, the content of CO2 is approximately 300 ppm;To avoid the chemical reaction of CO2 with electrolyte, the content of CO2 in the air must be diminished below 50 ppm.
The electrodes’ material is based on poly-tetra-fluor-etylene covered by a carbon layer and sustained on a Ni grid.The active material is crystals of platinum absorbed on carbon particles.
The gases entering the fuel cell and arriving on platinum crystals must be free of water vapor.A poly-tetra-fluor-elylene porous separator avoids the likeage of electrolyte into the gas compartement.
The efficiency of the standard fuel cell unity can be 69 percent (at 25 Amps)and declines to 52percent (at 120 Amps).
MIT 100% Liquid Battery Perfect for Solar Energy Storage
Among the many companies that invent ecological products we find MIT,a company which recently launched in the chemistry field, a new invention:the liquid battery.Before that, MIT has done a good sensation with some new technology applied in hybrid race cars field, so they have to achieve maximum “point of technology” in “Solar Storage Solutions” field.Usual battery is composed of 2 solid electrodes which sank in a particular fluid, electrolyte, which makes contact between them.This new battery, was built with 2 liquid electrodes.How this could be possible? Simple! 
Have you seen (e.g. if in a tank is water and you add gas, gas rises above because has less density than water. If gas have higher density the water would remain at the surface!)… Therefore,in the liquid electrolyte were added two substances:one with a density less than electrolyte and second, with a higher density, to obtain electrodes and electrolyte 100% liquid.
Electrical Vehicles Battery Charger Characteristics
Electric and hybrid vehicles using batteries for electrical energy storage have and access to an electrical distribution network to charge propulsion energy resources.The hybrid vehicle requires charging of batteries,in case of an inner city operation where internal combustion engine is not used to diminish the polluting emissions.
There are various type of battery chargers on the market, but this problem is not a simple one to solve, as, there is also a big number of battery-types needing specific charging characteristics in order not to damage it or to diminish its life-time.The battery charger can be located on tne vehicle board or it can be stationary, outside the vehicle.
The chargers located on board must be light and they must have a reduced volume.The power of these chargers is limited at 3.68 kVA, corresponding to a voltage of 230 V and a current of 16 Amps output.
The stationary charger has more power and efficiency, but it reduce the vehicle independency.The requirements for a stationary charger are: the output voltage situated between 60 and 200 V and the current intensity from 20 to 200 Amps.
For those who have electric cars, were inventedspecial parking places where batteries can be charged while leaving the car.
Electric Vehicle Powered by Fuel Cells
Electric vehicle endowed with a fuell cell can be considered a hybrid in which primary energy is obtained through a fuel cell.Fuel cell vehicle configuration is different from a serie hybride vehicle, but the traction and control elements are similar.
Fuel cells are electrochemical power sources, in which the chemical energy is directly converted into electric energy.The obtained electrical energy is a result of the fuel oxidation process occuring at one of the electrodes, one called the anode, and the other called cathode where the oxidant reduction process take place.
Using hydrogen as fuel for the fuel cell is the main advantage.The hydrogen can be stored on vehicle board:pressurised hydrogen gas, liquefied in cryogenic tanks or in metalic hydrides or can be obtained on vehicle board.
When hydrogen is stored on the vehicle board, the polluting emissions are zero.If the hydrogen is generated by a reformer system, than, emissions can occur, e.g. when obtaining hydrogen out of methanol, CO2 represents 25 volume percent of gas output from the reformer, which will be exhausted in the air.
Alternative Vehicles-General Characteristics
The policies of sustainable development of the relationship between road traffic and environment in the 21’st century will take into consideration the maximum use of electrical energy level for all urban transport categories(trains,trams,buses,electrical cars,vans and trucks).Alternative vehicles better responding to environment and public health are as follows:
-Electrical vehicle;
-Hybrid vehicles;
-Fuel-cell electrical vehicles.
Hybrid vehicle features two energy sources, the first, mechanical- internal combustion engine, the second, electrical motor, and two storage energy sources- fuel tank and electrical battery.
Electrical vehicle is defined as a vehicle having a pure electrical motor-propulsion group with a battery for electrical storage of energy.
Fuel-cell electrical vehicle is an electrical vehicle provided witfh fuel cell to produce electrical energy on vehicle board fuelled by hydrogen, methanol and so on.
Solar Batteries and How Are Installed on Boats
One of the most popular consumer products today is the solar battery charger.The most common solar chargher uses a four-inch-by-eight-inch solar panel which plugs directly into your automobile’s cigarette lighter and trickle-chargers your battery.The small solar panel is placed on the dashboard and when the car or truck is parked outside the PV panel converts the sunlight to electricity, providing either 6 or 12 volt DC current to your battery. Read more