Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) has announced that had completed testing of its lithium ion battery cells containing Altairnano's nano-structured lithium titanate electrode materials. Altairnano's battery product application labs, with rapid prototyping and battery testing capabilities, is expected to be fully equipped and operational and to have its first battery cells manufactured by the end of January. Their press release states:
"The test results demonstrated that the performance of these lithium ion battery cells exceed the system-level power requirements set forth by the U.S. Council for Automotive Research FreedomCAR Energy Storage System Performance Goals for hybrid electric vehicle (HEVs), as well as those requirements published by major U.S. automakers," said Evan House, Ph.D., Program Director, Altairnano's Advanced Materials & Power Systems business unit."
The battery cells using Altairnano's nano-structured lithium titanate electrode materials in battery cell tests developed for HEV applications demonstrate a useable state-of-charge range twice that of conventional nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries presently used in hybrid electric vehicles. Nano-structured lithium titanate electrode materials offer a near-term promise of lithium ion batteries that exhibit rapid charge and discharge, longer cycle life and more inherently safe performance than either currently available nickel metal hydride or lithium ion batteries. These results support the feasibility of a power lithium ion battery pack half the size of those currently being tested for HEV applications.
"We believe this phase of our testing program provides enough data to demonstrate that lithium-ion batteries utilizing our nano-structured battery electrode materials can have both the energy and power densities that exceed those of the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries currently being used in HEVs," commented Altairnano President and CEO Alan J. Gotcher, Ph.D. "In our meetings with members of the automotive industry in the U.S. and abroad, we have been told that power-based lithium-ion batteries with the ability to discharge and charge rapidly, combined with greater cycle life and abuse tolerance, are desirable for the future of hybrid vehicles. ....
"The power of Altair's cell was first demonstrated and published in the September 2004 edition of the advanced energy industry standard, Journal of Power Sources. In that paper, authored by Dr. Du Pasquier and colleagues of the Rutgers University Energy Storage Group, battery cells using Altairnano's nano-structured battery electrodes demonstrated a three-minute full recharge and more than 9,000 cycles of sequential three-minute, 100 percent, recharges and discharges, validating the superior cycle life characteristics of Altairnano's nano-materials, when compared to traditional lithium ion batteries with a cycle life of 300 to 500 recharges and discharges.
Altairnano is a leading supplier and innovator of advanced ceramic nanomaterial technology.
This is yet another example of the improvements being made in battery technology through the use of nano-technology on the electrodes. Although they plan on producing prototype batteries this month, I do not think that Altair has any plans to produce batteries commercially, rather they will license their technology to battery manufacturers.
Nano-based Lithium Battery for Hybrids A Step Closer, press release via EV World, January 17, 2006
Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. Reno, Nevada
Technorati tags: batteries, energy storage, energy, technology
9000 cycles??? How much life is left in the battery after 9000 cycles?? Not that 9000 is bad or ant thing -- just wondering.
Posted by: John | January 24, 2006 at 12:02 PM
9000 cycles is 1/day for ~25 years. Somehow I think most cars won't be in use that long.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | January 24, 2006 at 12:34 PM
WOW -- 25 years -- not bad and I am assuming there is still at least some cycles left after 9000 -- if this is true then this battery stuff is get-in out of hand in a good way!!! With 3 minutes for a full charge it would take less time to stop and recharge then it would to fill up with any other liquid fuel ... now if they can only figure how to recharge them over night using solar power then ... LOL ... ha ha.
Posted by: John | January 24, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Has anyone heard of a company called Enerteck (etck.ob). They make a catalyst that is supposed to deliver increased MPG for diesel. Sounds like they have had success in marine, trucks and locomotive transport diesels.
Posted by: Action Jackson | June 09, 2006 at 03:51 PM
Is Altair related to A123 Systems who have anounced a breaktrough like this in 2002 and is currently shipping batteries with 10 the capacity of liIo that recharge in a few minutes to full...?
Posted by: Johan | June 28, 2006 at 12:55 PM
Altair has no connection to A123. For a fairly recent update on A123 see this post
Posted by: Jim from The Energy Blog | June 28, 2006 at 01:01 PM
Lithium ion batteries utilizing Altairnano's nano-structured lithium titanate spinel electrodes do not experience thermal runaway at temperatures below 250°C, significantly improving the safety performance of the batteries. Just right for my fresno ca self storage project.
Posted by: fresno ca self storage | November 02, 2010 at 08:50 PM
nice. gotta love new inventions. definitely an improvement.
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