Altair Battery Developments

Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) has completed a series of safety tests on its lithium ion batteries that it is developing for use in electric vehicles.  Concerns related to the potential for explosion, typically caused by charging malfunctions or extremes of temperature, according to their press release have been an obstacle to using lithium ion batteries to power electric and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Altairnano has invented and developed a nano-structured negative electrode material called nano Lithium Titanium Oxide, or nLTO, that replaces the graphite used in "standard" lithium ion batteries with safe, nanomaterials.  Via a rigorous course of extreme safety tests conducted over the past few months, Altairnano's nLTO demonstrated absolute safety under conditions where standard graphite-based cells typically smoke, vent and explode.

Battery cells using nLTO can be charged in as little as one minute, while graphite containing cells take between one and two hours to charge and, even then, can pose significant safety concerns. In addition, the battery life cycle of nLTO  has been demonstrated to be more than 9,000 use cycles at charge/discharge rates at which other battery types simply cannot function.  Altairnano nLTO-based batteries can operate at temperatures as low as -50 degrees C and as high as 75 degrees C .

It should be pointed out that Valence Technology  (NASDAQ:VLNC) develops and markets battery systems based on its Saphion® technology, the industry's first commercially available, safe, large-format (suitable for cars) Lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology. Whereas traditional Lithium-ion technology utilizes cobalt-oxide cathode material, Saphion® technology incorporates a phosphate based cathode material. Phosphates are extremely stable in overcharge or short circuit conditions and have the ability to withstand high temperatures without decomposing. When abuse does occur, phosphates are not prone to thermal runaway and will not burn. They are now shipping four recently introduced models of its large-format lithium-ion batteries as well as a new battery management system. This is the second generation of these batteries that Valance has sold commercially.  Valence claims a lifetime of 2000 cycles, 6.66 times the lifetime of a lead acid battery, a charge time of 2.5 hours and operating temperature range from -10 C to 50 C.

Comments

[Harvey D.]

Indeed, (less than 5-minute charge) + (9000 cycles) + (-50C to +75C operation) + (absolute safety) in the same battery is very good news.

Let's hope that production unit energy density will be close to 200 Wh/Kg and cost will be under $400/KWh when mass produced.

[amazingdrx]

Yep Harvey, maybe even 300wh/kg is possible in the very near future. As with the new 55% efficient solar cells mass production of lithium ion nano tech batteries will be needed to bring unit cost down.

A123 batteries are being mass produced for the new 36 volt DeWalt power tools scheduled for imminent release.

The new wide spectrum solar PV cells are set for mass production too, very exciting times for the energy re-evolution. Oil, coal, and nukes are about to die.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:rH-__vqOZpYJ:www.cctec.cornell.edu/RSL%2520Solar%2520Cell%2520Press%2520Release%2520Final.pdf+full+spectrum+solar+cell&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3

[Harvey D.]

amazingdrx: I too hope that affordable, high effciency, wide angle, wide spectrum solar panels + low cost, compact energy storage devices will be availble soooon.

When cost comes down, this double development could lead to practical PHEVs very shortly and realistic EVs within very few years.

Yes, it could eventually replace a high percentage of the energy we currently get from deminishing fossil fuels such as Coal, Gaz/Oil + Nuclear, especially in sunny southern USA and many other sunny places.

[anona]

Whatever happened to the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery?

It would be the ideal system for electric cars because with FOUR HOSES you could re-fuel the battery and storeage... and then recharge the liquid at the gas station.

[Larry Shore]

Do you know if Altair Nanotechnology is planning on entering the laptop battery and small, portable electronics battery market with their lithium titanium oxide material?

[battery]

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[A. Pantos]

If all the claims for the Altair Battery are true their stock should had hit the sky. Any explanation why it didn't?

[Jon]

Has anybody bought and tested any of Altair's nLTO batteries or knows of any independently verified test results (for complete batteries not cells) that are in the public domain?

[used computer]

Altair Battery is a great invention i appreciate the developers.. that they use lithium to produce the batery.

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[Volker]

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[teresa]

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[Volker from Germany]

Hi,
ich kam durch Zufall auf diese Seite und möchte einen netten Gruß
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Herzliche Grüße
Volker Lange