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Gear / Technical Help => Remote Power => Topic started by: Chilly Brioschi on August 20, 2016, 08:15:46 AM

Title: New Battery Being Developed
Post by: Chilly Brioschi on August 20, 2016, 08:15:46 AM
Nothing practical for the moment, but definitely a technology to watch:

http://news.mit.edu/2016/lithium-metal-batteries-double-power-consumer-electronics-0817

(http://news.mit.edu/sites/mit.edu.newsoffice/files/styles/news_article_image_top_slideshow/public/images/2016/MIT-Solid-Energy-Systems_0.jpg)
Title: Re: New Battery Being Developed
Post by: anr on August 20, 2016, 11:24:23 AM
I've been retired for 12 years and our guys were using them before that.  20% higher power, poorer performance at lower temperatures but less susceptible to overheating.  The manufacturer was moving production and further development to the US in 2006, so the talk of cell phone use means the development is mainly miniaturisation; the ones we had were the size of house bricks, as they had to (a) fit existing radios, and (b) last.   
Title: Re: New Battery Being Developed
Post by: voltronic on August 20, 2016, 01:10:17 PM
I've been retired for 12 years and our guys were using them before that.  20% higher power, poorer performance at lower temperatures but less susceptible to overheating.  The manufacturer was moving production and further development to the US in 2006, so the talk of cell phone use means the development is mainly miniaturisation; the ones we had were the size of house bricks, as they had to (a) fit existing radios, and (b) last.   

What application?  Military?
Title: Re: New Battery Being Developed
Post by: anr on August 22, 2016, 11:21:33 AM
Yes.  The US has a very different philosophy to batteries, and power in general.  About 10 years ago we moved toward Ammonia Borane fuel cells, but I don't know how widespread its use is yet.  Lithium-Ion is disliked.  When I'm asked why, I always refer to "Black Hawk Down" which has a scene where the troops are taking cover in a building, and in the background an unexplained (in the film) firework display is going off on another soldier.  That's what happens when a Lithium-Ion battery is hit by a projectile or suffers water ingress.  The burns are disfiguring and often fatal.  For two years in the mid-00s we had to rely on the US as our Lithium-Ion rechargeables were subject to a total recall and destruction order due to poor quality manufacturing (some would say fraud).  They crimped the cans instead of welding them, water got in and they exploded.  Sorry, hobby horse of mine.   
Title: Re: New Battery Being Developed
Post by: voltronic on August 22, 2016, 01:37:32 PM
Yes.  The US has a very different philosophy to batteries, and power in general.  About 10 years ago we moved toward Ammonia Borane fuel cells, but I don't know how widespread its use is yet.  Lithium-Ion is disliked.  When I'm asked why, I always refer to "Black Hawk Down" which has a scene where the troops are taking cover in a building, and in the background an unexplained (in the film) firework display is going off on another soldier.  That's what happens when a Lithium-Ion battery is hit by a projectile or suffers water ingress.  The burns are disfiguring and often fatal.  For two years in the mid-00s we had to rely on the US as our Lithium-Ion rechargeables were subject to a total recall and destruction order due to poor quality manufacturing (some would say fraud).  They crimped the cans instead of welding them, water got in and they exploded.  Sorry, hobby horse of mine.   

Wow.  Of all the difficult things our service members have to endure, I never thought of exploding batteries.  Especially with the water ingress causing such a reaction, it sounds like carrying around a block of pure sodium in your radio.

When you say "the US has a very different philosophy..." and  "we had to rely on the US...", I gather you were not serving here in the US.  GB?