EXXON: new LiION tech

[Dr Mordrid]

Wouldn't you know they'd find a way to keep their fingers in the pie

Their innovation is a new separator film. Separators are necessary in some LiION cells to prevent short circuits from propagating so far as to cause the battery to go into thermal runaway (in other words: explode). The new separator technology allows for larger, more powerful cells to be manufactured without the risk of overheating.

Link....

ExxonMobil Chemical's New Film Technologies Help Power Next Generation Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ExxonMobil Chemical and ExxonMobil's Japanese affiliate, Tonen Chemical, have developed new film technologies for lithium-ion batteries with the potential to improve the energy efficiency and affordability of next generation hybrid and electric vehicles.

These new film technologies are expected to significantly enhance the power, safety and reliability of lithium-ion batteries, thereby helping speed the adoption of these smaller and lighter batteries into the next wave of lower-emission vehicles.

“By developing new film technologies that allow lithium-ion batteries to meet hybrid and electric vehicle requirements, ExxonMobil Chemical is helping to make next generation vehicles more energy and cost efficient, as well as lighter,” said Jim P. Harris, senior vice president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “We are currently working with industry-leading battery manufacturers to expand the boundaries of current hybrid and electric vehicle applications.”

Separator film is an integral part of battery system design and critical to overall performance. ExxonMobil Chemical’s new technology platform builds on twenty years experience in lithium-ion battery separators, applying advanced polymer and process technologies with flexibility to tailor products to battery manufacturer requirements.

ExxonMobil Chemical will present the new film technologies at the 23rd Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS-23) in Anaheim, Calif. on December 2-5, 2007.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm not convinced that rechargeable Li-ion cells are the answer for transport, at least at the current state of development. The problem is that their capacity diminishes with age, whether they are used or not. There is a compromise made between longevity and charge/discharge current. For example, it IS possible to make them with a drop of only 20% capacity over 5 years, but the charge/discharge current would be limited to about 1-10 mA/g, useless for transport applications due to high internal impedance. It is also possible to make them with a much lower impedance (strictly, resistance!) by a couple of orders of magnitude, but their capacity drops by 80% over 5 years, meaning they would have to be replaced every couple of years.

I know Toyota are offering a limited number of Li-ion Prius vehicles but on the Japanese market only, to find out the realities under genuine consumer use, as opposed to lab tests.

NiMH seems to be the best bet at the current state of development.

[Dr Mordrid]

NiMH's use in autos is limited by two things:

1. Licensing. Their patent holder, Ovonics, sold the patent to GM in 1994 who 6 months later sold it to Texaco, who was then bought by Chevron who sat on NiMH licenses save for light duty applications. In 2003 Chevron formed a 50/50 joint venture with Ovonics named Cobasys, who in turn still refuses to license large NiMH enough cells for use in plug-in or pure electric vehicles. Soft hybrids, fine, but nothing threatening to Chevron.

2. power to mass ratio. LiION is lighter.

You need to check out the LiION techs being developed by A123 (an MIT spinoff), LG Chem and others that are using nanotech anodes. They are projected to last 15-20 years, don't do thermal overload and can even be penetrated by a spike and still produce power.

In addition to this yesterday EXXON announced a vastly improved film layer for use in these batteries;

Link...

These new film technologies are expected to significantly enhance the power, safety and reliability of lithium-ion batteries, thereby helping speed the adoption of these smaller and lighter batteries into the next wave of lower-emission vehicles.

“By developing new film technologies that allow lithium-ion batteries to meet hybrid and electric vehicle requirements, ExxonMobil Chemical is helping to make next generation vehicles more energy and cost efficient, as well as lighter,” said Jim P. Harris, senior vice president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “We are currently working with industry-leading battery manufacturers to expand the boundaries of current hybrid and electric vehicle applications.”

Separator film is an integral part of battery system design and critical to overall performance. ExxonMobil Chemical’s new technology platform builds on twenty years experience in lithium-ion battery separators, applying advanced polymer and process technologies with flexibility to tailor products to battery manufacturer requirements.

ExxonMobil Chemical will present the new film technologies at the 23rd Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS-23) in Anaheim, Calif. on December 2-5, 2007.

[Brian Ellis]

It is for this reason [licensing] that Toyota is experimenting with lithium-ion batteries in prototypes and concept cars in Japan. But as we all know, and Toyota knows only too well, li-ions won't be ready for mass-market production vehicles for at least another 5-8 years due to the many safety, reliability, and longevity problems they currently have which still have to be resolved through further development.

Full blog

[Dr Mordrid]

A123 and LG Chem is delivering their evaluation cells to GM and tests show they already meet or exceed the required specs for the Volt. Based on these tests GM went from saying they 'plan' on producing the Volt in 2010 to "we will" produce the Volt in 2010, and they even selected the factory (with a nudge from the UAW): the Pole Town plant in Detroit.

A123 batteries will also be going into the new Saturn Vue Green Line Plug-In Hybrid in 2009.

Additionally A123's batteries are going into BAE's HybriDrive power system for buses in 2008. Well over 300 HybriDrive Orion VII (Daimler) buses are running in NYC now using older batteries, but more are on order (IIRC the total contract is 625 units) and they will be using A123's LiION batteries.

Green Car Congress story....

BAE Systems to Offer A123Systems Li-Ion Battery Unit in HybriDrive

BAE Systems will offer a lithium-ion energy storage unit from A123Systems with its next-generation HybriDrive propulsion system for hybrid electric buses.

The HybriDrive propulsion system is available on the DaimlerChrysler (note: now just Daimler) Orion VII hybrid transit bus. More than 1,000 buses with HybriDrive propulsion system are in service or on order. The next-generation HybriDrive system featuring lithium-ion energy storage will be available for commercial buses beginning in 2008.

The BAE deal marks the first announced commercial application of A123Systems Li-ion technology in series production hybrid vehicles. A123Systems is currently working with GM and other automakers on battery packs for future hybrid (earlier post) and plug-in hybrid (earlier post) vehicles.

I guess your bloggers don't know as much as they think they do.