- Joined
- Jun 26, 2017
- Messages
- 10,691
- Reaction score
- 13,712
- Location
- Southern California
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
A revolutionary new type of battery which, unlike those used in conventional electric cars, can also power buses, huge lorries (trucks) and even aircraft. What's more, it's far simpler and cheaper to make than the batteries currently in use in millions of electric vehicles around the world and, unlike them, it can easily be recycled.
Austin Electric, an engineering firm based in Essex, which now owns the rights to use the old Austin Motor Company logo, will begin putting thousands of them into electric vehicles next year.
Scientists had discovered that by dipping aluminium into a chemical solution known as an electrolyte, they could trigger a reaction between the metal and air to produce electricity. At that time the method was useless for commercial batteries because the electrolyte was extremely poisonous, and caustic.
After years of experimentation at his workshop in the Cornish village of Callington, Jackson's eureka moment came when he developed a new formula for the electrolyte that was neither poisonous nor caustic.
I've drunk it when demonstrating it to investors, so I can attest to the fact that it's harmless, Jackson says. Another problem with the 1960s version was that it worked only with totally pure aluminium, which is very expensive.
But Jackson's electrolyte works with much lower-purity metal, including recycled drinks cans. (Aluminum cans) The formula, which is top secret, is the key to his device.
And once an aluminium-air fuel cell is spent, it can be recycled very cheaply. According to Jackson, the cost of recycling means the running costs of an aluminium-air powered car would work out at 7p per mile. (about 10.5 cents US)
Drivers with cars that depend on lithium-ion have to charge their batteries from the mains when they are spent, a process that takes a long time, often overnight. But when an aluminium-air cell became exhausted, the driver would simply exchange it for a new one.
Instead of a vast network of charging points, all that is necessary are stores where cells can be swapped, just as people already swap propane gas bottles.
Swapping a battery, says Jackson, takes about 90 seconds.
I've drunk it when demonstrating it to investors, so I can attest to the fact that it's harmless, Jackson says.
Ex-Navy officer turned inventor signs a multi-million deal to produce his electric car battery that will take drivers 1,500 miles without needing to charge
Not an idea but a reality, some highlights of the article:
Father-of-eight invents an electric car battery to take drivers 1,500 miles without charging it | Daily Mail Online
(Words in blue were added by me for clarification in US terms.)
That was just some highlights, much more info in the article and well worth the read.
That's not remotely sound. Must be joking.
There were some troubling claims made in that article. One of them was that a replacement "miracle" battery for a Tesla would cost 5,000# (about $6,000) instead of the 30,000# (about $36,000) cost of its current (but rechargeable L-ion battery pack) and would allow for 1,500 miles of travel - that comes out to 3.33# (about $4) per mile as opposed to $0.125/mile for a conventional IC powered vehicle getting 20 mpg with gasoline cost at $2.50/gallon.
Either my math is wrong or this "miracle" non-rechargeable battery (actually a fuel cell) is very expensive when "scaled up" to actually power a Tesla.
Remember when NiCd's were the end all for batteries. When the first electric cars came out everyone said they would never catch on because the range was too short etc,. amazing how after someone starts the idea it burns in to reality. Even the environmentalist's should be on this one. It just takes a spark and I believe we just saw one. BTW, the battery is totally recyclable, no toxic poisons.
Like I (and your link) said, it is technically not a battery and it is not rechargeable. This "break through" may lead to new and cost effective technology, but is is definitely not there yet. Having an electric car go 1,500 miles for $6,000 in energy costs is a big loser. Nobody in their right mind is going to pay $4/mile to travel by car.
It needs to be around $90 for 1,500 miles to be viable (at least based on my car, lol), but hopefully this can be developed into that. We will see.
Like I (and your link) said, it is technically not a battery and it is not rechargeable. This "break through" may lead to new and cost effective technology, but is is definitely not there yet. Having an electric car go 1,500 miles for $6,000 in energy costs is a big loser. Nobody in their right mind is going to pay $4/mile to travel by car.
You are locked on the Tesla portion, Tesla is now just one of numerous electrics and hybrids that do not require the same battery array as a Tesla. No, not rechargeable, yet, but easy to swap out with one that is charged. What new tech do you know that has started at the top of the game? Just a couple of years ago I had the latest and greatest new tech in TV's, Plasma, now find one since LED's improved. TV is LED as well as all the lights in the house. No, it is closer to a fuel cell, the new tech in the Toyota Mirai is a fuel cell, is that a loser too because it's too new and they have not grown enough just yet? You sounding more like those who told two bicycle builders, don't you know heavier than air flight will never happen.
I am not saying that it will never happen just that it has not yet happened. BTW, how practical was flight when that meant taking one person up to a few hundred feet away from where they started with no idea exactly how long (or high) that flight would be?
I wonder if this would make better AA batteries, at least more environmentally friendly ones.
Better than what? L-ion and NiCad batteries are the right size, shape and voltage and they are rechargeable. If being "green" means paying over 1000X more for batteries then count me out.
Ex-Navy officer turned inventor signs a multi-million deal to produce his electric car battery that will take drivers 1,500 miles without needing to charge
Not an idea but a reality, some highlights of the article:
Father-of-eight invents an electric car battery to take drivers 1,500 miles without charging it | Daily Mail Online
(Words in blue were added by me for clarification in US terms.)
That was just some highlights, much more info in the article and well worth the read.
I am not saying that it will never happen just that it has not yet happened. BTW, how practical was flight when that meant taking one person up to a few hundred feet away from where they started with no idea exactly how long (or high) that flight would be?
That is the whole point of what I have been saying, it was just the beginning, 20 feet high, 120 feet covered in only 12 seconds of flight. 10 years later they ruled the skies as fighters and bombers.
There were some troubling claims made in that article. One of them was that a replacement "miracle" battery for a Tesla would cost 5,000# (about $6,000) instead of the 30,000# (about $36,000) cost of its current (but rechargeable L-ion battery pack) and would allow for 1,500 miles of travel - that comes out to 3.33# (about $4) per mile as opposed to $0.125/mile for a conventional IC powered vehicle getting 20 mpg with gasoline cost at $2.50/gallon.
Either my math is wrong or this "miracle" non-rechargeable battery (actually a fuel cell) is very expensive when "scaled up" to actually power a Tesla.
That was a poorly written article
I doubt the writer was understanding the cost properly and wrote numbers down
The questions for the tech are
1. At the recharge point is just the aluminum and liquid catalyst changed out, leaving the rest of the "battery". If so what is the cost of the recharge. To me it looks like the battery costs 5000 Pounds. I expect the battery in the base Tesla Model 3 is around the same cost ( given it sells for $40 000 in the US and 5000 Pounds is roughly $6500
2 How quick is the recharge? Does it have to go to a skilled mechanic, or something that can be done quickly (a few minutes, hours or days)
3. What will happen with the used catalyst/aluminum
Aside from the fact that this battery's initial cost is ridiculous (at about $4/mile), it really doesn't much matter if its replacement cost is reduced from $6K to even $3K (with the recycled core) since that is still costing $2/mile.
That is why I think the writer was a moron out of their depth
From the article all that would need to be changed is the "fuel cell" which contains the catalyst and the aluminum. Which could be as simple as removing a block of aluminum, draining the catalyst, and adding a new block of aluminum and fresh catalyst, or the removal of the battery. The first could be done in a couple of hours, the second might require a shop with a lift
If just removal and addition of the aluminum and catalyst the cost could be quite low. Aluminum sells for $0.78 per pound. The ease of exchange would be vital in making this a viable alternative to traditional batteries and or ICE
Ex-Navy officer turned inventor signs a multi-million deal to produce his electric car battery that will take drivers 1,500 miles without needing to charge
Not an idea but a reality, some highlights of the article:
Father-of-eight invents an electric car battery to take drivers 1,500 miles without charging it | Daily Mail Online
(Words in blue were added by me for clarification in US terms.)
That was just some highlights, much more info in the article and well worth the read.
That was a poorly written article
I doubt the writer was understanding the cost properly and wrote numbers down
The questions for the tech are
1. At the recharge point is just the aluminum and liquid catalyst changed out, leaving the rest of the "battery". If so what is the cost of the recharge. To me it looks like the battery costs 5000 Pounds. I expect the battery in the base Tesla Model 3 is around the same cost ( given it sells for $40 000 in the US and 5000 Pounds is roughly $6500
2 How quick is the recharge? Does it have to go to a skilled mechanic, or something that can be done quickly (a few minutes, hours or days)
3. What will happen with the used catalyst/aluminum
The Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science
1. The discoverer pitches the claim directly to the media.
2. The discoverer says that a powerful establishment is trying to suppress his or her work.
3. The scientific effect involved is always at the very limit of detection.
4. Evidence for a discovery is anecdotal.
5. The discoverer says a belief is credible because it has endured for centuries.
6. The discoverer has worked in isolation.
7. The discoverer must propose new laws of nature to explain an observation.
There were some troubling claims made in that article. One of them was that a replacement "miracle" battery for a Tesla would cost 5,000# (about $6,000) instead of the 30,000# (about $36,000) cost of its current (but rechargeable L-ion battery pack) and would allow for 1,500 miles of travel - that comes out to 3.33# (about $4) per mile as opposed to $0.125/mile for a conventional IC powered vehicle getting 20 mpg with gasoline cost at $2.50/gallon.
Either my math is wrong or this "miracle" non-rechargeable battery (actually a fuel cell) is very expensive when "scaled up" to actually power a Tesla.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?