Solid State Batteries Coming, Creating Entirely New Markets

[Arthur Hanson]

There have been several attempts at solid state batteries that hold the promise of increased safety, power density and durability over the years. This one promises 2 to 3x the power density of current Li batteries. Just like semi technology, battery technology that is closely related is advancing on a number of fronts with numerous companies pursuing that goal. A far better battery is just a matter of time and with the "Great Acceleration" in research and development times brought on by AI/ML and numerous other technologies we should see a constant string of advances in energy storage for a long time. We will also see hybrid systems that use super capacitors for short term storage, combined with regular batteries for longer term storage having their life and usefulness extended by this pairing. These technologies will not only advance energy storage, but drive semi/nanotech demand by creating new uses and markets. The increasing number of companies developing a wide variety of new battery technologies all but guarantees we will see these changes in the very near future.

Paired with new types of lighter weight electric motors at ever lower costs, this should vastly extend robotics and automation in areas that couldn't even have been considered a few years ago. This is why when looking at any technology and its progress, you have to consider the entire ecosystem around it and that they will feed each other speeding up of applications and utility while constantly lowering costs.

When you really start thinking about it the opportunities that ever better batteries will create is only limited by the imagination. Short range commuter aircraft of all types that are quiet, low maintenance, autonomous and low cost are but one area that is just starting to be explored among many, many others.

Any comments, thoughts or additions solicited and welcome.



Solid Power

Future batteries, coming soon: Charge in seconds, last months and power over the air - Pocket-lint

 

[Tanj]

Hmm. StoreDot publicity seems to have been written by someone who thinks present tense handles the future too. Not a single prototype even mentioned.
The Rice supercapacitors are cool. Let's see if they make it past single thesis scale.
Toyota themselves place their work 10 years from product.
Gold nanowires. Maybe Apple Watch has the pricing for that, but not the car in my garage. Let's see if some cheaper material can be used.
I also saw some beautiful research showing that the damaging microfibers that eventually grow on lithium can be virtually eliminated by using a cathode which was free of mechanical stress.

All this stuff is FUN. As usual, you need to be aware that most press releases are ghost written by staff not doing the research, and who are paid to make their institution look good. Always link back the original research which is usually much more sanguine.

The general rate of progress on batteries seems to be around 10% per year, and currently it looks like limits on energy density per kg an kW/kg (the critical factors for a vehicle) are around 3x for the density without dropping power below useful levels. That would be a revolutionary improvement (you would be looking at around 100kg for the weight of battery pack in a practical car) but it is a couple of decades away. Remember that the whole process from lab to gigafactory scale, including safety, takes years and requires companies to make bets on snapshots of technology which they will gamble on years before payoff. So very few of these ideas are so good they get that, and meanwhile they compete against the steady trickle of boring incremental improvements.

The other area for real interest is utility scale, where weight is much less important and even power density may be relaxed when you consider the system needs to deliver power for many hours. Flow cells in general seem the way to go there.

 

[Arthur Hanson]

Tanj, I am referring to battery technology in general and we are seeing advances every year in performance, durability, cost and charge time. There are literally hundreds of technologies being worked on at any one time and a few are coming to market each year.