Skeleton and KIT promise graphene SuperBattery with 15
Estonia's Skeleton Technologies and Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have partnered up to complete development on what they're calling the SuperBattery for EVs – "a groundbreaking graphene battery with a 15-second charging time."
So what is it? Well, it appears it's a hybrid pack combining regular lithium-ion cells and Skeleton's own ultracapacitor cells, which feature a curved graphene construction, working in tandem, each part playing to its strengths.
To put it simply, lithium batteries offer high energy density, meaning they store a lot of energy, but they tend to have a fairly low power density, meaning they charge and discharge relatively slowly. That's why EVs take so long to charge up, which is one key bottleneck the auto industry would love to eliminate.
Supercapacitors, or ultracapacitors, store charge statically instead of in a chemical form, so they offer enormous power density, charging and discharging at vastly higher rates, and last for hundreds of thousands of cycles without degrading. The flip side here is that their energy density is terrible compared to lithium; to hold the same amount of energy you need a battery pack many times bigger than a comparable lithium pack.
The solution, as has been proposed before by companies like Nawa – and which many believe underpins Tesla's acquisition of Maxwell – is to put together a hybrid energy system with a mix of lithium and supercapacitors. The lithium gives you long-term, high-density storage, while the capacitors give you high power outputs, the ability to work across a very wide range of temperatures, and super-fast charge capability, not only at the charging station but also when it comes to harvesting energy through regenerative braking.
It is indeed a neat solution if you get the balance right. But to say you're offering 15-second charge times comes across to us as possibly a bit disingenuous. Yes, ultracapacitors can charge that quickly, no problems. But the lithium part of the pack certainly can't. So what's really going on here is probably more along these lines: if you run your battery out, you'll be able to do a super-quick capacitor charge that'll get you enough energy for some short-range driving.
It'll likely be a small fraction of the total range figure, so a pack like this won't do much for your ability to do long tours in your EV. What's more, it relies on charging stations that can offer an insane charging rate; potentially by trickle-charging their own supercapacitors so all the lights on the block don't go out when you plug your car in.
Still, the upshot could end up being pretty neat in terms of burst power and regenerative efficiency, and Skeleton says it's signed a billion-Euro "letter of intent with a leading automotive OEM to bring the technology to the market."
The company is also working on its energy density capabilities, with a new CTO coming on board in May and announcing a long-term roadmap toward a tenfold boost in energy density that could make things reallyinteresting.
We look forward to hearing more from Skeleton – and indeed more from Chinese company Toomen, which has reportedly been doing some pretty amazing things in the high-density supercapacitor field as well. It's starting to seem inevitable that capacitors will find their place in the EV powertrains of the future.
Source: Skeleton Technologies
下一篇:Revolutionary grid
- ·Best smart home deal: The Amazon Smart Thermostat is just $63.99
- ·12岁女孩患胆结石 治疗三天无好转
- ·现场直击:那些可爱的志愿者们
- ·关爱听障儿童 让爱的声音更响亮
- ·Apple's iPhone 17 will come with a huge RAM upgrade, report claims
- ·中秋小长假 新兴景区成旅游新亮点
- ·高清:聚焦芦山强震 全国各大报封面展示
- ·中秋小长假 新兴景区成旅游新亮点
- ·Trump trials: Jack Smith is reportedly reconsidering his strategy.
- ·我市“十三五”服务业及电子商务发展规划通过专家评审
- ·轿车自燃起纠纷 竭力调解风波平
- ·聚焦2016中央经济工作会议
- ·How to trademark your TikTok phrase and protect your brand
- ·二孩时代 儿科医生短缺 孩子看病难
- ·返程中这些路段须谨慎通过
- ·谁是厨王?喀什首届“粤菜师傅”职业技能竞赛成功打响
- ·Police bust crypto scammer who received plastic surgery to evade arrest
- ·市民建议 给建新路装护栏;部门回应 将尽快消除隐患
- ·双11就吃德庆贡柑!2023年德庆贡柑文化节举办
- ·包粽子大赛好精彩,速速围观!
- ·Sports minister says audits into football, badminton federations set to conclude in Sept.
- ·正视差距 努力提升教学和管理水平
- ·我市全面开展煤矿安全大检查
- ·国网雅安电力(集团)公司开展法治企业建设全员知识竞赛活动
- ·How much for Oasis tickets? Fans joke about splurging on reunion shows
- ·雅安茶商向藏族同胞赠送藏茶