ORNL and Solid Power Sign Lithium-Sulfur Agreement

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Solid-state batteries are becoming the next big thing in energy storage, with the promise of low volatility, high energy density and lower-cost manufacturing.  With academia, industry and government collaborating on the next wave of development, we may see progress in this realm. Recently, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Solid Power Inc. of Louisville, Colo., signed an exclusive agreement licensing lithium-sulfur materials for next-generation batteries. A team of current and former ORNL researchers including Chengdu Liang, Nancy Dudney, Adam Rondinone, Jong Keum, Jane Howe, Wujun Fu, Ezhiylmurugan Rangasamy, Zhan Lin and Zengcai Liu developed the technology.  This included designing and testing an all-solid lithium-sulfur battery “with approximately four times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion technologies.”  It featured a “new Oak Ridge-designed sulfur-rich cathode and a lithium anode with a solid electrolyte material, also developed at ORNL.” Oak Ridge has also licensed a method of forming lithium-containing electrolytes using wet chemical synthesis, which may comprise β-Li3PS4 or Li4P2S7. Reportedly, Solid …

We Know It Flies Well, But Does It Look Good?

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, GFC, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

Taja Boscarol, Public Relations Manager for Pipistrel, sends notice that their Taurus Electro G4 is a finalist in the Design Museum’s “Designs of the Year” competition for 2012 in the Transport category.  This will be the second year in a row that an electric airplane has been nominated in the prestigious competition, last year’s win being taken by the Yuneec e430. The London-based Design Museum’s Design Awards are considered “the Oscars of the design world,” and are given in seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics and Transport and Product.  Pipistrel’s Green Flight Challenge-winning airplane will be up against a range of transportation-related designs, including: AUTOLIB’, a car-sharing program developed by SOCIÉTÉ AUTOLIB’ SAS AND Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris, France with the ambition of reducing car ownership. A Ferris-wheel-like bike hanger created by Manifesto Architecture of New York, New York. The Mia electric car, a three-seat van-like vehicle by Murat Guenak and David Wilkie of Mia Voiture Electrique. A re-design …