Cerebral: A Brainier Kind of Battery

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Cerebral, the brainchild of Dr. Lynden Archer—Dean of the School of Engineering at Cornell University, is as the name implies, a smart approach to battery development.  Claimed to be three times more efficient than lithium, much safer with no fire risk, and ten times faster charging, the battery is made of recycled aluminum and graphene.  In fact, materials for the battery come from United States-based waste streams.  Low-grade domestic carbon waste, for example, goes through a “Graphitizer,” a machine “created at the University of California, Riverside’s Mechanical Engineering Department and exclusively optioned by Cerebral Energy.” (Editor’s Note: Forgive the lack of product-related images or videos here.  Your editor could not find an illustration of a graphitizer, for instance, or any research photos or graphs related to this relatively new research area.  We will share any such images as soon as they are available.) The Uncertain Graphite Supply Line This is an important development, since the U. S. imports most of …

Phinergy Aluminum/Air Batteries from India

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

Phinergy, an aluminum/air battery maker from Israel, is now partnering with Indian Oil Corporation.  Phinergy’s technology just received an award from the World Economic Forum as one of the 100 most promising Technology Pioneers for 2021.  Phinergy was chosen for, “Its innovative energy solutions which turn metals, such as aluminum and zinc, into a clean, sustainable and cost-effective means of storing, transporting and generating energy.” Why would Indian Oil Corp. (biggest oil outfit in the country) be attracted to Phinergy and its aluminum/air batteries?  Company R&D Director S.S.V. Ramakumar explains, “Lithium is scarce in the country and we started scouting for an element which is abundantly available as a natural resource.”  Unspoken, the idea that India has one of the most polluted airsheds in the world, means increasing pressure on Big Oil to redeem itself.  Reuters reports, “India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities, according to IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report, which gathered data …