Battery Power - September/October 2013 - (Page 26)

Industry News Saft Li-Ion Batteries Make BreakThrough with Contract for Houston Harbor’s Hybrid-Powered Mobile Cranes Saft has been awarded a contract by MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems to supply lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for four new hybrid-powered mobile RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) cranes serving Houston Harbor in Texas. The contract is an important breakthrough for Saft in the US hybrid RTG crane market that is set for growth as operators seek to drive down their fuel costs while reducing emissions. There are up to 600 existing RTG cranes in US harbors that could potentially be retrofitted with hybrid power systems, while around 150 new cranes are built every year for the global market. RTGs play an important logistics role in ports and harbors, where they are used to transport and stack shipping containers during ship loading and unloading. Normally, the electric motors for the movement and hoisting functions are powered by a diesel generator often kept idling 24/7 to ensure that the crane is always ready for operation. MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems has developed an alternative approach for its EcoCrane systems that replaces the conventional diesel power plant (typically rated at 400 to 750 kW) with a much smaller diesel generator set of 100 to 150 kW combined with a battery-based energy storage unit. In previous installations at ports and railyards, EcoCrane systems based on lead-acid batteries have demonstrated dramatic fuel savings of up to 70 percent as well as reducing emissions from 87 to 98 percent depending on the emissions category. Regular battery-only running also makes the crane operations much quieter, improving working conditions for operators and reducing noise impact on the local environment, as well as improving the machine responsiveness. For the Houston cranes, MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems is taking the EcoCrane system to the next level by replacing the lead-acid batteries with Saft Li-ion batteries to supply the normal operating power as well as providing regenerative storage for energy captured as the crane hoist lowers containers. The small diesel generator will only need to be started to recharge the batteries when required; it will be turned off for around 50 percent of the shift. The Houston Harbor crane battery systems are based on Saft Li-ion technology developed to provide maintenance-free energy storage in a reduced volume, combining high operational reliability over thousands of cycles with outstanding energy efficiency. Saft is supplying a fully integrated energy storage solution including battery management systems. 3M and Reshine Complete NMC Cathode Patent License Agreement 3M and China-based Hunan Reshine New Material Company, Ltd have entered into a patent license agreement to expand the use of nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) used in lithium ion batteries. These batteries provide energy to a host of diverse applications ranging from the consumer electronics market to the automotive market. Under the agreement, 3M grants Reshine a license to US Patents 6,660,432, 6,964,828, 7,028,128 and 26 Battery Power • September/October 2013 8,241,791 and all global equivalents including in Taiwan, Japan, China and Europe. The cathode compositions composed of nickel, manganese and cobalt offer balance of power, energy, thermal stability and low cost. NMC cathode materials can be tailored through changes in composition and morphology to meet a wide range of demanding customer requirements, including high-energy, handheld consumer electronics to high-power (hybrid) electric vehicles. For large format battery applications, the thermal stability of NMC cathode compositions contributes to improved battery safety performance and enables a lower total battery system cost. “The compositions described in these patents will enable battery customers to further reduce cost and minimize materials cost fluctuations that are typical with higher cobalt cathode compositions,” said Christian Milker, business manager, 3M Electronics Markets Materials Division. “This agreement with Reshine will accelerate the market adaptation of the technology and enhance our ability to meet the rapidly growing needs of lithium ion battery manufacturers.” Angstron Materials Ramps Up Development of Graphene Anode Material Angstron Materials, Inc. took delivery of specialized HVAC and dehumidification equipment early this year to complete new dry rooms in building space adjacent to its manufacturing facility. The dry rooms provide a controlled environment for accelerated development and production of Angstron’s nano graphene anode material for high performance batteries. The dry room capability and added building space also support Dayton’s ongoing efforts to grow advanced materials technologies says Timothy Downs, deputy director of Dayton’s Office of Economic Development. Angstron’s dry rooms number among only a few in Ohio that are operational and have the capacity to support quick commercialization activities. The equipment holds relative humidity in one room below 10 percent while humidity in the second dry room is held at less than 1 percent. “The components, chemicals and materials used in batteries react to moisture in the air, so it’s critical to maintain a controlled environment,” said David Neff, materials engineer for Angstron. Nanotek Instruments, Inc., the parent company of Angstron Materials was issued US patent 7,745,047 in June 2010 for its graphene-based anode technology, which provides very high specific capacity and stable charge-discharge cycling for lithium-ion batteries. It is one of the first patents to cover a broad range of graphitic materials ranging from graphite and mesophase products to carbon fibers and carbon nanomaterials. “Anodes composed of inorganic materials like silicon, germanium and various metal oxide materials tend to experience fragmentation during charge-discharge cycles due to expansion and contraction of the anode,” said Neff. “This also shortens battery life. We’ve solved these problems by using graphene sheets to support anode particles or coatings. This approach eliminates www.BatteryPowerOnline.com http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - September/October 2013

ABB to Build World’s Largest Network of EV Fast-Charging Stations in the Netherlands
Duracell Powermat and Starbucks Expand Wireless Charging in Silicon Valley Area
Thermal Management of an Electrical Vehicle Battery Packing Using 1D and 3D CFD
New Battery Technologies - Added Value Electronics Can Turn Normal Batteries into Smart Battery Packs
A Novel Single-Compartment Concentration Cell Driven by Natural Evaporation for Green Energy Harvesting
Highly Accurate Li-Ion Battery Simulation
Batteries
ICs & Semiconductors
Charging, Testing & Monitoring
Industry News
Marketplace
Application Profile

Battery Power - September/October 2013