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IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

extremetech.com

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Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#31

Post by NickM »

smountcastle wrote: post #21

So do these batteries still suffer from the same problem of permanent damage if completely discharged? That's the biggest thing that scares me away from buying a Tesla (well, that and the high price of Tesla Motors models).

It may be a theoretical problem, but there are very sophisticated mechanisms in place to prevent this from actually happening in practice with current li-ion batteries. There was a big scare about it with Tesla vehicles a while back that turned out to mostly be one blogger spreading unsubstantiated claims.

It's true that if you keep driving an electric car until the car stops running, and then leave it for weeks or months without recharging as the battery pack continues to slowly trickle out, you could cause damage. Then again, if you keep driving a gasoline car for too long without changing the oil, you can also cause damage.

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#32

Post by PakG1 »

Maxious wrote: post #23
Drakim wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work for a help-desk part of IBM. We use IE6. :(

That should be very rare these days http://www.sutor.com/c/2010/07/ibm-moving-to-firefox-as-defa...

If ISSI (internal software updating tool) hasn't hit you yet, it's very possible to still be running IE6. ISSI can't hit everyone all the time. And there are still apps that can't run on Firefox, so needed IE (6 if not a newer version of IE).

(IBM PM during the day here)

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#33

Post by slackerIII »

51Cards wrote: post #3

This is slightly off topic but simply stated I just love IBM these days. There aren't many corporations that dedicate as much focus on research and yet, for a large corp. they also keep their nose surprisingly clean (these days). While we watch the swirling tech scandals ebb and flow they just quietly sit off to the side and keep changing the world.

I'd love to feel that way, but I have a bad feeling about all the patents they have accumulated (more than any other company for 20 years or so).

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#34

Post by experiment0 »

unwind wrote: post #13

So ... As the battery is used, bonds are formed between oxygen molecules in the air, and the lithium ions on the battery's electrodes. Weight is saved by "borrowing" those O2s from the air, as compared to carrying them around fixed in an oxide. Fine. Does that mean that as the battery charge is depleted (=it runs out of free lithium ions, I guess), it's mass increases due to all the newly bound oxygen being stored in…

Weight is also saved by using Oxygen instead of heavy metals to donate electrons. Using oxygen (Mr 16) over lead (Mr ~207) will be the main source of weight save.

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#35

Post by Quizzy »

51Cards wrote: post #3

This is slightly off topic but simply stated I just love IBM these days. There aren't many corporations that dedicate as much focus on research and yet, for a large corp. they also keep their nose surprisingly clean (these days). While we watch the swirling tech scandals ebb and flow they just quietly sit off to the side and keep changing the world.

"These days" means everything after 2010 when the sex scandal+insider trading+FBI sting caused the ouster of super executive Robert Moffat, thought to be the next CEO of IBM.

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#36

Post by oskarth »

ta12121 wrote: post #6

I think Paul Graham's goal to prevent Eternal September on Hacker News can be officially declared a failure.

Self-fulfilled prophecy?

Please read http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html especially this bit:

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If your account is less than a year old, please don't submit comments saying that HN is turning into Reddit. (It's a common semi-noob illusion.)

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#37

Post by dhimes »

protomyth wrote: post #26
stephengillie wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine NASCAR with these batteries - Cars covered in solar panels. Drivers carefully timing their recharge pitstops to keep their weight down. Every fan in the stands has a big reflector to reflect sunlight at their favorite car.

NASCAR fans are not very happy with "fuel mileage" races, and I would imagine what you describe would be far worse. // also not very fond of people who say we watch for the wrecks

But wouldn't it catch on if they actually thought they could help their favorite driver win? Seems like an idea like that could be revolutionary.

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#39

Post by natrius »

experiment0 wrote: post #34
unwind wrote: post #13

So ... As the battery is used, bonds are formed between oxygen molecules in the air, and the lithium ions on the battery's electrodes. Weight is saved by "borrowing" those O2s from the air, as compared to carrying them around fixed in an oxide. Fine. Does that mean that as the battery charge is depleted (=it runs out of free lithium ions, I guess), it's mass increases due to all the newly bound oxygen being stored in…

Weight is also saved by using Oxygen instead of heavy metals to donate electrons. Using oxygen (Mr 16) over lead (Mr ~207) will be the main source of weight save.

Li-ion batteries don't use lead.

Re: IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery

#40

Post by nihilocrat »

stephengillie wrote: post #15
unwind wrote: post #13

So ... As the battery is used, bonds are formed between oxygen molecules in the air, and the lithium ions on the battery's electrodes. Weight is saved by "borrowing" those O2s from the air, as compared to carrying them around fixed in an oxide. Fine. Does that mean that as the battery charge is depleted (=it runs out of free lithium ions, I guess), it's mass increases due to all the newly bound oxygen being stored in…

Imagine NASCAR with these batteries - Cars covered in solar panels. Drivers carefully timing their recharge pitstops to keep their weight down. Every fan in the stands has a big reflector to reflect sunlight at their favorite car.

Why recharge when you can just replace the batteries in such a situation? It would make for a better show, anyways.
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