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Difference between revisions of "Na"

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Here is some information about the Zebra battery which was
+
These are batteries based on the element Sodium (Na) and sulfur (S) or molten chloroaluminate (AlCl<sub>4</sub>).
invented nearly 30 years ago in the "Zeolite..." laboratory
 
in South Africa (hence the name Zebra) and developed over
 
a period of over 20 years in Europe.
 
  
At the end of this article are links to a number of
+
See also:
issues and Zebra powered vehicles.
+
* [[Wikipedia:Sodium-sulfur battery]]
 +
* [[Wikipedia:Molten salt battery]].
  
It seems to me that the obvious solution to the BEV
+
Here is some information about the Zebra battery which was invented nearly 30 years ago in the "Zeolite..." laboratory in South Africa (hence the name Zebra) and developed over a period of over 20 years in Europe.
using available technology is to combine a large sodium
+
 
nickel chloride (Zebra) battery with a small high power
+
At the end of this article are links to a number of issues and Zebra powered vehicles.
density battery, such as the ones from A123 or
+
 
AltairNano. This should yield a highly affordable, safe,
+
It seems to me that the obvious solution to the BEV using available technology is to combine a large sodium nickel chloride (Zebra) battery with a small high power density battery, such as the ones from A123 or AltairNano. This should yield a highly affordable, safe, reliable, long range, high performance EV with current technology.  So why it is never considered?
reliable, long range, high performance EV with current
 
technology.  So why it is never considered?
 
  
 
The Zebra battery almost has it all:
 
The Zebra battery almost has it all:
  
o It uses only cheap, abundant, non-toxic materials.  The
+
* It uses only cheap, abundant, non-toxic materials.  The only moderately expensive material is nickel, and it uses only about $17/kwh, perhaps 1/4 that needed by NiMH.
only moderately expensive material is nickel, and it
 
uses only about $17/kwh, perhaps 1/4 that needed by
 
NiMH.
 
 
 
o Right now it is produced by MEA-DES in Switzerland
 
at a rate of a few thousand batteries/year, but in larger
 
mass production its manufacturing cost would be less
 
than $75/kwh, and could be sold for $110/kwh, far cheaper
 
than any other candidate battery
 
  
o It has a very long storage life, calendar life, and
+
* Right now it is produced by MEA-DES in Switzerland at a rate of a few thousand batteries/year, but in larger mass production its manufacturing cost would be less than $75/kwh, and could be sold for $110/kwh, far cheaper than any other candidate battery
cycle life, good for 200,000 - 300,000 miles in a car.
 
  
o It is the only candidate battery that is immune to the
+
* It has a very long storage life, calendar life, and cycle life, good for 200,000 - 300,000 miles in a car.
most extreme climates on earth: death valley, northern
 
Siberia, Antarctica, affect it hardly at all.
 
  
o Despite the fact that it is a high temperature battery,
+
* It is the only candidate battery that is immune to the most extreme climates on earth: death valley, northern Siberia, Antarctica, affect it hardly at all.
around 500-600 degrees F, and uses liquid sodium, it is a
 
very safe battery.  A battery contains a large number
 
of cells, each of which contains a thin layer of sodium
 
in an aluminum structure around a nickel chloride core.
 
If the cell is penetrated, it quickly congeals to a
 
solid mixture on mostly aluminum and table salt.  It
 
has passed all European auto safety tests: submerged in
 
water, over-charged, over-discharged, roasted in a
 
petroleum fire for 30 minutes, and crashed into a pole
 
at more than 30 mph.  In fact, it is the *only* battery
 
that has passed all the Eurocar safety tests.
 
  
o It has more than a million miles of road testing behind
+
* Despite the fact that it is a high temperature battery, around 500-600 degrees F, and uses liquid sodium, it is a very safe battery.  A battery contains a large number of cells, each of which contains a thin layer of sodium in an aluminum structure around a nickel chloride core. If the cell is penetrated, it quickly congeals to a solid mixture on mostly aluminum and table salt.  It has passed all European auto safety tests: submerged in water, over-charged, over-discharged, roasted in a petroleum fire for 30 minutes, and crashed into a pole at more than 30 mph.  In fact, it is the *only* battery that has passed all the Eurocar safety tests.
it and 3-9 ton delivery vans powered by Zebra batteries
 
with a range of 100-160 miles are rolling off the
 
production lines in England as we speak (Smith Electric
 
and Modec)
 
  
 +
* It has more than a million miles of road testing behind it and 3-9 ton delivery vans powered by Zebra batteries with a range of 100-160 miles are rolling off the production lines in England as we speak (Smith Electric and Modec)
  
o It has a very high energy density, nearly 50 wh/lb, or
+
* It has a very high energy density, nearly 50 wh/lb, or well over 100 wh/kg, better than those LiON batteries that are safe enough to be used in a car.
well over 100 wh/kg, better than those LiON batteries
 
that are safe enough to be used in a car.
 
  
 
The only not so good features are:
 
The only not so good features are:
  
o While it does not leak electricity like other
+
* While it does not leak electricity like other batteries, it does leak heat, and if you leave it BOTH un-driven AND un-plugged for more than 3 days in a row, you will have to plug it in and spend a day or more heating it up again -- so you don't do that (it does not hurt the battery but it would be inconvenient)
batteries, it does leak heat, and if you leave it BOTH
 
un-driven AND un-plugged for more than 3 days in a row,
 
you will have to plug it in and spend a day or more
 
heating it up again -- so you don't do that (it does
 
not hurt the battery but it would be inconvenient)
 
 
 
o Its power density is mediocre: plenty good for cruising
 
at 70-80 mph, but sluggish for acceleration. A 50 KWH battery
 
good for about 220 miles range only produces about 115 HP,
 
so that is why you want to add the small high power LiON
 
batteries, which would be much too expensive for the
 
entire battery pack, but economical in the small size
 
needed.
 
 
 
So why does no one in this country, as opposed to
 
Europe, ever even mention the Zebra battery?
 
 
 
Here are some links to Sodium Nickel Chloride (Zebra) battery
 
vehicles and issues (note that some of the links take up two lines):
 
 
 
Safety issues:
 
http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/7101-0by8BY/native/7101.PDF
 
(see the summary near the end)
 
 
 
Mercedes Smart car:
 
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/07/09/
 
technical-details-on-the-smart-fortwo-electric-drive/
 
 
 
Picture of Zebra (old data):
 
http://batteriesdigest.com/evs_battery.htm
 
 
 
Summary of characteristics::
 
http://www.axeonpower.com/zebra.htm
 
 
 
 
 
Smith Electric Zebra vehicles:
 
http://www.smithelectricvehicles.com/products.asp?p=NT
 
and
 
http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=11097
 
 
 
 
 
Modec Electric Zebra vehicle:
 
http://www.search-autoparts.com/searchautoparts/article/
 
articleDetail.jsp?id=326898
 
and
 
http://www.whatvan.co.uk/newvans_s.asp?id=5032
 
  
Environmental impact (Zebra better than all others):
+
* Its power density is mediocre: plenty good for cruising at 70-80 mph, but sluggish for acceleration. A 50 KWH battery good for about 220 miles range only produces about 115 HP, so that is why you want to add the small high power LiON batteries, which would be much too expensive for the entire battery pack, but economical in the small size needed.
http://etecmc10.vub.ac.be/etecphp/publications/2005VandenBossche216.pdf
 
  
Zebra cost estimates:
+
So why does no one in this country, as opposed to Europe, ever even mention the Zebra battery?
http://www.evworld.com/library/carbdetour.pdf
 
  
 +
Here are some links to Sodium Nickel Chloride (Zebra) battery vehicles and issues (note that some of the links take up two lines):
  
 +
==See Also==
 +
* Safety issues:
 +
*: http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/7101-0by8BY/native/7101.PDF (see the summary near the end)
 +
* Mercedes Smart car:
 +
*: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/07/09/technical-details-on-the-smart-fortwo-electric-drive/
 +
* Picture of Zebra (old data):
 +
*: http://batteriesdigest.com/evs_battery.htm
 +
* Summary of characteristics::
 +
*: http://www.axeonpower.com/zebra.htm
 +
* Smith Electric Zebra vehicles:
 +
*: http://www.smithelectricvehicles.com/products.asp?p=NT
 +
*: http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=11097
 +
* Modec Electric Zebra vehicle:
 +
*: http://www.search-autoparts.com/searchautoparts/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=326898
 +
*: http://www.whatvan.co.uk/newvans_s.asp?id=5032
 +
* Environmental impact (Zebra better than all others):
 +
*: http://etecmc10.vub.ac.be/etecphp/publications/2005VandenBossche216.pdf
 +
* Zebra cost estimates:
 +
*: http://www.evworld.com/library/carbdetour.pdf
  
 +
-- Larry Gales
  
  -- Larry Gales
+
[[Category:Battery Chemistries]]

Revision as of 07:11, 5 September 2007

These are batteries based on the element Sodium (Na) and sulfur (S) or molten chloroaluminate (AlCl4).

See also:

Here is some information about the Zebra battery which was invented nearly 30 years ago in the "Zeolite..." laboratory in South Africa (hence the name Zebra) and developed over a period of over 20 years in Europe.

At the end of this article are links to a number of issues and Zebra powered vehicles.

It seems to me that the obvious solution to the BEV using available technology is to combine a large sodium nickel chloride (Zebra) battery with a small high power density battery, such as the ones from A123 or AltairNano. This should yield a highly affordable, safe, reliable, long range, high performance EV with current technology. So why it is never considered?

The Zebra battery almost has it all:

  • It uses only cheap, abundant, non-toxic materials. The only moderately expensive material is nickel, and it uses only about $17/kwh, perhaps 1/4 that needed by NiMH.
  • Right now it is produced by MEA-DES in Switzerland at a rate of a few thousand batteries/year, but in larger mass production its manufacturing cost would be less than $75/kwh, and could be sold for $110/kwh, far cheaper than any other candidate battery
  • It has a very long storage life, calendar life, and cycle life, good for 200,000 - 300,000 miles in a car.
  • It is the only candidate battery that is immune to the most extreme climates on earth: death valley, northern Siberia, Antarctica, affect it hardly at all.
  • Despite the fact that it is a high temperature battery, around 500-600 degrees F, and uses liquid sodium, it is a very safe battery. A battery contains a large number of cells, each of which contains a thin layer of sodium in an aluminum structure around a nickel chloride core. If the cell is penetrated, it quickly congeals to a solid mixture on mostly aluminum and table salt. It has passed all European auto safety tests: submerged in water, over-charged, over-discharged, roasted in a petroleum fire for 30 minutes, and crashed into a pole at more than 30 mph. In fact, it is the *only* battery that has passed all the Eurocar safety tests.
  • It has more than a million miles of road testing behind it and 3-9 ton delivery vans powered by Zebra batteries with a range of 100-160 miles are rolling off the production lines in England as we speak (Smith Electric and Modec)
  • It has a very high energy density, nearly 50 wh/lb, or well over 100 wh/kg, better than those LiON batteries that are safe enough to be used in a car.

The only not so good features are:

  • While it does not leak electricity like other batteries, it does leak heat, and if you leave it BOTH un-driven AND un-plugged for more than 3 days in a row, you will have to plug it in and spend a day or more heating it up again -- so you don't do that (it does not hurt the battery but it would be inconvenient)
  • Its power density is mediocre: plenty good for cruising at 70-80 mph, but sluggish for acceleration. A 50 KWH battery good for about 220 miles range only produces about 115 HP, so that is why you want to add the small high power LiON batteries, which would be much too expensive for the entire battery pack, but economical in the small size needed.

So why does no one in this country, as opposed to Europe, ever even mention the Zebra battery?

Here are some links to Sodium Nickel Chloride (Zebra) battery vehicles and issues (note that some of the links take up two lines):

See Also

-- Larry Gales