Electric Rider
10 mW
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 25
I came across this website for a company that makes ceramic batteries. The technology is known by the brand name Ebonex.
http://www.atraverda.com/
Ebonex electrically conductive ceramic powder is at the core of the technology behind Atraverda's VRLA batteries. (Bipolar Valve Regulated Lead Acid )
A few quotes from the website:
"Bipolar battery development challenges have been driven by the lack of a suitable material from which to fabricate the bipole element (divider).
Lead sheet, while an obvious choice, is structurally weak and would need to be thick enough to maintain its physical shape through the rigours of processing into a complete battery, thus giving up much of the potential weight savings anticipated in bipolar designs. Lead sheet also suffers from gradual corrosion during normal battery operation and will eventually be penetrated by electrolyte (sulphuric acid) causing a short circuit between adjacent cells resulting in catastrophic battery failure. In addition, lead metal presents a notoriously difficult sealing surface. In current sealed lead batteries, the surface areas of lead that must be sealed are relatively small, but in bipolar construction the entire perimeter of the Substrate must be sealed to prevent electrolyte from bridging the space between the positive and negative active materials. As a result, the surface area of lead to be sealed is literally orders of magnitude greater than in a conventional design creating a significant reliability problem.
Thus, the material used to produce the Substrate must be
Highly conductive
Resistant to corrosion by sulphuric acid in a lead battery environment
Suitable for forming reliable seals to prevent electrolyte leakage
Formed into a variety of shapes
Allow good adhesion of the active paste materials
Mechanically robust
Able to be manufactured in high volumes
Cost-effective
Atraverda has achieved a bipolar element to meet these design requirements by combining Ebonex® powder with thermoset resins and lead alloy foil."
"The lead-acid industry has long been aware of the theoretical advantages available from bipolar batteriesâ€â€particularly bipolar lead-acid batteries.
Bipolar construction:
Shortens the current path between the positive and negative terminals of the battery. This reduces the battery’s internal resistance to current flow and improves power delivery.
Creates a uniform current distribution and load potential over the entire surface of the electrodes, which provides more efficient utilization of paste materials."
"How does the performance of a battery using the Atraverda technology compare to a traditional valve regulated lead acid battery?
Due to the efficient straight “flow through†design of the bipolar battery, the performance is typically 35% higher than a standard VRLA battery and can be 35% lighter than a comparable VRLA battery."
"How does the bipolar battery compare in price to lithium ion or NiMh battery pack?
We expect the price of the Atraverda battery to be very competitive to standard VRLA which is less than one half the price of NiMh."
"What is the estimated life of this product used in a PHEV, motive power, or stationary application?
The battery life is affected significantly by the application in which it is installed and the depth of discharge it experiences.
When properly used in heavy duty applications and charged as recommended, a target lifespan of 4-10 years is estimated."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This all sounds very promising to give E-bikers another alternative for power. Read through the whole website there is a lot of fascinating technical information about this technology. There are no prices on the site and no online store. I am awaiting a response from the company on price and availability of a 48 v 15 ah battery.
http://www.atraverda.com/
Ebonex electrically conductive ceramic powder is at the core of the technology behind Atraverda's VRLA batteries. (Bipolar Valve Regulated Lead Acid )
A few quotes from the website:
"Bipolar battery development challenges have been driven by the lack of a suitable material from which to fabricate the bipole element (divider).
Lead sheet, while an obvious choice, is structurally weak and would need to be thick enough to maintain its physical shape through the rigours of processing into a complete battery, thus giving up much of the potential weight savings anticipated in bipolar designs. Lead sheet also suffers from gradual corrosion during normal battery operation and will eventually be penetrated by electrolyte (sulphuric acid) causing a short circuit between adjacent cells resulting in catastrophic battery failure. In addition, lead metal presents a notoriously difficult sealing surface. In current sealed lead batteries, the surface areas of lead that must be sealed are relatively small, but in bipolar construction the entire perimeter of the Substrate must be sealed to prevent electrolyte from bridging the space between the positive and negative active materials. As a result, the surface area of lead to be sealed is literally orders of magnitude greater than in a conventional design creating a significant reliability problem.
Thus, the material used to produce the Substrate must be
Highly conductive
Resistant to corrosion by sulphuric acid in a lead battery environment
Suitable for forming reliable seals to prevent electrolyte leakage
Formed into a variety of shapes
Allow good adhesion of the active paste materials
Mechanically robust
Able to be manufactured in high volumes
Cost-effective
Atraverda has achieved a bipolar element to meet these design requirements by combining Ebonex® powder with thermoset resins and lead alloy foil."
"The lead-acid industry has long been aware of the theoretical advantages available from bipolar batteriesâ€â€particularly bipolar lead-acid batteries.
Bipolar construction:
Shortens the current path between the positive and negative terminals of the battery. This reduces the battery’s internal resistance to current flow and improves power delivery.
Creates a uniform current distribution and load potential over the entire surface of the electrodes, which provides more efficient utilization of paste materials."
"How does the performance of a battery using the Atraverda technology compare to a traditional valve regulated lead acid battery?
Due to the efficient straight “flow through†design of the bipolar battery, the performance is typically 35% higher than a standard VRLA battery and can be 35% lighter than a comparable VRLA battery."
"How does the bipolar battery compare in price to lithium ion or NiMh battery pack?
We expect the price of the Atraverda battery to be very competitive to standard VRLA which is less than one half the price of NiMh."
"What is the estimated life of this product used in a PHEV, motive power, or stationary application?
The battery life is affected significantly by the application in which it is installed and the depth of discharge it experiences.
When properly used in heavy duty applications and charged as recommended, a target lifespan of 4-10 years is estimated."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This all sounds very promising to give E-bikers another alternative for power. Read through the whole website there is a lot of fascinating technical information about this technology. There are no prices on the site and no online store. I am awaiting a response from the company on price and availability of a 48 v 15 ah battery.
