Sony Launches More Advanced Li-ion Batteries

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[citation][nom]velocityg4[/nom]Whats the capacity of current lithium ion batteries. As 1800 Watts per kilogram sounds like quite a bit. Aren't current extended battery packs about 1/2 lb and under a 100 watts. So this would be like 400 watts for the same weight battery.If it is indeed 4 times the charge for the weight I would welcome this.[/citation]You're confusing power density (W/kg) with energy density (WHr/kg). Generally "density" in a battery refers to a measurement per unit of volume (e.g. liter). The above are per unit of mass (kg), therefore, the more accurate terms for the above are:
Specific Power is 1800W/kg.
Specific Energy (WHr/kg) is not stated in the article.

Power density or specific power are useful for determining maximum charge/discharge rates, whereas energy density or specific energy are useful for determining storage capacity.

A higher power density/specific power allows for faster charge/discharge and mostly related to the "internal resistance" of the cell. A higher energy density/specific energy allows more energy to be stored/extracted, which can result in either increased run-time or smaller/lighter batteries, or a combination of those.

2000 charge/discharge cycles is great. These will be very useful in environments where high charge/discharge rates are key, power tools and electric vehicles. Electronic devices don't have such high current demands, so they'll take a slower route to electronics. Lower internal resistance, fast discharge capacity increase the potential hazard if there is a short. Manufacturing defects or mis-use could result in fire or explosion, so I suspect we'll see lots of caution in deploying these for the first few years.

 

[geoffs]

[citation][nom]nitto555rchallenger[/nom]It would do just fine in my always run dead Xbox controllers.[/citation]I think your Xbox will reject anything Sony. Might have to wait until Toshiba, Sanyo, Panasonic, or another manufacturer comes out with these.

 

[geoffs]

[citation][nom]Cryogenic[/nom]Actually, I think the biggest impact this will have is on electric cars, after all the biggest show stopper for current line of electric automobiles is ridiculously high recharge time (~16 hours for full recharge). But having a electric car that can recharge in 30 mins is not that bad.[/citation]Do the math. Take the Volt with it's 8KWh of usable capacity (it's a 16KWh battery, but they only use about 50% for longevity reasons), assuming 20% conversion/charging loss (that's a little high, but if you have to use any power for cooling the battery, it's reasonable), you need 9.6KWh to recharge. 9600W / 120V = 80A (actually, with AC, it's more like 120A). With a 10A/120V supply, that's 8-12hrs. The problem isn't the battery, it's supplying the power from a 120V outlet.

You can use a 20A or 30A circuit to cut that to 3-6 hrs, and you can up it to 240V to cut that in half to 1.5-3 hours. Getting to a 30 minute recharge would require nigher voltages and/or current, and that's for only 8KWh of battery. The Nissan LEAF has 24KWh of battery, it could take 3x as long or 3x the current.

Put another way, I used about 2400KWh of electricity in my house last month. There were ~800 hours in that billing period, so my entire house, which is 100% electric, averaged 3KWh per hour. Recharging a Chevy Volt's 8KWh battery pack in 30 minutes would require approximately 6x my average household electricity consumption for that 30 minutes. I don't know what my peak consumption is, but I would bet it was 9KW or less, so charging the Volt battery in 30 minutes would require 2x my peak household electric usage.

Recharging many electric cars in significantly less than 4 hours will require significant improvements to our electric power distribution network. Maybe we'll have 8-12 hr charging at home, with a 15-30 minute fast charge available, for a premium, at a commercial "charging station". Of course, the safety considerations of having average consumers dealing with the voltages and amperages necessary for that type of fast charging are pretty big.

 

[geoffs]

Follow-up announcement from Sony:

The Sony PlayStation 3 will now be available in a hand held portable model, the PS3P. The PS3P will include a Blu-ray drive, 6" wide-screen OLED, stereo speakers, stereo headphones with mic, HDMI 1.3a output, Wi-Fi connectivity, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0, and a Memory Stick XC slot for storage. Connectivity to the PlayStation Network is possible via Wi-Fi or an optional USB cellular data modem. In addition to the built-in controls, it will be compatible with all PS3 controllers for use when at home.

This innovative new product is possible because it will be powered by Sony's new "Olivine-type" LiFePO4 batteries. The batteries can be recharged in about 30 minutes using the included AC adapter.

For the comfort and safety of the users, the case is made from insulating, heat-resistant plastic, and the system includes two fans for heat dispersal.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but is expected to be under $600. Sony hopes the new portable will stimulate it's sagging video game business by appealing to serious gamers.