What's this? EESTOR convinces Lockheed Martin it's on to something
The EESTOR ultracapacitor is a technology we really, really want to know more about. The huge potential of these devices that we do know about certainly keeps our ears open for news - or rumors or anything, really - about the technology. We don't know much more about the actual ultracaps (aka Electrical Energy Storage Units or EESU), but Lockheed Martin must like them. The not-exactly-risk-friendly company - I mean, they work the bountiful government system with aplomb - has "signed an exclusive international rights agreement to integrate and market Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) from EEStor, Inc., for military and homeland security applications." It sounds like the EESU's will be used in LM's BattPack. Want more details? Sorry. "Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed."
So, about those promises. The EESUs are a ceramic battery "that could provide 10 times the energy density of lead acid batteries at 1/10th the weight and volume" and will supposedly cost half as much as traditional batteries on a price per stored watt-hour basis. So, until we get a better idea what EESTOR is actually working on, we can triangulate that they're not totally full of smoke and mirrors. Perhaps ZENN is in good hands after all.
Related:
[Source: Press Media Wire]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 10:53AM (2/01/2008)
The real question is: is the energy density in watt-seconds of an EESU 1/2 the capacitance times the voltage or 1/2 the capacitance times the voltage squared?
Traditionally, barium titanate ceramic capacitors follow the latter formula, which gives 3500 times less power than the former formula (which EEStor uses). However, from my understanding, this is not due to any change in permittivity of the barium titanate grains, but due to dielectric breakdown of the voids in the bulk ceramic left behind by the sintering process. If this is the case, then EEStor's tech seems sound, as their whole process is about removing the void space.
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sampath 6:30AM (3/06/2008)
There is no smoke without fire. Titanium sub oxides are capable of conducting current. Maybe the compound eestor is developing is Barium titanate loaded on titanium suboxide to store and deliver the current. Maybe someone can throw some light on this.
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Carl 9:48PM (8/01/2008)
Pollution: Moving from individual engines to central electricity generating plants would mean a net decrease in overall pollution. Even getting pollution out of our crowded cities would be a gain for public health.
Charging: There's no need for five minute charging at home. If one needs to get a big quick boost, that can be provided at dedicated charging stations. http://eestor.biz/
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Mort 9:02PM (1/10/2008)
Oh great, the MIC took over. Them fargin' a-holz are the biggest corporate fascists on the whole damn planet. E-STOR is officially dead.
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mike baz 7:52AM (1/11/2008)
ZENN by investing early got an exclusivity deal on the use of the batteries for small vehicles.
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/292614
If war mongers Lockhead Martin or the department of Homeland stupidity finance the development of the batteries, then let's just take the good with the bad.
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Eaj 7:43PM (7/23/2008)
If EEstor takes off then Zenn Motor Company will quickly become a major player in the auto industry. Lockheed's interest adds a lot of validity to the company.
Eaj
http://www.eestorbatteries.com
JayZ 8:08AM (1/11/2008)
Want more information? Check out this extensive interview with Lockheed Martin about EEStor:
http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/01/10/lockheed-martin-signs-agreement-with-eestor/
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Domenick 8:10AM (1/11/2008)
If these could be scaled up large enough, voila! A quick charge station.
It also sounds like a great storage place for the extra energy your solar panels generate. Or energy storage for aircraft. The list of applications is long indeed.
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GoodCheer 10:06AM (1/11/2008)
"The EESUs are a ceramic battery "that could provide 10 times the energy density of lead acid batteries at 1/10th the weight and volume" and will [...]"
Um, we all realize that energy density is not a function of volume right? If the system provides 10 times the energy density at 1/10th the volume, it also provides 10 times the energy density at 10 times the volume (scaling effects notwithstanding).
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goehring 11:25AM (1/11/2008)
They are saying both gravimetric and volumetric energy densities are 10x lead acid.
That's good but hardly revolutionary.
If they said the COST per KwH was 10x CHEAPER than LITHIUM ION, then it would be significant.
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zim 2:30PM (1/11/2008)
when iron is purified it has tensile strength of about a million psi. It it's regular form it's about thirty thousand psi, less than 1/30th. They keep talking about the extreme purity of the Barium. Does anyone know the significance as a multiplier of performance this might be?
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Matt 4:21PM (1/11/2008)
Well I know one Military application that requires loads of high quality caps. Meet the Electromagnetic Railgun. 0 to Mach 7 in 1 second. I remember Popular Science and some other publications discussing it previously. The show "Future Weapons" also covered this new gun.
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Jason 1:42PM (1/13/2008)
I live within 2 blocks of EEStor in Cedar Park, TX. I haven't noticed much activity out of the discovery business park, but will keep an eye out. My insurance guy has the business office a few down from them, and he said there were tiny electric cars all over the parking lot a year or two ago. I assume they were Zenn's?
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Dr. Kenneth Noisewater 7:38PM (1/11/2008)
Silent stealth hybrid tanks FTW.. Not to mention true Heinlein-style mobile infantry with cybernetic exoskeletal enhancement (carrying heavier armor, heavier weapons, higher speed running/leaping..)
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Duckfude 10:07AM (1/16/2008)
Jason, please keep us up to date on activity at this office. I'll admit I am a skeptic, and my background is materials science. I have worked for battery companies and have developed and built prototypes. I will be impressed if they produce a test unit that makes 28wh/kg AND has power density over 10kW/kg. If they can do this then Lockheed will have a real deal on their hands. Otherwise, it seems I will file this in my fireplace - following the hype from Firefly Energy.
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