Although the development of lead acid energised electric vehicles is progressing at an increasing rate it is clear that a battery storing over twice the energy for a given weight and volume would substantially increase the range of such a vehicle and hence increase its market penetration. In an environment where oil supplies are diminishing, a device which will compactly store energy which may have been derived from sources other than fossil fuel is particularly attractive. Of high energy battery systems available, the sodium sulphur system shows outstanding potential both technically and commercially, particularly in the field of motive power. It will store up to five times the energy of conventional lead acid batteries per unit weight and up to three times the energy per unit volume. As it is hermetically sealed it is completely maintenance free, and because it does not contain an aqueous electrolyte which decompes on charge, its coulombic charge efficiency is invariably 100 % and there is no equivalent of gassing. Hence the state of charge can easily be measured using an integrating ampere hour meter. At the end of the day however its strongest feature may well be the potential for cost reduction. Unlike many battery systems, the active materials, sodium and sulphur are cheap and abundant, the largest cost component being that of fabrication.
Future possibilities - the beta battery
Kuenftige Moeglichkeiten - die Beta-Batterie
1982
6 Seiten, 4 Bilder, 2 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
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