When you think “Pure Michigan®” in the fall what typically comes to mind is crisp clear weather, beautiful fall foliage, and cider mills. What you may not realize is that Pure Michigan® in the fall also means batteries, with two highly-regarded battery technology events happening right here. On September 15-17, the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi hosted The Battery Show, an international expo and conference that will return in the fall of 2016. And, on October 27-28, NextEnergy is excited to host the two-day PlugVolt Battery Seminar at our state-of-the-art facility in Detroit. This event will feature an all-star lineup of presenters covering sub-topics applicable to both stationary and mobile energy storage systems being used by utilities, automotive OEMs, and consumers.
Since energy storage systems are ubiquitous, these events are not just for industry insiders, but have something for everyone. Keep reading to learn more about both of these important events.
It is also worth noting a few recent grand opening events and news:
- The University of Michigan officially opened the Energy Institute’s Battery Fabrication and Characterization User Facility (Laboratory) in Ann Arbor. (Check out the artful video highlighting the lab!)
- TÜV SÜD America opened the doors to its new automotive and battery testing facility in Auburn Hills.
- The NREL team recently posted a blog that discusses a new Incubatenergy report and the methodology used for highlighting Clean Energy Incubator best practices, featuring NextEnergy and the Clean Energy Trust (CET).
- The City of Detroit will be the first major city to deploy idle-reduction technology units on ambulances, using Navitas Systems PowerForce Auxiliary Power Units (APUs). These APUs will save emissions, costs, and wear and tear on vehicles. NextEnergy acknowledges the Kresge Foundation, Michigan Department of Transportation, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and the Federal Highway Administration, as well as the MEDC for their part in this initiative.
- Global Battery Solutions recently installed a battery once used in an EV in its warehouse forklift, giving the battery a new second life, and Navitas Systems also announced its new lithium ion batteries for (class I and II) forklifts branded Starlifter.
Congratulations to all of our partners on these exciting new ventures and accomplishments![separator style_type=”single” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”#000000″ border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]
Battery Seminar – October 27-28, 2015
Hosted by NextEnergy (Detroit, MI)
NextEnergy Center will host the The PlugV
olt Battery Seminar, expected to attract at least 100 attendees. Day one will cover stationary storage and include utilities, system aggregators, etc., as well as NextEnergy tours highlighting our unique physical assets, laboratory partners, such as Nextek Power Systems, and other testing and validation platforms.
This includes NextEnergy’s smart home, our DC-connected residential platform on-site. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking throughout this entire event, but especially during the reception happening during the early evening. Day two is all about battery and auto OEM updates. Both days include parallel tracks in the afternoons, during which attendees will have the opportunity to engage in more intimate settings with the presenters.[/one_full]
Contact Ms. JC Soman at juratesoman@plugvolt.com to register for a poster paper presentation, to sign up for any sponsorship opportunities, or if you have any questions related to the seminar.[separator style_type=”single” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”#000000″ border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]
Held September 15-17, 2015
Hosted by Suburban Collection Showcase (Novi, Michigan)
• Over 5,700 attendees
• Over 500 exhibitors
• 577 conference delegates
• 36 conference sessions
• 26 media in attendance
• Over 5,000 leads in 3 days
The Battery Show exhibition entrance and a very lively showroom floor!
[/one_full]
Our exhibit was called the Michigan Pavilion. The Michigan Pavilion featured NextEnergy, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and eight other partners co-located in a 600 square foot space. This space served as a convenient, one-stop shop to showcase some of Michigan’s promising early-stage ventures that are developing advanced energy storage technologies. These partners range in size, scope and core competencies – from an advanced supercapacitor materials developer, bred at the University of Michigan called Inmatech Inc. to NextEnergy’s neighbor across the street at TechTown, Inventev, who is developing “Energy Swat Truck” platforms. This unique EV architecture can export power from a hybrid electric utility truck, such as a utility bucket lift truck, to a building for backup in the event of an outage.
The eight Michigan Pavilion partners, in addition to NextEnergy and MEDC, at The Battery Show 2015 included:
• Digital Inspection, which offers non-invasive imaging techniques and expertise to improve quality control of batteries.
• Energy Storage Safety Products International (ESSPI) – specializes in fire and safety management solutions and training for Authorities Having Jurisdiction, emergency first responders and companies that manufacture, store, transport, and employ lithium and lithium ion power technologies.
• Global Battery Solutions (GBS, affiliated with Sybesma’s Electronics) – offers “4 R’s” services and products – Remanufacture, Repair, Repurpose, Recycle – and recently installed a secondary use battery in its warehouse forklift.
• Inmatech – which commercializes asymmetric super-capacitors based on low cost, high power and energy density vanadium-based materials, which may be paired with a battery to create a hybrid energy solution (HES) ideal for applications in such markets as automotive, grid and defense.
• Inventev – currently developing an “Energy SWAT Truck” for commercial fleet class 2B to 5 trucks offering exportable power.
• LogiCoul Solutions – offers a unique, patented signal generator software system to enhance performance in a variety of battery chemistries.
• Na4B (sodium 4 batteries) – is developing a sodium metal chloride battery that utilizes an ultra-thin ceramic electrolytes.
• Wayne State University – is conducting R&D on cost-effective, safe, high power and durable “beyond lithium ion” batteries, including lithium metal batteries utilizing Carbon-free, binder-free and additive-free electrode processes and electro-catalytic current collectors.
In addition, I served as a moderator for one of the conference sessions and had the pleasure of referring presenters and exhibitors to Smarter Shows, who always does such amazing work putting on this massive event.
One of the most popular sessions was The Solid State Breakthrough, moderated by our friend, Dr. Jeff Sakamoto, of the University of Michigan. This standing-room-only session featured an all-star cast of presenters and panelists from Google, Intel, Samsung and Toyota, in addition to Dr. Sakamoto, discussing the current state of lithium ion batteries employing polymer gel or ceramic solid state electrolytes, and where the technology is headed in the future. Google mentioned their unique contact lens with a tiny battery chip that can monitor glucose levels in diabetic people and send a signal to the wearer’s physician when levels are off. Looking ahead, Samsung mentioned their classification of gen “N+2” as the removal of all flammable materials from the battery and target of a 600 km driving range for EVs. However, some of the issues with current solid-state technologies that need to be solved in the future for the technology to really catch on include: non-ideal operating temperature limitations, potential fracturing of ceramic electrolytes, and, of course, the big one is cost.
Here are a few quotes from that solid-state panel:
“There is still plenty left to be done with sulfides & oxides, even though solid state technology also has great potential.”
– Dr. Lincoln Miara, Samsung (Advanced Institute of Technology)
“Our goal is cells as thin as a 40 micron thick substrate & 20 micron [thick] electrolyte.”
– Dr. Ramesh Bhardwaj, Google
I also had the honor of moderating a Battery Show conference session called Fast Facts: New Approaches to Additives and Materials to Improve Performance and Lower Cost.
To kick the session off, I highlighted some work from NextEnergy’s lithium ion battery study, which showed that “active materials in a lithium ion battery cell can account for up to ~2/3 of the total materials cost.” Data from the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) report released in June 2015 and entitled “Automotive Lithium ion Battery Supply Chain and U.S. Competitiveness Considerations” was also cited to highlight current LIB costs coming in around $330-$550/kWh for cells (including margin, 2014 estimates) and market researchers forecasting LIB cell costs dropping to around $180/kWh (lowest cost estimates) by ~2020.
This session was part of Track 2: Next Gen Battery R&D and featured the following speakers:
Dr. Neelam Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Big Delta Systems
Dr. Singh explained how her organization, Big Delta Systems, is focusing on advanced manufacturing methodology, whereas many others are focused more on materials plays in order to improve performance and reduce costs for batteries. This can be applied to multiple chemistries, including lithium ion batteries. BDS’s multi-layer spray-based manufacturing technology can be used to make either ultra-thick or ultra-thin electrodes, depending on the customer’s need. The methodology is also compatible with current roll-to-roll electrode coating processes and capable of fast-coating (>40m/min).
Dr. Chris Burns, President and CEO, Novonix
Next, we heard from Dr. Burns about Novonix and how: “… high performance coulometry can be used to screen for better battery cell chemistries and detect failure mechanism with great sensitivity.” Chris explained how Coulombic efficiency is a function of charge and discharge capacities and slippage over time. He described how these variables can be detected with the right equipment (Novonix HPC) to help predict cell lifetimes and provide other valuable information about a cell’s performance metrics.
Dr. Clive P. Bosnyak, Chief Scientific Officer, Molecular Rebar Design / Black Diamond StructuresTM
In addition, Dr. Clive Bosnyak told us about his work at Black Diamond StructuresTM, which called upon his 25 years of technical expertise gained from his tenure at The Dow Chemical Company. Dr. Bosnyak and his team have developed a proprietary Molecular Rebar® nanomaterial technology, which can be used to improve performance properties of both organic and inorganic binders and active materials, including polymer gel and solid electrolytes. These clean, discrete, open-ended nanotubes can be used with a number of higher capacity materials and are superior to the usual Carbon nanotubes (CNT’s), which can easily become entangled.
Dr. Edward Buiel, Business Development Consultant, G4 Synergetics Corp
Last, (but certainly not least), we heard from Dr. Edward Buiel of G4 Synergetics Corp. G4 Synergetics offers next generation nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries with integrated BMS, which are based on 30+ years of NiMH technology development. Dr. Buiel explained that: “… one of the limitations of any lithium ion battery, [LTO-based electrodes included], is that it doesn’t typically perform well at extreme temperatures. Our NiMH batteries can handle higher operating temperatures and are being used in systems like Norfolk Southern locomotive cars [for a system that runs from the northeastern U.S. seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico] and light rail systems. Our customers typically see a payback period of 2-3 years for these systems, and they cost $1,000-$1,500/kWh for the entire systems, BMS included.” Other applications for the NiMH technology include to power a Dallas street car and “ePower Technology” used in Class 8 hybrid trucks to help meet or exceed new EPA fuel economy requirements (10 MPG by 2021). G4 Synergetics Corp. is licensing the NiMH technology from BASF Ovonic, in Rochester, Michigan.
The Battery Show will return to Novi September 13-15, 2016, so save the date! And don’t forget to register for the PlugVolt battery seminar today. Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at kellyj@nextenergy.org or at 313.268.1807.
Thank you to our partners, the MEDC, PlugVolt, LLC, Smarter Shows / The Battery Show, our Michigan Pavilion partners and others for your continued support and cooperation.[/one_full]
