The good folks at ANL took a break from "stockpile stewardship" and looked into making batteries better.ClickyThey've built batteries in the lab using a "wet" lithium anode instead of a completely dry one and found charging time drastically reduced as well as increases in stability and the number of charging cycles.

Paid for with tax dollars I presume?

SidecarFlip wrote:Paid for with tax dollars I presume?Probably in part. With the end of the cold war, our prestigious National Laboratories rent themselves out to private industry for research and development. I imagine Uncle Sam kicks in tax dollars for research related to stewardship efforts.

Nice Article Gordon3The wobbly wide web and this forum would not be here without tax dollars having been spent 50 years ago.SidecarFlip wrote:Paid for with tax dollars I presume?

I have heard about several research projects aimed at making lithium batteries safer (less likely to explode) and also able to recharge more quickly. I would not be surprised to see a lot of improvements over the next few years.

“Paid for with tax dollars I presume?“Nothing wrong with government funded research to improve batteries.

Argonne National Labs improving batteries | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2017
Bill.Satellite wrote:
It would be nice see the Government investing in the future.
Right now we seem to be headed back in time.
pconroy328
Explorer
Dec 30, 2017
Bill.Satellite wrote:
SidecarFlip wrote:
Paid for with tax dollars I presume?

God, I hope so. It would be nice see the Government investing in the future.

Exactly what I was going to say.
I sure as heck hope my tax dollars are being used!
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Dec 30, 2017
I always heard the Net was because Al Gore invented it....lol

Far as batteries are concerned, when the price gets reasonable, I'll have some in my RV. For now though the conventional ones do the job.

I will say that Lithium-Ion batteries have made portable power tools very powerful and portable. Much better than the original Ni-Cad packs.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2017
SidecarFlip wrote:
Paid for with tax dollars I presume?

God, I hope so. It would be nice see the Government investing in the future.
PopBeavers
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2017
Regarding government research and private industry.

The reason you have a laptop and a cell phone, among other things using light weight electronics, is because John Kennedy want to put a man on the moon.

NASA suddenly had an intense need for small light weight reliable electronics, and a budget to pay for the R&D, that private industry would have never paid for.

I am a big fan of government funded R&D.

Think about it.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Dec 30, 2017
Regarding tax dollars.. Not specically.

The better we can make batteries, The faster they recharge, the longer lasting and the less expensive LONG TERM.. THe more attractive SOLAR power becomes.

This results in cleaner everything. and longer life... I have no problem with Government sponsoring that research.. I just hope they collect royalties on the finished product.
GordonThree
Explorer
Dec 30, 2017
Lifepo is a limited technology, hence the need to continue research in making more energetic technologies more stable.
2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2017
RoyF wrote:
I have heard about several research projects aimed at making lithium batteries safer (less likely to explode)
LifePO4 don't do that, according to my research. They should work on making acid batteries less likely to explode.
Lwiddis
Navigator
Dec 30, 2017
“Paid for with tax dollars I presume?“

Nothing wrong with government funded research to improve batteries.
RoyF
Explorer
Dec 30, 2017
I have heard about several research projects aimed at making lithium batteries safer (less likely to explode) and also able to recharge more quickly. I would not be surprised to see a lot of improvements over the next few years.