The Guantanamo Bay of Batteries
Peter Roth is a man whose job entails one thing and one thing only. Destroying batteries. The government pays him to figure out (in a laboratory) the multitudes of ways that batteries can sizzle, fizzle, leak, flame, and explode, so that measures can be taken to prevent them from happening when consumers like you and I use them in everyday life.
Roth's lair of destruction is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Sandia National Laboratories. It consists of a number of rooms behind a 2,000 pound door - just the type of thing you'd want between you and a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery spewing toxic fumes and flames. To put things in perspective, though, the explosions that Roth sets off pale in comparison to what could happen if any of the other (nuclear) research experiments in the building were to go awry.
In addition to putting batteries in situations that causes them to fail (such as high impact punctures, short circuits, submersion, etc.) Roth and his colleague, Chris Orendorff also test out what chemicals, when used in batteries, are more stable and safe than others. Their quest, which was noble enough to garner $4.2 million in funding from the Department of Energy, is to pass all of the information they gather to manufacturers, the military, and even NASA, who use the data to constantly improve. Recently, Roth and his work has gained more attention, with the advent of hybrid and electric vehicles that draw power from large lithium-ion batteries. With most if not all automotive companies coming out with such models, many questions are being raised about battery safety. What would happen to the lithium-ion battery pack of a Chevy Volt if it was punctured as it flew off a bridge into the salty depths of the ocean? Hopefully, Roth will figure that one out for us. And how to fix it too.
Source: Wall Street Journal via Gizmodo
GM Opens Battery Factory For the Volt
The $8,000, 220-cell, lithium-ion battery pack that powers the Chevy Volt
On Thursday, General Motors will open the GM Brownstown Assembly Plant, the "first lithium ion battery pack manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker."
Located in Brownstown Township, Michigan, the factory will assemble the lithium-ion battery packs that will power the Chevy Volt. The batteries that fill the packs will be assembled with batteries that will be made by LG Chem of South Korea. The battery packs, which consist of 220 cells, will cost about $8,000 each (yikes).
GM will be marking the event with a grand-opening ceremony, which will be attended by both Ed Whitacre, CEO of General Motors, and Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary
With a new decade upon us, this opening could prove to be the first step in revitalizing the already wounded American car industry. Even though this plant will only be assembling the battery packs, hopefully operations can be expanded to include manufacturing components in the future, and give the Detroit Three a leg up in the automotive world.
Source: CNET