Rechargeable battery: Its remarkable performance improvements, ensured by recent research results

NEDO’s research/development project on the next generation battery systems steadily progresses. Recently, NEDO announced four innovative battery cell technologies, which had emerged from the project.
Those technologies are:
1. Basic technology for putting “lithium metal” into practical use
– By Prof. Dr. Kanemura, Tokyo Metropolitan University
2. Electrolyte solution in use for the next generation 5-V class battery
- By Specially Appointed Prof. Dr. Fujinami, Shizuoka University
3. High capacity Li-ion cell using ionic liquid-electrolyte
- By Associate　Prof. Dr. Komaba et al., Tokyo University of Science
4. Magnesium ion rechargeable battery
– By Saitama Industrial Technology Center
Details of the study will be presented in the Battery NEDO session, which will start from November 30, 2009.

Under strong demands of lowering carbon emissions and finding the best solutions to the limited resource problems, the clean and renewable energy is treated as a social subject. In this circumstance, the rechargeable battery has become one of the key devices.
The automobile has started to change its drive source from the internal combustion engine to an electric drive source. The rechargeable battery is one of the electrical drive sources, and the fuel cell is another prospective electrical drive device.
The rechargeable battery has another important function to level the output powers of the solar power generator and the wind power generator, which greatly change depending on weather and day and night. A watchful eye must be kept on this near-future key technology.
(Written based on press release from NEDO)

Kerosene-fueled 3-kW SOFC system, successfully co-developed

An SOFC power generation system using kerosene available on the market.
It has successfully generated electric power of 3 kW (at DC terminal).
It is designed mainly for small business applications.
It is co-developed by the following three companies:
1) Japan Energy Corporation (JOMO)
2) Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd.
3) NGK Insulators, Ltd. (NGK)

Rough specifications
Rated output power: 3 kW
Primary fuel: kerosene sold on the market
Operating temperature: 750 deg. centigrade
Cell stack: passage-contained cell stack (manufactured by NGK)
Features
1) Start-up kerosene burner (developed by JOMO)
2) Efficient kerosene reforming process (developed anew by JOMO)
3) Cell stack of high power generation efficiency (developed anew by NGK)
4) Sophisticated heat management (developed anew by Sumitomo Precision)

The companies will evaluate the performances such as power generation efficiency, further increase the power generation efficiency, and reduce the size of the SOFC system, and has a plan to demonstrate the SOFC system in a real-load environment, aiming at commercializing the kerosene type SOFC system
(written based on press release from Japan Energy Corporation)
>> More-1 and More-2

Hiroshima University collaborates with LANL on development of hydrogen storage non-metallic materials

The Chugoku Shimbun recently reported the following:
The Hiroshima University Institute for Advanced Materials Research has entered into a department-level academic exchange agreement with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to develop non-metallic materials for hydrogen storage.
Specifically, hydrogen is stored in the form of a chemical compound of boron and nitride. The compound is light in weight and its hydrogen storage capability is large when compared with the hydrogen-storage metallic materials currently used. The amount of hydrogen that the compound can store is theoretically about 20% of the compound when calculated by weight. It is approximately 10 times of the nickel hydrogen battery. The compound, if successfully developed, will reduce the hydrogen tank in size and weight. Additional advantages are: 1) boron and nitrogen are more abundant than rare metals, and 2) easily available.
Also visit here.

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Programs start among Japan, USA and Europe early next year

Two meetings of heads of JPO, EPO and USPTO were held at KYOTO on November 12 and 13, 2009. One is the heads meeting of JPO and EPO, and other other is the heads meeting of JPO, USPTO and EPO. The followings were decided in the meetings.

1. The PPH (patent prosecution highway) pilot programs will start among the JPO, the EPO and the USPTO on January 29, 2010. This was decided at the meeting of the heads of the JPO and EPO (November 12), and the meeting of the heads of the JPO, the USPTO and the EPO, ((November 13)), which were held in Kyoto.
The PPH has already been launched between the JPO and the USPTO on January 4, 2008.

2. In the trilateral meeting, it was also decided that the early examination rule of the PPH applied to the PCT-based patent application, which had been determined to be patentable by the International Searching Authority or the International Preliminary Examining Authority in any of the trilateral patent offices of Japan.
>> More

Patent Prosecution Highway = PPH：
In this program, when a patent application is matured to the patent in a country, the examination of the corresponding patent application, which was filed in another country, is quickened upon request of the applicant. The programs enable the companies to quickly and easily obtain patent rights in other countries than those to which the companies belong.
>> More

Aquafairy enters production and sales stage of micro-FC based battery chargers

Credited by Aquafairy Corporation

Aquafairy Corporation, which has been known as a developer of a unique micro fuel cell not using methanol, has completed the development of battery chargers based on the unique micro fuel cells, and entered the stage of production and sales of the chargers.

Aquafairy Corporation reached an agreement with GS Yuasa Power Supply Ltd. on the production and sales of the developed charges, which will be used for charging external batteries and built-in batteries of portable devices. [Copyright by FuelCell japan]
Upon the agreement, the companies have a plan to develop technologies for charging various types of GS Uasa's batteries, including lithium ion batteries, and integrally incorporate the battery mass production technologies into the charging technologies, with the intention of increasing the number of applied products.
>> More

Two recent press releases from Japan

1) Toshiba Launches Direct Methanol Fuel Cell in Japan as External Power Source for Mobile Electronic Devices
TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502), a world leader in the development of fuel-cell technology for handheld electronic equipment, today announced the launch of its first direct methanol fuel-cell product: Dynario™, an external power source that delivers power to mobile digital consumer products. Dynario™, together with a dedicated fuel cartridge for refueling on the go, will be launched in Japan, in a limited edition of 3,000 units only, and will be exclusively available at Shop1048 (http://shop1048.jp/), … >> More
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]

2) MHI Achieves 3,000-Hour Operation, Unprecedented in Japan
Tokyo, October 1, 2009 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has achieved 3,000 cumulative hours of operation - unprecedented in Japan - of a 200 kilowatt (kW) class combined-cycle power generation system incorporating solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and a micro gas turbine (MGT). … >> More

‘Global Cleantech 100’ lists ACAL Energy

ACAL’ commercial potential and technology were recognised by Global Cleantech 100 listing

Cheshire, UK -- 17th September 2009 -- ACAL Energy, the leading developer of innovative fuel cell technology, has been named in the ‘Global Cleantech 100’, published by Guardian News and Media and the Cleantech Group. This first ever Global Cleantech listing unveils the most promising clean technology companies on the planet: those which offer the potential for superior performance at lower costs while reducing negative ecological impact. One of only thirteen UK companies listed, ACAL Energy also headed the Guardian’s lead paragraph on UK innovation.

The Global Cleantech 100 list is supported by the Carbon Trust, and represents the collective opinion of hundreds of leading experts from cleantech innovation and venture capital companies in Europe, North America, Middle East, India and China, combined with the specific input of an expert panel.

The panel chose companies that are currently regarded as having the potential and likelihood to achieve high growth and high market impact. Their thoughts were then combined with insights from the Cleantech Network™, the de facto industry association of international clean technology investors, entrepreneurs, large corporations and other industry insiders. Some 3,500 companies were considered for inclusion in the list.

“The first ever Global Cleantech 100 shines a spotlight on which companies and which technology areas the global innovation community is currently most excited about, from a commercial standpoint”, said Richard Youngman, Managing Partner at Cleantech Group.

“We are delighted and honored to be recognised as one of the most significant cleantech companies globally”, said Dr S B Cha, CEO of ACAL Energy. “Our commercial potential has clearly been recognised as well as our ground-breaking Flowcath® technology.”

ACAL Energy has recently announced the achievement of several technology milestones.

For further information, please contact Amanda Lyne at ACAL Energy:
Tel: +44 (0)1928 511581
E-mail : alyne@acalenergy.co.uk
******************************************************
* You are welcome to visit ACAL's stand no. 135 at "11th Grove Fuel Cell Exhibition", Westminster, London, UK, 22-24 September 2009, and to show you a prototype of our new Flowcath® Evaluation Kit.
This 1kW unit enables research scientists to evaluate the ease of operation and characteristics of a FlowCath® powered system.
* Visit here for Japanese version.


Cleantech Group, LLC: www.cleantech.com
The Cleantech Group pioneered the clean technology investment category in 2002. Today, it accelerates the development and market adoption of clean technologies globally. The company’s worldwide network of investors, entrepreneurs, enterprises, service providers and others—representing trillions of dollars in assets—receives access to capital, investment deal flow, networking, market leading research and data, sales leads and promotional opportunities. The Cleantech Group also provides advisory services for large corporations and governments, publishes leading cleantech sector industry news coverage and produces the premier Cleantech Forum® events worldwide.
The Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk
Carbon Trust：http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/default.ct

ACAL Energy Limited: www.acalenergy.co.uk
Has the most advanced “platinum substitution” technology with the top level of its commercialising technology.
1.0 kW PEM fuel cell, incorporating this technology, FlowCath®, is operating for test now.