Following Mitsubishi and SUBARU, NISSAN launched the electric vehicle LEAF into the EV (electric vehicle) market on December 20, 2010.
TOYOTA and Honda will start the sales of EVs in Spring next year.
The actual EV market started to move forward in Japan.
200 km is the running distance of LEAF on a single charge.
And the plug-in charging mode is used for charging the LEAF’s battery.
200 km, this amazed me.
Those specs are enough to satisfy the short-distance transportation requirements.
We have already the technologies on the motor itself and its control, which have sufficiently matured, although its applications, with some exceptions, do not concern the vehicle. I have thought that the decisive problem to be solved is only how to enhance the battery performances.
And, I had guessed that at least a few years were needed until the battery performances reach practical levels.
NEC (partner of NISSAN in the battery field) has a schedule to double the performances of the battery and to half the price of the battery within around two years (says NEC).
My real feeling is that the battery development progresses at higher speed than as expected.
My guess is that the problem left to us is to deploy the charging infrastructure as fast as possible.
EVs are now and will be increasing more than expected.
And the battery manufacturers can't keep up with the demand.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and to see you again next year.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
Written based mainly on:
1) “Electric Vehicles Business Starts” by Yomiuri Shimbun
2) “LEAF, it is a challenge to our dream. We are confident of success in achieving the dream.” Interview with Carlos Ghosn, the president of Nissan, by Isshiki, chief editor, Asahi Shimbun
2010年12月24日金曜日
2010年12月14日火曜日
SiEnergy Systems Successfully Prototypes Micro SOFC
Development is being made to expand the application range of the SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell). The aim of the development is to apply the SOFCs to the power sources of, for example, small electronics devices such as laptops and mobile phones by lowering the operating temperature of the SOFCs, which operate at high temperatures of 700 to 1000°C.
Recently, I wrote three new electrolyte materials for use with the SOFC operating at temperatures from 350 to 600°C.
Meanwhile, at the same time, SiEnergy Systems, LLC（USA）announced the success in prototyping a micro SOFC operating at 500°C or lower, and revealed an innovative process for fabricating the electrolyte film used by the micro SOFC. The fabricating process is capable of scaling up an active area of the electrolyte film to arbitrary dimensions depending on total power needed.
SiEnergy Systems is one of the subsidiaries of Allied Minds (U.S. private equity company).
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
To learn more, visit HERE.
Recently, I wrote three new electrolyte materials for use with the SOFC operating at temperatures from 350 to 600°C.
Meanwhile, at the same time, SiEnergy Systems, LLC（USA）announced the success in prototyping a micro SOFC operating at 500°C or lower, and revealed an innovative process for fabricating the electrolyte film used by the micro SOFC. The fabricating process is capable of scaling up an active area of the electrolyte film to arbitrary dimensions depending on total power needed.
SiEnergy Systems is one of the subsidiaries of Allied Minds (U.S. private equity company).
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
To learn more, visit HERE.
2010年11月25日木曜日
Solid Electrolyte Materials for Intermediate-Temperature Use are Developed Anew
SOFC generally operates at high temperatures of around 1000 degrees of C.
The high temperature operation of the SOFC limits its application range.
If the operation temperature of the SOFC could be lowered to 700 degrees of C or lower, its application range will broaden. It is said that to use the SOFC (micro SOFC) for the power sources of small electronic devices, its operation temperature must be 450°C or lower
NIMS is developing solid electrolyte materials that are applicable to the intermediate-temperature SOFC operating at intermediate temperatures within a range of 350 to 600°C.
As already described, NIMS has developed the electrolyte thin film effective at the intermediate temperatures. The electrolyte thin film is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate （BZY）thin film. The pulsed laser deposition process was used for fabricating the BZY thin film.
Recently, NIMS has additionally developed two types of solid electrolyte materials in use for the intermediate-temperature SOFC.
For somewhat more detail, visit here.
The high temperature operation of the SOFC limits its application range.
If the operation temperature of the SOFC could be lowered to 700 degrees of C or lower, its application range will broaden. It is said that to use the SOFC (micro SOFC) for the power sources of small electronic devices, its operation temperature must be 450°C or lower
NIMS is developing solid electrolyte materials that are applicable to the intermediate-temperature SOFC operating at intermediate temperatures within a range of 350 to 600°C.
As already described, NIMS has developed the electrolyte thin film effective at the intermediate temperatures. The electrolyte thin film is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate （BZY）thin film. The pulsed laser deposition process was used for fabricating the BZY thin film.
Recently, NIMS has additionally developed two types of solid electrolyte materials in use for the intermediate-temperature SOFC.
For somewhat more detail, visit here.
2010年11月17日水曜日
All-Solid-State Thin-Film Lithium Ion Battery: Its Trial Product is Successfully Manufactured by AIST and Toyota
AIST and TOYOTA succeeded in manufacturing a trial product of an all-solid-state thin-film lithium (Li) ion battery. The battery exhibited its charge/discharge characteristic. This was experimentally confirmed. A positive electrode thin film (LiCoO2 or LiMn2O4), a negative electrode thin film (Li4Ti5O12), and an oxide solid electrolyte thin film were formed and laminated into a three-layered film structure by the aerosol deposition process (high speed normal temperature coating process). The three-layered film structure was placed on the metal substrate to form an all-solid state thin-film Li ion battery having a three-layered film structure. This is the first result of a research collaboration by AIST & TOYOTA for Li ion battery development.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
To learn more, visit here.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
To learn more, visit here.
2010年11月3日水曜日
Norway’s New Fuel Cell System – eliminate the need of hydrogen infrastructure?
A new fuel cell system is now being developed in Norway. The company that is developing the new fuel cell system is “Nordic Power Systems”. The development is carried out with support by “The Research Council of Norway”. The fuel cell system reforms regular diesel or biodiesel to produce hydrogen and the hydrogen generated drives a solid-acid fuel cell.
The new fuel cell system uses two innovative core technologies.
One of the technologies is implemented into a reformer called a “cool flame reformer”. The reformer reforms regular or biodiesel fuel into hydrogen. The regular diesel fuel is available at oil stations by anyone. This fact implies that there is no need of building the infrastructure for hydrogen filling stations.
The implications of “no need of building the infrastructure” are very significant.
The other technology is the solid-acid fuel cell technology. The solid-acid fuel cell uses a solid acid electrolyte of CsHSO4, for example, and operates in the intermediate temperature region (100 to 300 degrees C) under a non-humidity condition. Caltech (USA) developed the solid-acid fuel cell and has the patent right of it. The fuel cell is featured by low price and robustness. Currently, SAFCell (USA) is developing and manufacturing the solid-acid fuel cell.
If all goes according to plan, the unit being developed with Marshall will be ready for market launch by mid-2011, while the solid-acid fuel cell will be phased in somewhat later. An assembly plant in Høyanger, Norway, is scheduled to open in early 2012.
>> More
2010年10月13日水曜日
Big Step toward Realization of Micro SOFCs for Small Electronics Devices
NIMS has succeeded recently in fabricating a new electrolyte thin film which enables the realization of micro SOFCs that may be used as the power sources of small electronics devices such as laptop PCs and mobile phones.
* NIMS = National Institute for Materials Science
The electrolyte thin film is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate （BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-.、BZY）thin film (BZY thin film). The BZY thin film fabricated is epitaxially oriented and relatively thick and contains no grain boundaries.
The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film is 0.01 S/cm at 350℃. This value is a minimum of proton conductivity values required for practical fuel cells. Incidentally, in this type of micro SOFC, its operation temperature must be below 450 degrees Celsius. The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film measured at 350 degrees Celsius is the highest of the oxide materials ever reported. It is also much higher than the conductivity of the oxygen ion conductor that is stable in the same temperature region.
It is said that the BZY has never been taken up as the SOFC electrolyte material because its proton conductivity is extremely low. The BZY contains much grain boundaries. The blocking effect of the grain boundaries renders the proton conductivity low. To avoid this, the study used the pulse laser deposition to fabricate the BZY thin film.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
For somewhat more detail, visit KOKO.
* NIMS = National Institute for Materials Science
The electrolyte thin film is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate （BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-.、BZY）thin film (BZY thin film). The BZY thin film fabricated is epitaxially oriented and relatively thick and contains no grain boundaries.
The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film is 0.01 S/cm at 350℃. This value is a minimum of proton conductivity values required for practical fuel cells. Incidentally, in this type of micro SOFC, its operation temperature must be below 450 degrees Celsius. The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film measured at 350 degrees Celsius is the highest of the oxide materials ever reported. It is also much higher than the conductivity of the oxygen ion conductor that is stable in the same temperature region.
It is said that the BZY has never been taken up as the SOFC electrolyte material because its proton conductivity is extremely low. The BZY contains much grain boundaries. The blocking effect of the grain boundaries renders the proton conductivity low. To avoid this, the study used the pulse laser deposition to fabricate the BZY thin film.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
For somewhat more detail, visit KOKO.
2010年10月12日火曜日
Switched Reluctance Motor Supersedes Rare Earth-Contained Motors
Keywords
Rare earth, switched reluctance motor, synchronous motor, SRM, reluctance differences, interior permanent magnet synchronous motors, IPMSM, permanent magnet rotor, EV, HEV, FCV, China, Japan, collision accident, fishing boat, patrol boat, export, import
Summary
SRM was improved to have the performances comparable with those of the incumbent IPMSM. Some characteristics of the improved SRM exceeded those of the IPMSM. Creative efforts were focused on the motor structure and selection of the materials to be used, and the best combinations of them were found.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]
The rare earth issue has been closed up recently in Japan.
Over 90% of the rare earths currently used in Japan is imported from China. Recently, the collision accident between the Chinese fishing boat and the Japanese patrol boat occurred. As the result of the
**************
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]
To learn more in English, feel free to contact at newene02"abc" fcpat-japan.com
Please replace "abc" with "@".
We don't accept free-mail addresses.
Please understand that our special circumstances cause us to do so.
FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/
Rare earth, switched reluctance motor, synchronous motor, SRM, reluctance differences, interior permanent magnet synchronous motors, IPMSM, permanent magnet rotor, EV, HEV, FCV, China, Japan, collision accident, fishing boat, patrol boat, export, import
Summary
SRM was improved to have the performances comparable with those of the incumbent IPMSM. Some characteristics of the improved SRM exceeded those of the IPMSM. Creative efforts were focused on the motor structure and selection of the materials to be used, and the best combinations of them were found.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]
The rare earth issue has been closed up recently in Japan.
Over 90% of the rare earths currently used in Japan is imported from China. Recently, the collision accident between the Chinese fishing boat and the Japanese patrol boat occurred. As the result of the
**************
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]
To learn more in English, feel free to contact at newene02"abc" fcpat-japan.com
Please replace "abc" with "@".
We don't accept free-mail addresses.
Please understand that our special circumstances cause us to do so.
FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/
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