Researchers develop microbatteries that charge 1000 times faster
23 April, 2013Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed the most powerful microbatteries ever documented. The new microbatteries offer both power and energy, and by tweaking the structure a bit, the researchers can tune them over a wide range on the power-versus-energy scale. The batteries outpower even the best supercapacitors and could drive new applications in compact electronics and radio communications.
Eltek Flatpack2 48 V Integrated power system
17 April, 2013 | Supplied by: Eltek AustraliaThe Flatpack2 48 V Integrated power system has been designed to meet the demand for higher density and more condensed power solutions. It is suitable for applications needing an expandable, easily serviceable and reliable power supply, fitting within a minimal space. This system can be mounted into racks, cabinets or enclosures and can operate at a wide range of temperatures (-40 to +60°C) with a high MTBF.
Understanding the life of lithium-ion batteries
17 April, 2013Scientists have answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: how long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap?
ABB wins $150 million power order for Chinese power link
15 April, 2013ABB, the global power and automation technology group, has won an order worth around $150 million to supply converter transformers, DC (direct current) filter capacitors and key components for converter valves for the world’s highest capacity power link in China.
Turn off those lights!
15 April, 2013 by Mike Smyth, specialist technical writerWhat’s with this fetish for having office blocks lit up like Christmas trees that can be seen from outer space and probably beyond? I suspect it might be fashion. Somebody started lighting up their edifice, first with floodlights from the outside and then from the inside. Not to be outdone, others followed, leading to the beacons we have today.
ABB PVS800 875 and 1000 kW central inverters
12 April, 2013 | Supplied by: ABB Australia Pty LtdABB’s central inverter series PVS800 is now available in 875 and 1000 kW. The operating temperature and altitude rating have both been extended and the modular direct current (DC) input design provides greater flexibility for system integrators.
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 AC drive
11 April, 2013 | Supplied by: Rockwell Automation AustraliaThe Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 AC drive is designed to help machine builders and end users simplify equipment design and operation, and speed installation and configuration. The device features a modular design in power ranges from 0.5 to 30 hp or 0.4 to 22 kW at 100 to 600 V input.
Harvesting unused energy with flat thermoelectrics
09 April, 2013A large proportion of the energy we produce disappears unused into thin air via waste heat. Tiny thermoelectric generators can tap this potential, whereby the electricity is produced by way of temperature differences. However, so far their production has been laborious and expensive.
A longer life for lithium-sulfur batteries
09 April, 2013Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden have developed a new design that increases the charge cycles of lithium-sulfur batteries by a factor of seven.
Breakthrough in race to create ‘bio-batteries’
05 April, 2013Findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) show that proteins on the surface of bacteria can produce an electric current by simply touching a mineral surface.
Vanadium oxide/graphene for lithium-ion storage
03 April, 2013Hybrid ribbons of vanadium oxide (VO2) and graphene may accelerate the development of high-power lithium-ion batteries suitable for electric cars and other demanding applications.
Power converter applications - heat radiation in design
03 April, 2013 | Supplied by: DLPC Pty LtdAppropriate heat radiation design will extend the lifetime of a power converter and reduce the possibility of failure or safety issues. This article will discuss heat radiation design in power converter applications.
Boeing improves its Li-ion batteries
03 April, 2013Boeing has initiated a comprehensive set of improvements that will add several layers of additional safety features to the lithium-ion batteries on 787 commercial jetliners that are in production and could be ready for initial installation within the next few weeks. New enclosures for 787 batteries also are being built and will be installed in aeroplanes in the weeks ahead.
Low-cost, flexible organic solar cell manufacturing partnership
03 April, 2013UK Solar cell technology developer Solar Press and coating and printing experts Kroenert have signed a long-term partnership agreement to develop and sell turnkey manufacturing solutions for organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules.
Larger redox battery offers a breakthrough in electricity storage
02 April, 2013As more and more electricity is being generated from intermittent sources of power, such as solar and wind energy, powerful electric energy storage devices are becoming more necessary to level out corresponding irregularities in the power supply. Fraunhofer scientists have recently made an important breakthrough with their development of a redox flow battery that reaches stack power up to 25 kW, with a cell size of 0.5 m2. This is eight times larger than the previous A4-sized systems.
