http://www.sys-con.com/read/509431.htm
Quote:
STUTTGART, Germany, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Daimler AG has achieved a crucial breakthrough in battery technology. The Stuttgart-based automaker is the world's first manufacturer to have succeeded in adapting lithium-ion technology to the demanding requirements of automotive applications. Until now, the technology has been used primarily in consumer electronics. The new battery will be used in the series-production S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year. This important technology was possible thanks to 25 patents held by Daimler.
Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler AG Board of Management and responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, says: "What we have here is a groundbreaking key technology that is going to be a decisive factor for the future success of the automotive industry. That is a tribute to our intensive research efforts, which we have been conducting in this area since 1992."
The engineers' success is above all a result of the Daimler-developed integration of the lithium-ion battery into the vehicle's climate control system. This ensures that the battery always works at optimal system temperatures of between 15 and 35 degrees C, which in turn makes it possible for the battery to provide long service life and maximum performance.
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The problem with traditional LiON batteries has been the thin, plastic separator. If the cell gets too hot, the plastic develops a hole and the electrode chemicals begin reacting directly, melting the rest of the plastic separator and leading to a complete melt-down.
What is clever is to create a battery environmental chamber, possibly powered by the battery itself. There is no reason why the engine couldn't be started, as needed, to supply additional energy to keep the battery at the right temperature.
I've been looking at some of the COBASYS NiMH battery papers and they also emphasize the importance of thermal management. Yet curiously, I'm not finding any enthusiasts experiments in battery thermal management modifications. Hopefully this will soon change.
Bob Wilson
BMW clever solution
