10 January 2013
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| Cycling performance at 0.02−3 V and 200 mA/g of the nano-Sn/C composite. Credit: ACS, Xu et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a new process—aerosol spray pyrolysis—to synthesize nano-Sn/C (nano-tin/carbon) composites for a Li-ion anode with uniformly dispersed 10 nm nano-Sn particles within a spherical carbon matrix. The discharge capacity of nano-Sn/C composite sphere anodes maintains the initial capacity of 710 mAh/g after 130 cycles at 0.25 C. The nano-Sn/C composite sphere anodes can provide ∼600 mAh/g even at a high rate of 20 C.
In a paper in the ACS journal Nano Letters, the team attributes the “exceptional” performance to the unique nano-Sn/C structure, adding that to the best of their knowledge, such high-rate performance for tin anodes has not been reported previously. Broadly, the benefits of the structure are:
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10 January 2013
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| A 180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY. Click to enlarge. |
Just a few months after the launch of the new A-Class, Mercedes-Benz is now adding two BlueEFFICIENCY Edition models to the range. The new A 180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Edition features a fuel consumption figure of 3.6 l/100 km (65 mpg US) according to the MVEG cycle and CO2 emissions of 92 g/km—making the new A 180 the most fuel-efficient combustion-engined Mercedes-Benz yet, according to the company.
The A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition gasoline model, with consumption of 5.2 l/100 km (45 mpg US) and 120 g of CO2/km is likewise one of the most efficient vehicles in its class. The models will go on sale on 1 February 2013, while the first vehicles will reach customers in March 2013.
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10 January 2013
The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved funding to advance further the development of its pioneering 42 MWpeak microgrid and expand electric vehicle charging at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
The Commission approved a $1.6-million award to increase its previously awarded funding of $1,394,298 for the university’s microgrid. The Commission also approved funding of $220,554 to expand the campus’ burgeoning charging network for plug-in electric vehicles, through the Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, created by Assembly Bill 118.
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9 January 2013
The US Department of Energy selected a team led by its Ames Laboratory for an award of up to $120 million over five years to establish an Energy Innovation Hub that will develop solutions to the domestic shortages of rare earth metals and other materials critical for US energy. The new research center, which will be named the Critical Materials Institute (CMI), will bring together leading researchers from academia, four Department of Energy national laboratories, and the private sector. (Earlier post.)
Many materials deemed critical by the DOE are used in modern clean energy technologies—such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient lighting. The DOE’s 2011 Critical Materials Strategy reported that supply challenges for five rare earth metals (dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium, and yttrium) may affect clean energy technology deployment in the coming years. (Earlier post.)
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9 January 2013
The proposed new 5th edition of the Worldwide Fuel Charter (WWFC5), which is available for comment through 28 February, introduces a new Category 5, which the Committee adopted to distinguish markets with highly advanced requirements for fuel efficiency as well as for emission control. The proposed WWFC5 provides automaker and engine manufacturer proposed recommendations for the quality of market gasoline and diesel fuel.
For gasoline, Category 5 raises the minimum gasoline research octane number (RON) to 95. For diesel fuel, this category establishes a high quality hydrocarbon-only specification that takes advantage of the characteristics of certain advanced biofuels, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biomass-to-liquid (BTL), provided all other specifications are respected and the resulting blend meetes defined legislated terms.
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9 January 2013
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| Electrochemical performance of sulfur–TiO2 yolk–shell nanostructures. (a) Charge/discharge capacity and Coulombic efficiency over 1,000 cycles at 0.5 C. (b) Capacity retention of sulfur–TiO2 yolk–shell nanostructures cycled at 0.5 C, in comparison with bare sulfur and sulfur–TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles. Seh et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC led by Stanford associate professor Yi Cui have used a sulfur–TiO2 yolk–shell design for a cathode material for a lithium-sulfur battery that achieved an initial specific capacity of 1,030 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C and Coulombic efficiency of 98.4% over 1,000 cycles. Most importantly, the team reported in a paper in the journal Nature Communications, the capacity decay after 1,000 cycles is as small as 0.033% per cycle, which represents the best performance for long-cycle lithium–sulfur batteries so far.
The advantage of the yolk–shell structure is the presence of the internal void space that can accommodate the large volumetric expansion of sulfur during lithiation, thus preserving the structural integrity of the shell and minimizing polysulfide dissolution and enabling the high capacity retention. The authors say that, to the best of their knowledge, this is the first time that a lithium–sulfur battery with this level of performance has been described.
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9 January 2013
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| 2013 Nissan LEAF. Click to enlarge. |
Following on the November 2012 introduction of the updated LEAF in Japan (earlier post), Nissan has introduced the updated 2013 LEAF to the US, as well as begun its assembly in the US at the Smyrna, Tenn. plant, with battery production taking place next door in the country’s largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant. (Earlier post.)
Due to efficiency improvements, the 2013 Nissan LEAF is expected to offer improved range, with testing on the EPA test cycle to be announced closer the vehicle’s on-sale date. The updated version of the LEAF in Japan delivers range at full charge on the JC08 cycle of 228 km (141 miles)—a 14% improvement over the original version of the LEAF with a 200-km range (124 miles) on the JC08 cycle. (EPA cycle results will differ; the 2012 LEAF is estimated to achieve up to 73-mile driving range under the required EPA-derived MPG-based 2-cycle testing.)
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9 January 2013
Bosch is working to expand its range of driver assistance systems to incorporate autonomous braking, acceleration, and steering functions. The traffic jam assistant will step in when the vehicle is moving at speeds between 0 and 50 km/h (31 mph). This means that it will operate in most stop-and-go traffic situations.
The first generation of the traffic jam assistant is expected to enter series production in 2014. In the following years, the feature will be enhanced to cover ever-faster speeds and more complex driving situations. Eventually, the traffic jam assistant will serve as a highway pilot for full autonomous driving, Bosch says.
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9 January 2013
At the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, Audi AG presented technologies for networking the car with its environment, with a particular focus on future piloted driving and mobile communications. Piloted driving—i.e., the use of drive assistance systems that are able to assume the complete driving task for a limited period of time, if so desired by the driver—will be technically feasible before the decade is out, Audi says.
In congested traffic at speeds up to 60 km/h (37 mph), Audi’s piloted driving helps the driver to steer the car within certain limits. It also accelerates and brakes the vehicle autonomously. In future, piloted driving will also be able to maneuver the vehicle autonomously into and out of parking spaces—such as in tight roadside parking spaces, in garages, or even in parking garages.
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9 January 2013
According to a recent online survey conducted for Johnson Controls by Harris Interactive, US vehicle owners want to use their phones and existing apps to safely connect in their vehicles. Consumers want this process to be simple to use and for it to be convenient to download apps from traditional channels.
Johnson Controls says it will utilize the data to influence design and new product development of its future infotainment products. Some of the key findings from the study of more than 2,100 US adults include:
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9 January 2013
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| Standardized values (Z scores) of (A) visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS) chlorophyll a inferences from the five lakes proximate to major oil sands operations as indicators of lake primary production; (B) total PAH concentrations and (C) total DBT concentrations from all six study sites. Source: Kurek et al. Click to enlarge. |
A new study by a team from Environment Canada and Queen’s University (Canada) has shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) within the sediments of lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region in Canada—particularly C1-C4–alkylated PAHs, increased significantly after development of the oil sands resource began some 50 years ago—followed by significant increases in dibenzothiophenes (DBTs).
Total PAH fluxes in the modern sediments of six study lakes, including one site ∼90 km northwest of the major development area, are now ∼2.5–23 times greater than ∼1960 levels. Total DBT enrichments over the same time period ranged between ∼2.6 and 57 times.
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