Nanotechnology holds amazing promise for many new green technologies, including the emissions controls which will allow the internal combustion engine to meet upcoming standards and the lithium ion batteries which threaten to make those same engines obsolete. There are many issues holding nano-tech back, though, not the least of which is the high price associated with the production of such tiny materials. So, when we read that Catalyx Nanotech, Inc. plans to begin mass production of Platelet Graphite Nanofibers (PGNF) at a price point which is said to be cost-competitive with current production standards, our interest was piqued. According to the accompanying press release, Catalyx Nano "also plans to produce nano powders of polymers, ceramics and precious/transition metal catalysts in powder and alcohol/aqueous suspensions."

There is another green angle to the announcement of the new nano-tech plants. These proposed plants will be built near landfills and are to run on methane gas waste. Sounds like a win-win scenario to us.

Battery technology has come a long way. Lead acid was the best that we had for a good long while, which is why it sees use in nearly every automobile sold in the world. Now, we have the nickel based battery chemistries and the newest lithium based batteries which are expected to allow the final leap into truly relevant all electric cars. This is all great news to anybody who is concerned with the use of fossil fuels for transportation. But, as more and more power is required to give the performance that we all expect, batteries must continue to get smaller and lighter.

You can't really go smaller than the nanoscale batteries that NASA is working on. NASA is using the iron-containing protein ferritin, which can carry either a positive or negative charge, and layering them in opposing charges. The more layers are added the more power the battery will produce. Smart guys, those NASA folk!

[Source: New Scientist Tech via Engadget]

Nanotechnology never ceases to amaze me. Considering how complex we humans like to make things, not to mention how big we like to make things (SUVs anyone?), going ultra-small holds so many advantages. We talk about range-extenders when we speak of electric cars all the time, but the idea of carrying around an internal combustion (IC) engine all the time for the few times we would actually need to use it seems to make little sense in the long run. The problem is that with current battery technology, an electric-only car just will not work for everybody. So, vehicles like the HySeries Ford Edge concept using hydrogen as a range extender and the Chevy Volt using a small IC engine that can be powered by biofuels as a range extender may be seen as just a stepping stone to bridge the battery gap. But, what if you could pack hundreds, or even thousands of tiny generators which could generate electricity to charge the batteries while you drive just from the vibration of the road? Sound intriguing? It certainly does to me, as these tiny generators could be integrated nearly anywhere on a modern vehicle, and would weigh next to nothing. Obviously, cost and the available power from the nanogenerators would need to be worked out as this technology is still in the infant stage. But, it does hold out a hope for the future, doesn't it?

[Sources: Physorg and Technology Review]

Regular readers of our site are well aware that battery technology is often cited by major carmakers as a hurdle that needs to be overcome to be able to mass produce electric and hybrid electric automobiles. GM, with their Volt concept, and many other manufacturers are placing their bets on high power lithium ion batteries.

mPhase Technologies is working with Lucent Technologies on a new nanobattery that uses what they are calling "nanograss" tubes. To quote them, "These tubes provide a "Superhydrophobic NanoStructured Surface" atop of which can be placed a droplet. The droplet sits above the tubes with little or no interaction with the tubes themselves. But by careful engineering the droplet can be made to fall within the space between the tubes encountering a greatly increased surface area and interacting with the tubes themselves to causing current to flow. The drop can be engineered to occur upon a variety of stimuli: voltage, RF and/or others."

They are claiming advantages that include: miniturizing, quick ram up to full power, inexpensive manufacture and long shelf-life. All of these properties would make them a good candidate for reserve power. Might batteries like these hold charges for long enough periods, cheaply, to act as an "energy storage tank" to refill electric cars?

[Source: mPhase via Gizmag]