CNN recently published a story

http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/15/technology/disruptors_eestor.biz2/index.htm

on a new electric storage device for automobiles. This new “battery” (seems more like a capacitor) promises a range of 500 miles on a 5-minute recharge.

Widespread acceptance of electric cars will require additional electrical capacity of the power grid. Distributed generation, many small generators near the point of use, would be a good way to handle the additional demand.

Neighborhood Focus Fusion generators could replace gasoline stations.

Local Focus Fusion generators could also power hydrogen gas generators (electrolysis) at fuel stations to produce hydrogen for fuel-cell-electric vehicles and hydrogen-burning internal combustion engined vehicles.

Wow. With this we may not even need Hydrogen powered cars. This is really good stuff. I can’t wait to see what happens when they perfect it.

I’ve heard about this. It’s sort of like a hybrid battery / capacitor that combines the advantages of both. Batteries can deliver longer sustained power. An ultracapacitor is better at delivering greater power in short bursts…...like fast acceleration or climbing hills, etc. The EEStor Ceramic device combines both of these desirable traits, plus long range.

  Such a device will also last longer than a battery, and can take the merciless punishment of rapid charging and discharging many more cycles…...which is also perfect for regenerative braking to recycle waste deceleration energy. 

  Make a hybrid vehicle by combining the EEStor with an alcohol fuel cell. This would give it the unlimited range of an internal combustion engine and allow all kinds of flexibility and versatility of energy sources. In addition to renewable alcohol fuel for unlimited range trips, anything 500 miles or less could run on solar, nuclear, wind, geothermal, and etc.

I just found some more interesting reading on the EEStor. This post was done by a skeptic who still has doubts. He thinks it’s tantamount to technological snake oil until they actually have produced working models that perform as claimed instead of hot air. I’d like some feedback on what others may think about this. Here’s the link :

http://globalwarming-arclein.blogspot.com/2009/03/eestor-posting-of-interest.html

If you look at their patent, it is a slightly modified Ultra-capacitor, running at 4000v (to keep leakage current down to a minimum)

And some semi-conductor modifications to the electrolyte to reduce the leakage current further.

They are still quite heavy.

The main benefits over a conventional battery are energy density, dump current, supposed life span and charge time (no different to existing capacitors really)

The benefit over a standard capacitor are its supposed capability to store charge for long periods of time. This is where many of the professional arguments are focussed as EEStor after approximately 2years since they announced this device, have to the best of my knowledge still not released any data or allowed a device to be tested.

Thanx for the link, Tasmodevil. I read the entire comment under it and was struck by the similarities to FF’s situation- except no transparency. Both have patents, both can have a huge impact on energy, and thus the entire economy. I especially liked the part about doing an experiment- maybe something from the A&M;collaboration.

The claim about 500 miles is BS- it can only apply to drivers who conscientiously drive slow, plan their changes in speed, all the factors of stretching the range of any vehicle. As a ferinstance, my 2000 Focus wagon can get around 32 MPG by driving in the 40 to 45 MPH range on long drives like I was making coming home from 2nd shift around 1:30 on a long country road.

It seldom happens that way in real life, and the trip to work was often racing the clock. No savings there!