The Rice lab of chemist James Tour has turned molybdenum disulfide’s two-dimensional form into a nanoporous film that can catalyze the production of hydrogen or be used for energy storage.

The versatile chemical compound classified as a dichalcogenide is inert along its flat sides, but previous studies determined the material’s edges are highly efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a process used in fuel cells to pull hydrogen from water.

Tour and his colleagues have found a cost-effective way to create flexible films of the material that maximize the amount of exposed edge and have potential for a variety of energy-oriented applications.

The Rice research appears in the journal Advanced Materials.

Molybdenum disulfide isn’t quite as flat as graphene, the atom-thick form of pure carbon, because it contains both molybdenum and sulfur atoms. When viewed from above, it looks like graphene, with rows of ordered hexagons. But seen from the side, three distinct layers are revealed, with sulfur atoms in their own planes above and below the molybdenum.

This crystal structure creates a more robust edge, and the more edge, the better for catalytic reactions or storage, Tour said.

«So much of chemistry occurs at the edges of materials,» he said. «A two-dimensional material is like a sheet of paper: a large plain with very little edge. But our material is highly porous. What we see in the images are short, 5- to 6-nanometer planes and a lot of edge, as though the material had bore holes drilled all the way through.»

The new film was created by Tour and lead authors Yang Yang, a postdoctoral researcher; Huilong Fei, a graduate student; and their colleagues. It catalyzes the separation of hydrogen from water when exposed to a current. «Its performance as a HER generator is as good as any molybdenum disulfide structure that has ever been seen, and it’s really easy to make,» Tour said.

While other researchers have proposed arrays of molybdenum disulfide sheets standing on edge, the Rice group took a different approach. First, they grew a porous molybdenum oxide film onto a molybdenum substrate through room-temperature anodization, an electrochemical process with many uses but traditionally employed to thicken natural oxide layers on metals.

The film was then exposed to sulfur vapor at 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit) for one hour. This converted the material to molybdenum disulfide without damage to its nano-porous sponge-like structure, they reported.

The films can also serve as supercapacitors, which store energy quickly as static charge and release it in a burst. Though they don’t store as much energy as an electrochemical battery, they have long lifespans and are in wide use because they can deliver far more power than a battery. The Rice lab built supercapacitors with the films; in tests, they retained 90 percent of their capacity after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles and 83 percent after 20,000 cycles.

«We see anodization as a route to materials for multiple platforms in the next generation of alternative energy devices,» Tour said. «These could be fuel cells, supercapacitors and batteries. And we’ve demonstrated two of those three are possible with this new material.»

Co-authors of the paper are Rice graduate students Gedeng Ruan and Changsheng Xiang. Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of computer science.

The Peter M. and Ruth L. Nicholas Postdoctoral Fellowship of Rice’s Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Multidisciplinary University Research program supported the research.

So, engineers have it all figured out? There’s not much they don’t know about making a diesel go?

Well, not really, said Song-Charng Kong, an Iowa State University associate professor of mechanical engineering. There’s actually a lot to learn.

«We still need to make diesel engines more durable, more reliable and more efficient,» Kong said. «That’s because we won’t get away from internal combustion engines anytime soon.»

Kong is part of an engine research collaboration led by Luis Bravo, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Research Lab at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The collaboration recently won a five-year grant of $500,000 and one billion supercomputer hours to study diesel engines. (Kong’s share of the funding is $250,000 to support the project plus the work of a doctoral student.)

The grant is one of the Frontier Projects of the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program. The projects are all about using multidisciplinary teams, supercomputing and physics-based modeling to solve defense problems.

In this case, the Defense Department wants better performance, fuel economy and power from its huge fleet of vehicles, including air and ground combat machines.

The researchers will use the grant to model the fundamental physics of fuel breaking into fine droplets (called atomization) and spraying into diesel engines at pressures of 3,000 atmospheres and speeds faster than 800 meters per second. The researchers want their models to show exactly what happens to the diesel droplets as they mix with air or crash into pistons.

«There are several things currently not understood about liquid fuel atomization, vaporization and two-phase flow turbulence inside the diesel engine,» Bravo said. «We’re taking a first-principles approach and looking at the various instability mechanisms that control atomization to eventually optimize that process.»

Bravo will lead studies of the fuel spray atomization and mixing. Kong will lead studies of fuel droplets interacting with pistons. Both projects will work with the Army Research Lab’s Spray and Combustion Laboratory and Chol-Bum «Mike» Kweon, the lab’s engine team leader.

Using a high-fidelity technique called direct numerical simulations, «We’ll look at the behavior of individual drops,» Kong said. «What happens when high-velocity drops impinge on the surface of a piston? Do they vaporize or break into smaller drops? Or do they form a liquid film?»

Creating an accurate model of fuel spray inside an engine cylinder requires incredible computing power. Kong said his research group is likely to use 4,000 processors simultaneously and may run its calculations on up to 10,000 processors at a time.

Kong said the resulting data should lead to better predictions of engine performance and could replace the simplified models used to design engines. More precise physics could ultimately lead to new and better engines.

«We’re conducting fundamental research to provide the knowledge that will cut down the costs of running these engines and increase their lives,» Bravo said.

Running an engine, of course, doesn’t stop with spraying fuel. There’s also combustion. Kong said there’s still a lot to learn about that, too.

«The next step,» he said, «is to look at the fundamental combustion chemistry.»

«We have been able to reduce the engine weight by between 50 and 60% with regard to the equivalent four-stroke engine. This entails a significant saving in fuel consumption, as well as a reduction in the cost of the engine itself,» explains Ricardo Novella, researcher at CMT-Motores Térmicos of the Universitat Politècnica de València.

Moreover, since it has fewer cylinders, the friction produced in the engine is reduced, increasing its mechanical output and, finally, its overall performance.

This engine is the result of Powerful, a European project led by the French multinational company Renault, in collaboration with the Czech Technical University in Prague, the IFP Energies Nouvelles and the companies Delphi and Le Moteur Moderne (LMM).

Regarding its implementation in the automobile industry, the engine has been designed for small vehicles, categorized as Class A, such as the Renault Twingo. The viability of this concept was demonstrated with one of these cars by the French multinational.

Validation of the engine

The validation tests of the engine were performed in the installations of CMT-Motores Térmicos. The researchers of the UPV proved its potential for reducing pollutant emissions and fuel consumption compared to the four-stroke version currently available on the market. Moreover, they studied the possibility of implementing new advanced combustion concepts, as alternatives to the conventional diesel system, with very promising results.

Today, the research effort is focused on the development of a boosting system that increases the actual levels of maximum power to the equivalent of a four-stroke engine. «Now the engine needs 20% more power, but it weighs 50% less, so the ratio gives more power per unit of weight (specific power), but not twice as much, which is what it should be. It gives around 1.7 times more. It is necessary to increase the power to a ratio of 2,» explains Ricardo Novella. Renault and the IFP Energies Nouvelles are leading this work.

In addition, Renault and CMT-Motores Térmicos continue their collaboration focusing on the analysis and optimization of new advanced concepts of combustion.

The researchers at CMT-Motores Térmicos presented the performance, characteristics and output of this new engine at the conference Thiesel 2014, held at the beginning of September at the Universitat Politècnica de València.

Trailblazing Toyota FCV to Feature in Final Stage of 2014 Japanese Rally Championship

Shinshiro, Japan.

A Toyota fuel cell vehicle (FCV) will be put through its paces in the final installment in this year’s Japanese Rally Championship: the 285 km Shinshiro Rally, held in Aichi Prefecture on November 1 and 2. Before the race starts, the FCV, specially tuned and outfitted for rally racing (as pictured below), will check the safety of the roads as a zero car―while emitting zero CO2 or harmful substances.

Toyota’s FCV sedan, a next-generation environment-friendly vehicle powered by hydrogen, will be launched in Japan before April 2015 and in summer 2015 in the U.S. and Europe.

Toyota has been developing fuel cell vehicles for more than 20 years. The company’s commitment to environment-friendly vehicles is based on three basic principles: embracing diverse energy sources; developing efficient, low-emission vehicles; and driving real and positive environmental change by popularizing these vehicles.

Mary Barra Addresses Detroit Economic Club

DETROIT – General Motors CEO Mary Barra addressed the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday. Her prepared remarks are below. As always, the speaker’s words are definitive.

***

Thank you, Sandy, for that kind introduction, and thanks also to Beth and the Detroit Economic Club for having me here today. This is the perfect setting to talk about a number of dramatic and unprecedented changes taking place in the auto industry, and what this means for GM, the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan.

In the 100 years-plus since the auto industry sprang up in our community, there have been many transitional periods. I believe we are in one of those periods again.

In fact, I believe this industry will experience more dramatic change in the next decade than it has in the past 50 years. Given what we have all witnessed in just the last few years, this is a bold prediction, I know. But it can be unbelievably exciting as well.

At GM, we are energized by this prospect. I tell my team that our generation of leaders has the opportunity and the great challenge of reimagining the company and the industry. The potential benefits for all of us who call Detroit home are enormous. This includes our business partners – dealers, suppliers and unions, including UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada, who is here today and who played such a key role in our success.

Look at the forces of change sweeping through the automotive sector…

Technology advancements are revolutionizing the industry. New propulsion systems, alternative fuel sources, lighter and stronger materials, self-driving vehicles and 4G LTE, to name but a few.

Rapidly growing markets in Asia are causing every company to rethink its business plans.

New competitors are emerging, including some in Silicon Valley.

Underlying each of these areas of change is the evolving nature of consumer expectations. What consumers want and expect from cars and trucks and crossovers is undergoing a revolution.

Consumers expect their vehicles to be safer, more reliable and more fuel efficient.

They are concerned about congestion and climate change.

They want better communication, navigation and entertainment capabilities in their vehicles.

They want to personalize their vehicles to fit their lifestyle. And they want ultra-convenient service.

I could go on. The point is, our customers are speaking forcefully and thoughtfully about what they want us to address. By listening carefully to their hopes, concerns and expectations… and applying our talent and resources… we can develop solutions that demonstrate the customer is truly at the center of everything we do.

If we do this, we will earn customers for life. This is how we intend to compete and win. By getting closer to the customer than any other auto manufacturer.

As I stand here today, GM is a company with many strengths. But I also know we must improve significantly and rapidly. These are the facts. Complacency and over confidence have no place in the global automotive industry… and no place at our company.

It is in this context that I want to talk with you today about the future of GM and the implications for our region.

Since 2009, GM has announced more than $11 billion in investments in the U.S. Almost half of that investment has been committed to Michigan. And I’m pleased to announce today that GM will make an additional investment of nearly $300 million in this region before the end of the year.

These investments lead to quality jobs. In fact, we have worked with our UAW partners to develop initiatives that will lead to more than 22,600 jobs in the United States. Hiring has begun for many of the positions and will continue over the next few years, and many of these jobs will be based right here in Michigan.

In case you think I’m just here to be a cheerleader for a Michigan, think again. We don’t invest in this region or create jobs here out of nostalgia or misplaced sentimentality. What matters in this industry is excellence, value and world-class skills. We don’t invest here because we want to be popular. We invest here because we believe the talent and ingenuity of this region are key components in our plan to win globally. That’s the only standard that matters.

So let’s review three areas where we know we can excel locally.

Many of you already know that OnStar is delivering the world’s largest automotive deployment of high-speed, 4G LTE mobile broadband. But that’s just the beginning.

In the next two years, we are going to start connecting cars to each other, and the world around them, using a wireless technology called V2X.

V2X encompasses both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology. It’s a game-changer for safety, because when enough cars share information about such factors as speed, direction and braking, we’ll be able to reduce crashes dramatically.

Cadillac will take the lead for our company. The 2017-model year CTS, to be built in Lansing, will be the first GM vehicle to carry V2X technology. And we believe it will also be the first for the U.S. industry.

GM is also joining forces with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the University of Michigan and other automakers to create V2X-enabled corridors on 120 miles of metro Detroit roadways.

This will provide connected cars almost instantaneous information about traffic conditions, road and lane closures and more. The first «connected corridor» will be the stretch of I-96/I-696 from US-23 in Brighton east to I-94 in St. Clair Shores, which has some of the heaviest traffic volumes in the state.

Again, the reason it will happen in Southeastern Michigan is because we have the scientists and engineers and expertise to lead the world in this critical area.

Another area where GM has placed a significant bet is in the electrification of the automobile. We introduced the Chevy Volt in late 2010 and in the intervening four years we have learned a lot about both the challenges and the promises of designing, engineering, manufacturing and selling an electric vehicle.

The scorecard on the first generation Volt is good, but not everything we wanted. We sold fewer than we expected. But, again, we have learned so much, including that breakthrough technology doesn’t always advance in a straight line.

Being first movers in this segment, we now understand the customer and value equation much better, and we are determined to make even more significant technology improvements in the electric vehicle space.

Our nearly 70,000 Chevy Volt customers absolutely love their vehicles, which have collectively traveled over half a billion all-electric miles. And in surveys done by outside parties, the Volt consistently ranks among the highest in customer satisfaction scores.

Customers love the Volt because it does exactly what it was intended to do: provide a no-gasoline option for drivers who use their vehicles less than 40 miles per trip, with a range-extending gasoline motor. Our data shows that Volt owners who regularly charge their vehicle typically drive more than 970 miles between fill-ups.

That’s like driving from Detroit to the Florida state line without ever stopping at a gas station! And, depending on their personal driving habits, Volt owners routinely report getting the equivalent of 100-200 miles per gallon.

Those are impressive numbers, and one of the many reasons why we believe electric vehicles will play an important role in the future of GM.

So at the Detroit Auto Show in January, we will introduce our next generation Volt. When it launches in the second half of 2015, it will represent a significant leap forward in technology, design and overall refinement. It will store more energy in its battery pack with fewer cells, yet go further on a charge. It will accelerate faster. And the car’s gas generator will come from an all-new GM engine family and use even less fuel.

The Volt is a leap forward in automotive technology, and it has already had a profound impact on this region. Of the more than $5 billion GM has invested in Michigan since 2009, over $1.8 billion of that amount was dedicated to make our state GM’s global center of excellence for vehicle electrification.

This investment helped make our Brownstown Township facility the country’s first high volume lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing site operated by a major automaker.

It helped fund new body shop tooling, equipment, and additional upgrades at our Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, which builds the Volt.

And it will also allow us to build the next-gen Volt’s gas engine in Flint.

Now we are prepared to go the next step. Along with the investment news I mentioned earlier, the second announcement I am pleased to share today is that we will build the new Volt’s electric drive system in Warren.

This means that all of the Volt’s major components — the battery cells, the battery pack, the electric drive unit, and the gas motor — will be made in Michigan.

For GM, this electrification technology is an important element of our global business plan. And we are determined that this region will be the recognized global leader of electric vehicle development.

As I close in on completing my first year as CEO, I am frequently asked what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed. I won’t burden you with a full review today, but let me tell you one thing I appreciate more and one way I’ve changed.

First, as many of you know, I got my MBA at Stanford. I know Silicon Valley and I respect the entrepreneurial spirit that region represents. But I also know that Silicon Valley doesn’t have a corner on the market for innovation, creativity and drive. These qualities exist here – in this region – as well. It’s the responsibility and opportunity for all of us in this room today to do a better job of tapping into this enormous potential.

Second, I have become impatient. I want to win. Not get by. Not hold on. Not be competitive. But win.

I want GM to excel. To build relationships with customers for life. To be the most valued automotive company in the world. Some will say these ambitions are too bold… too aggressive. I don’t think so at all.

If we aren’t here to win, to lead, to excel, why are we here?

Johan De Nysschen, our new President of Cadillac commented recently in Automotive News that our competitors are «…absolutely 100 percent immersed in annihilating the opposition.»

He’s right. This is reality. And we must be equally determined to prevail.

I want it understood that the day of GM being a polite competitor is over. We will be professional. We will be ethical, of course. But we will be tough, unrelenting competitors. And everyone who cares about the success of the company and this region should expect nothing less of us.

Today, I tell you I believe in GM more than ever. I also believe in the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan. Our fates have been linked for more than 100 years. Going forward, we are going to make a lot more great history together.

Thank you for having me here today.

About General Motors Co.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

«Issues related to cost, power, energy density, and durability of Li-ion batteries have slowed their implementation in large-scale applications, such as electric and hybrid vehicles,» said Ruigang Zhang, a Toyota Motor Corporation scientist specializing in energy storage technology. «A rechargeable magnesium (Mg) battery system is one interesting candidate that offers much greater earth abundance than lithium and higher storage capacity — but the necessary research remains a challenge.»

To probe molecular structures and track the rapid chemical reactions in these promising batteries, Zhang and colleagues turned to the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

«CFN possesses a full suite of powerful observational and analytical instruments,» said scientist Feng Wang of Brookhaven Lab’s Sustainable Energy Technologies Department, who will lead the collaboration with Zhang’s team at CFN. «With our newly developed imaging techniques, we are able to track the magnesium reactions in real time with nanoscale resolution, letting us understand how and why structural disorder emerges and impacts performance. And it is personally exciting to analyze and optimize materials that may one day make transportation more sustainable.»

In rechargeable batteries, ions are shuttled back and forth between the oppositely charged anode and cathode — flow in one direction generates electricity (discharge), while applying external voltage causes flow in the other (charge). Magnesium ions carry twice the intrinsic charge of lithium ions, meaning they store and deliver more energy. But as those ions move during each cycle, the billionth-of-a-meter structure of the battery material degrades and transforms.

The degradation rates and patterns — whether uniform or asymmetrical — must be probed in a variety of conditions to understand the underlying mechanisms. Once pinpointed, scientists can then design new atomic architectures or customized compounds that overcome these obstacles to extend battery lifetimes and optimize performance.

The Toyota researchers plan to target the specific chemistry of a promising magnesium cathode composed of hollow carbon molecules called fullerenes. The compound offers consistent energy output, a rapid cycling rate, and extremely low voltage hysteresis — meaning it stays relatively intact even after many cycles of charge and discharge. Despite all that, the performance and ease of battery integration still need work, and scientists need a full understanding of structural evolution, crystallization mechanisms, and other factors influencing the electrochemical reactions.

«Unfortunately, our preliminary x-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated material amorphization — a loss of crystalline structure — during operation that makes it challenging to follow the structural evolution,» Zhang said. «We now plan to use the advanced electron microscope facilities at CFN for local structural studies, particularly to track the reaction as it occurs rather than just before or after.»

Zhang’s team will work with Wang to use CFN’s high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) techniques to identify morphologies and chemical elements as they emerge or transform. In these techniques, a focused beam of electrons strikes and interacts with the material’s atomic structure and then carries that information into highly sensitive detectors.

«Toyota’s research goals are a perfect match for our expertise in tracking the real-time chemical reactions of cutting-edge materials,» said J. Patrick Looney, who leads Brookhaven’s Sustainable Energy Technologies Department. «Our focus on connecting fundamental with use-inspired science aligns well with the very practical challenges tackled by Toyota and other industrial collaborators.»

Wang will work alongside CFN’s electron microscopy staff and other experts across Brookhaven Lab to facilitate Toyota’s research and even pioneer new technologies and techniques.

«Down the road, we also plan to use Brookhaven’s powerful new x-ray light source facility, the National Synchrotron Light Source II, to investigate battery properties and reaction evolutions in real time under real-world reaction conditions,» Zhang said.

The world-leading NSLS-II, scheduled to begin operations in 2015, will achieve single-nanometer resolution and enable unprecedented in operando energy research.

«CFN and NSLS-II share a singular partnership, allowing scientists from all over the world to synthesize, characterize, and analyze materials at one location,» said CFN Director Emilio Mendez. «This kind of collaboration aligns with our own mission of addressing the nation’s energy challenges as well as providing an unparalleled service to external users, including those from industry. We will operate several beamlines at NSLS-II, and I’m eager to see the kinds of breakthroughs achieved by Toyota and other users.»

Added Zhang, «Solving the magnesium challenges may open the door for other multivalent batteries such as cadmium or aluminum, thereby shedding light on the next generation of battery technology.»

Hyundai Motor Launches Motor Integrated Six-Speed Transmission For Latest Hybrid Models

— New technologies within motor-integrated six-speed automatic will achieve an improved fuel economy of latest hybrid models
— High performance downsized 1.0-litre Kappa Turbo engine meets Euro6
standards

October 28, 2014 – Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, has announced a new six-speed automatic transmission for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) at the company’s annual International Powertrain Conference held today in Namyang, South Korea.

The new six-speed automatic transmission integrates the electric motor and applies a number of new technologies that deliver tangible benefits to the customer. The new unit will be fitted to future Hyundai hybrids, including the All-new Sonata.

The innovative set-up means that almost all of the hybrid powertrain components are contained within the transmission, minimizing energy losses and increasing fuel economy. A new traction motor and electric oil pump (EOP) have been fitted, while the torque converter has been removed completely. A lighter torsion damper, and new engine clutch, which features fewer clutch discs, reduce drag and contribute to a more efficient transfer and use of power.

The most significant change is within the oil pump system. The new transmission with the new oil pump system achieves improved fuel efficiency, by removing the mechanical oil pump (MOP) causing hydraulic losses and by applying a new electric oil pump (EOP) which automatically optimizes the system according to all driving conditions.

With fewer components, the new transmission weighs 130 kg (wet) – making it lighter than its previous version – yet still delivers 280 Nm (28.5 kg.m) of torque.

New 1.0-litre T-GDI
First displayed at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the new Kappa 1.0-litre T-GDI is a high performance downsizing engine which could replace larger displacement natural-aspirated engines offering high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emission. The 998 cc three-cylinder unit is based on the established Kappa 1.0-litre MPI engine, carrying various enhancements and new technologies, including direct gasoline injection and a small, single-scroll turbocharger.

The 1.0-litre T-GDI engine produces 120PS (88.1kW) and peak torque of 17.5kgfm (172Nm) and will enhance Hyundai’s engine line-up in 2015.

The new engine comes with an electronically-controlled waste-gate to improve low-end torque and transient response with better fuel economy by reducing pumping friction. The unit features a six-hole laser-drilled GDI injector, high pressure fuel supply system of maximum 200 bar, securing clean combustion and improving fuel economy and emissions to fulfill Euro6 emission standards.

It uses a split-cooling concept to manage different temperatures in the cylinder head and block area. The cylinder block is heated up quickly for lower friction and more efficient run, while the cylinder head operates at moderately low temperatures to suppress knock tendency hence improve fuel economy. The exhaust manifold is integrated within the cylinder head which efficiently cool down the exhaust gas temperature using the cylinder head water jacket around the exhaust port. These efforts result in faster warm-up reducing real-world fuel consumption and emissions.

Alevo Opens Victory Industrial Park In Concord, North Carolina

October 27, 2014

Innovative Energy Service Provider will generate 2,500-6,000 new jobs

Alevo Group, the Energy Service Provider, today announced that it will deploy and commission production lines at the Victory Industrial Park in Concord, North Carolina, for the manufacture of its innovative battery technology and GridBanks.

Alevo, a vertically-integrated manufacturer with global operations, has purchased the 3.5 million square foot former Philip Morris cigarette manufacturing facility in Concord, North Carolina, for $68.5 million. The manufacturing facility, renamed Victory Industrial Park (VIP), joins established operations in Europe. Alevo plans to deploy and commission production lines at VIP commencing in 2015 which will produce 40 GridBanks per month by July 2015.

Duke Energy has a 38MW substation on the property and natural gas, water, sewer and fiber infrastructure all exceed Alevo Manufacturing’s requirements. The facility is in a preferred logistical location in the central eastern region of the US with rail on property and next to Interstate I-85. Alevo will manufacture its own batteries for its energy storage systems and co-locate with many of its partners to assemble finished goods.

The active ingredients of the Alevo cell are LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) and graphite. Unlike typical rechargeable lithium ion batteries, such as those found in most consumer electronics devices, the Alevo lithium cell contains a new inorganic electrolyte technology, which is non-flammable and non-volatile. The process of electrode manufacturing, cell assembly, cell drying and fill, formation and aging, GridBank packaging/assembly that will bring the Alevo Battery Technology to a high volume manufacturing system will be in place in early 2015.

The Alevo VIP manufacturing plant will create 500 jobs in the first 12 months, rising to 2,500 skilled jobs within three years as manufacturing lines are added, ultimately rising to 6,000 jobs if and when additional manufacturing elements are located at the plant. Staff will be sourced using combinations of online recruiting, specialty recruiting services, North Carolina Works-Career Center and Rowan Cabarrus Community College.

«Our current energy environment sees dependence on polluting fossil fuels from unstable states coupled with an aging grid infrastructure that is based on a 100 year old design. Energy waste is rampant with an estimated 30% of all generated electricity lost before consumption. Alevo is an Energy Service Provider that uses a combination of innovative battery technology and smart data analytics to reduce a substantial part of the 30% of generated electricity that is currently wasted through reducible inefficiencies,» said Jostein Eikeland, CEO Alevo Group SA.

About Alevo

Alevo is a leading provider of energy storage systems designed to deliver grid-scale electricity on demand. Its innovative battery technology and GridBanks enable new source-agnostic architecture for electrical grids that reduce waste, greenhouse gases and other emissions, create efficiencies and lower costs for the world’s energy producers. Founded in 2009, Alevo Group is headquartered in Martigny Switzerland. For more information visit www.alevo.com.

The switch would consist of a plasma-filled tube that turns current on and off in systems that convert the direct current (DC) coming from long-distance power lines to the alternating current (AC) that lights homes and businesses; such systems are used to convert AC power to DC power as well. The tube would serve as a compact, less costly alternative to the bulky assemblies of semiconductor switches now installed in power-conversion systems throughout the grid.

To assist GE, PPPL used a pair of computer codes to model the properties of plasma under different magnetic-field configurations and gas pressures. Scientists used a customized LSP PIC-MCC code that follows millions of virtual plasma electrons and ions to simulate the switch in both one and two dimensions, and compared the 1D results with those produced by a one-dimensional EDIPIC code that has been extensively used to study plasma propulsion devices. Researchers then validated the models by comparing them with results from past experiments.

GE has also consulted with PPPL about developing a method for protecting the liquid-metal cathode — the negative terminal inside the tube — from damage from the ions carrying the current that will flow through the plasma. The company has been studying PPPL’s use of liquid lithium, which the Laboratory employs to prevent damage to the divertor that exhausts heat in a fusion facility. The lithium forms a wet, self-healing barrier that could serve as a model for the GE cathode.

In the UK, the Sainsbury grocery chain has announced it will receive the country’s first hydrogen fueling dispenser located at a supermarket. The dispenser will be built by specialty gas maker Air Products.

According to Air Products, “Sainsbury’s has announced the UK’s first supermarket forecourt hydrogen dispenser will be located at its Hendon store by the end of the year. Working with global leaders in hydrogen infrastructure, Air Products, the new dispenser will join a network of existing stations helping bring a breath of fresh air to residents and visitors in London and the South East.

“The SmartFuel® station will be able to fuel a growing number of hydrogen-powered fleets driving around the Capital. From hydrogen-powered buses running between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway, to hybrid delivery vans operated by Commerical Group and hydrogen powered taxis already driving on London’s roads; it is clear hydrogen isn’t a fuel of the future, it’s a fuel for today.”

The Sainsbury 700-bar SmartFuel® hydrogen fueling dispenser will be part of a larger network of H2 fueling stations around London that will be supporting the commercial fuel cell vehicles that will be rolling out in that area over the next several years.

Filed under: Hydrogen Fueling Stations

ZEV states announce national sales of electric vehicles have surpassed 250,000

Announcement made at world’s largest Zero Emission Vehicle Showcase

DIAMOND BAR —
Representatives of an eight-state partnership to develop and support the market for zero emission vehicles joined Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols today to announce that national ZEV sales have passed the quarter-million mark. Fittingly, the world’s largest display of individual zero-emission cars, motorcycles and trucks served as a backdrop for the announcement.

To put the milestone in perspective, 250,000 cars is the combined daily volume of traffic on the Golden Gate and the Brooklyn Bridge.

«In only a few short years we have gone from virtually zero to a quarter-million zero-emission cars, and every day moves us closer to our combined goal of 3.3 million by 2025. » said Chairman Nichols. «This announcement is further evidence that the market for zero emission vehicles is growing and that increasingly, consumers nationwide are choosing to say no to cars that run on petroleum and yes to a new generation of ultra-clean vehicles.»

In addition to Chairman Nichols, speakers at today’s announcement were Commissioner David W. Cash from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Deputy Secretary Kathy Kinsey of the Maryland Department of the Environment.

The accompanying ZEV Showcase included the new Toyota Fuel Cell Concept car (which will be formally revealed next month at the LA Auto Show), as well as the Harley-Davidson electric «Livewire» motorcycle and some of the newest commercially available models, including the Tesla Model D and the Mercedes B class EV.

8 states lead the market

Sales figures from around the country now show sales of more than 260,000 vehicles, with the quarter-million mark reached in September. Californians have purchased or leased more than 100,000 ZEVs. The other seven states account for more than 135,000 vehicles. The other states are Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

«Zero-emission vehicles are vital to Massachusetts’ efforts to cut air pollution from the transportation sector and stimulate growth in the clean energy economy,» said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Cash. «The eight-state ZEV partnership and our progressive incentive programs are working. Over the past year, Massachusetts has seen a 132 percent increase in electric vehicle registration and a huge hike in EV charging-station infrastructure installations. The future is now!»

Collaboration produces progress

Members of the eight-state collaborative signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October 2013, and released its ZEV Action Plan in June 2014. The states are working together to develop incentives to encourage consumers and businesses to purchase ZEVs, as well as collaborating to streamline codes and regulations dealing with recharging and refueling infrastructure.

For example: since signing the MOU, Massachusetts has launched two new financial incentive programs to spur sales of ZEVs and installation of recharging stations. The state has earmarked nearly $4 million for those programs, and so far more than $1.5 million has been reserved or awarded for vehicles and projects.

Maryland provided another example, having provided $1 million for new charging infrastructure, as well as financial incentives for consumers. Maryland expanded a tax credit for vehicle purchase and leasing and converted a tax credit for charging equipment to a rebate.

«In Maryland, one of our highest priorities is transitioning our public and private transportation fleets away from petroleum based fuels,» said Deputy Secretary Kinsey of the Maryland Department of the Environment. «In the past year we have doubled the number of plug-in vehicles registered in our State, and we now have more 500 charging stations accessible to the public. Our collaboration with California and the other zero-emission vehicle states has been an important factor in the growth of the electric vehicle market in Maryland.»

California provides rebate incentives to ZEV drivers, has a growing network of more than a thousand public electric charging stations, and is investing more than $50 million in additional hydrogen refueling stations. The state has also put in place clean car regulations which increase fuel efficiency and will put a minimum of 1.5 million ZEVs on the roads here by 2025. These regulations build on the so-called Pavley rules in 2002, which resulted in the first program in the country to consider greenhouse gas emissions in its regulations.