New Type of Battery on the Horizon - Wow!

[Fishman_Tx]

Originally Posted by David M

Then you would have to change your keel out every 4 years.

Hey, a centerboard! Gotta haul out once in a while anyway....

[Highlander40]

This battery is based on sodium. The metal sodium.
When I was in college somebody stole a chunk of sodium and threw it into the pool outside my window. Of course I was passed out drunk and missed the explosion or fire or whatever but they tried to blame me because I was nearby.
Sodium and water dont mix. Normally the stuff is stored in oil. The other thing is that this battery has to be hot to work, 90 deg C. You want that on your boat?

I do apreciate the forward thinking and all but the "electric everthing" crowd are passing by a lot of savings that may not have the new and shiney attraction. Like better hull design, weight reduction, more efficient diesels and drive trains. When does it make sense to spend more and get less? KISS

[Fishman_Tx]

nyaahh...partypooper (just kidding!) Actually was being facetious. Yes, metallic Sodium has a tendency to burn VERY hot and VERY fast when exposed to water.
Here's a Wiki quote:
"Sodium reacts exothermically with water: small pea-sized pieces will bounce across the surface of the water until they are consumed by it, whereas large pieces will explode. While sodium reacts with water at room temperature, the sodium piece melts with the heat of the reaction to form a sphere, if the reacting sodium piece is large enough. The reaction with water produces very caustic sodium hydroxide (lye) and highly flammable hydrogen gas."

[YOGAO]

Originally Posted by Fishman_Tx

nyaahh...partypooper (just kidding!) Actually was being facetious. Yes, metallic Sodium has a tendency to burn VERY hot and VERY fast when exposed to water.

Here's a Wiki quote:
The reaction with water produces very caustic sodium hydroxide (lye) and highly flammable hydrogen gas."

Hey, can't we then use that hydrogen in a fuel cell?

[Fishman_Tx]

We could if we could get it into the cell b4 it exploded.....what, oh...say...half a second? Actually, it COULD work (centerboard or keel) as the unit would be contained and sealed and also the point of the research was to maintain the efficiency AND bring the temp down to a safe level from molten state cells. Give 'em a couple more years, you never know.....

[Rvrratt]

Originally Posted by jjtctaylor

yes way not impressed...... LI-Ion density, maybe a little better. Whole lot more issues than density as well. Recharge time, discharge rates, charge management and assorted risks. Waiting for ceramic capacitive discharge devices like from EE-STOR. They claim to deliver three times or better the density and many times the charge rates.

Granted no one knows how to supply 13.5KVA to your boat, house, car or anywhere else for charge. But they claim to tank up 16KWH in 2 minutes. Now that would be amazing.

JT

I am of the same mind...if EEstore is not a scam...we should know soon... if it's a scam we should know within a year.

[Hurricane Harry]

Well I do think that fuelcells are the future probably in a hybridfashion to start but as they go things will develop. I think its a healthy race for mother earth.

But we have to be honest, its hard to make gasoline from water./ Harry

[witzgall]

When I read anything written as that "Article" is, the BS meter is pegged solidly to the right.

Chris

[senormechanico]

Imagine the destruction if you had a keel battery and you went aground.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maren]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Imagine the destruction if you had a keel battery and you went aground.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There would be warning signs, namely the hydrogen gas.

"Daddy, look! Our boat is farting!"

[Fishman_Tx]

"Daddy, look! Our boat is farting!"

HAH!!!! ROFLMA all the way OFF!!! GOD that's funny!!

[S&S]

Kinda like a giant Alka-Seltzer

[Fishman_Tx]

plop, plop, fizz, fizz..oh what a re....**BOOOM**

[Dune]

"The battery comes from a Salt Lake City company called Ceramtec, the R&D arm of CoorsTek, an world leader in advanced materials and electrochemical devices.

AND BEER!!!

[anotherT34C]

For a slightly different perspective...

Mormon City Creates New Dangerous Solar Battery (Coorstek) | ChristWire