BizVoice July/August 2017

54 / 74

54 BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – July/August 2017
RESOURCES: Richard Benedict, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, at | Terry Murphy, Hammond Group, at |
David Roberts, Battery Innovation Center, at
elasticity in that marketplace. The reality is the lithium-ion battery is
just too expensive. And if they run out of life, the problem is it’s not for
the entire life of the automobile. So if the battery pack costs you $10,000
to replace, it may cause a premature end of life on the entire asset.”
Enhancements in powertrains and usage of superchargers could be
a breakthrough in maximizing potential of lead acid batteries, in
Murphy’s opinion, as development is currently underway with several
car manufacturers. He foresees affordable “true hybrid” cars that
combine torque, acceleration and high gas mileage in the near future.
Feeling the flow
Flow batteries, which are rechargeable and use electrolyte liquids
and electrochemical cells, are another avenue for automobile enhancement.
Purdue researchers have developed the “Ifbattery,” an instantly
rechargeable battery that could revolutionize hybrid and electric vehicles.
The innovative aspect of the battery is that it lacks a membrane.
“Membrane fouling can limit the number of recharge cycles and is
a known contributor to many battery fires,” says John Cushman, Purdue
professor and Ifbattery LLC co-founder, in a statement. “Ifbattery’s
components are safe enough to be stored in a family home, are stable
enough to meet major production and distribution requirements and
are cost effective.”
A benefit, according to researchers, is these batteries would not
require recharging stations and the infrastructure redevelopment that
goes along with their construction. It would use an energy storage
system that would enable drivers to fill up their electric or hybrid
vehicles with fluid electrolytes.
Powerhouses
Households of the future could soon be taking a more independent
approach to power. This concept became more mainstream when Elon
Musk unveiled Tesla’s Powerwall technology to the public in 2015, in
which a rechargeable lithium-ion battery is attached to a home (and
ideally paired with a solar panel system).
“That’s frankly not new technology,” Roberts reveals. “It’s just
that Musk has a way to make things much more sexy and attractive.
But I’d say the big change is we’ve gotten much better PR for what
storage can do.”
This distributed storage concept augments the benefits of placing
energy closer to the consumption site.
“I think home energy storage is a major development with the
ability to microgrid – the ability to detach from the main grid and be
able to sustain your base activities using storage on site,” Roberts
proposes. “It’s basically like being able to turn off city water and go to
well water in the event of a disaster.”
He predicts that savvy home buyers may soon include batteries as
a “must-have” in search criteria.
“I think you’ll see more houses with batteries on site and maybe in
10 years when you look at a house, you’ll ask if it has its own energy
storage unit already in place or not. More consumers will demand it when
they understand the security and peace of mind it can provide at home.”
Roberts believes the evidence of battery advancements rests in
our hands – and at our feet – each day.
“You’re seeing changes in a day-to-day aspect with your phone;
the iPhone 8 has battery performance light years ahead of where it was
two generations ago,” he concludes. “In five to 10 years, you’ll see
batteries in smart transportation – far more hybrids, if not completely
electric. Even if you argue (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)
standards will be relaxed, I think the issue of being less reliant on fossil
fuels and foreign oil from a security standpoint will be more important.”
Hammond Group improves battery life by creating optimal additive mixes, striving to get the most out of lead acid batteries. CEO Terry Murphy welcomes
a diversity of models in the effort to maximize energy efficiency.