Saturday, March 03, 2012

Energy-Storage Membrane Super Capacitors and Mega Batteries

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Potato Chip
or Mega Battery Component?

Four months ago I outlined yet another story of a major "discovery" in the energy storage field, that according to the reports could store 200,000 times more energy than a regular capacitor at 0.20 Farads per cm2.

The team, in this instance, was from the National University of Singapore's Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI), and the head man was Dr Xie Xian Ning.

If this item in the photo had been some amazing new potato chip, it would be in every supermarket world-wide by now. But because it is a battery to beat all batteries and save the world, and set the electric car on a new trajectory into the sunset, it has gone ALL QUIET. Not a blessed peep - just like all the other mega batteries and super-duper capacitors..

Gee - doesn't it all have a very familiar ring to it?? EEstor, Ecolocap etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. 

It sets me thinking - is there a business, and money to be made, in rumour manufacture? Could there be money in announcing some mega breakthrough in energy storage, something that is cheap and easy to produce and capable of holding 1000s of times more energy?  But sadly, in most, if not in all cases, years later not as much as a fart in the wind has materialised? 

I cannot see any other explanation for the recent flood of AMAZING discoveries that just never make it to the shops!! I really am losing interest in these energy stories that appear about three or four times a year


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