Page 2 - batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are considered the solution to making electric cars possible. But, which kind? A recent article in ConsumerReports.org talks about what’s next in the lithium battery landscape.

Seth Fletcher, editor of Popular Science magazine and author, describes the key technologies of today and what lies ahead. Here are excerpts of his take on develops, as reported by Eric Evarts.

• The first-generation lithium batteries are made from lithium-cobalt oxide. These are the batteries widely used in consumer electronics today. These batteries have good power, but they are less stable than other kinds. While lithium-cobalt oxide batteries are readily available, commercial versions are not set up for cars. They are mainly made by Sony.
• The second-generation lithium batteries, developed for the Chevrolet Volt, are made of lithium-manganese oxide. But lithium-manganese stores less energy, which limits the range of electric cars.
• The third-generation lithium-based batteries use lithium-iron

One of the biggest letdowns when it comes to the holiday unwrapping frenzy is for batteries to be forgotten, and as a result, battery-powered electronics and toys purchased may not be useable until stores reopen. It happens every year around the family celebrations, but you can ahead now and stock up on typical sizes needed and even add them to your list for Santa.

If you are buying a toy for a child, do your child a special favor and purchase the batteries (remember they are typically not included) and tape them onto the box. That way, they can be installed immediately so your child will be able to enjoy the item that was purchased rather than just “looking” at it. If you are buying a child a more elaborate battery-operated riding toy, be sure to read up on the directions ahead of time and know how long the battery needs to be charged. What child won’t want to ride the toy, so having it charged and ready for action will add to the holiday magic for the lucky child.

The same holds true

Winter is quickly approaching, and snow is already falling in some parts of the country. While it’s too early to declare the opening of ski season, the truth is that wintery temperatures aren’t too far away.

So that you are ready to head outdoors and enjoy time on your snowmobile, now is the perfect time to make sure that your equipment’s battery is ready for another season of action. Depending on the age and condition of your snowmobile’s battery, it may be time to invest in a new one. And you don’t want to wait until the perfect conditions exist only to find your snowmobile won’t start up.

At Impact Battery, we have a variety of snowmobile batteries and even chargers so you are ready to hit the snow. We also have a wide selection of car batteries too, and solar chargers as a way to keep things powered up and ready for action.

The cooler temperatures also bring out an increased number of motorcyclists who enjoy the change in landscape and Mother Nature’s beauty. Children’s riding toys

Lithium-ion batteries are used in an array of consumer electronics, from laptops, smart phones, and even electric cars. While the current lithium-ion batteries are good, they will get better. The reason can be credited to researchers who have found a way to have the batteries store more energy.

According to a recent article in Science Daily, the anode is a critical component in these batteries. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab have designed a new type of anode that can absorb eight times the lithium of current designs. Even more promising, it has maintained its greatly increased energy capacity after over a year of testing and countless charge-discharge cycles. And additional good news with it is that the new anodes are made from low-cost materials, compatible with current standard lithium-battery manufacturing technologies.

While the better batteries aren’t yet ready for your new electronics just yet, the emphasis on continual improvement to maintain high customer

A battery not achieving or holding a desired charge is a common complaint with consumers for anything electronic. Whether it is a battery for a toy, scooter, golf cart, boat, RV, laptop, or a hose of other electronics items, customers rightfully expect for their battery to produce a charge that makes the equipment is for run.

We have discussed previously that batteries have a life and that no battery—regardless of the brand or quality—lasts forever. But sometimes, consumers unwittingly shorten their battery’s life by using the battery improperly. When that happens, the end result could be a battery that is damaged, and in some cases, could even affect the appliance or equipment itself.

Common reasons why batteries fail:

• A battery is exposed to extreme weather conditions—heat, cold or moisture.
• Battery is attempted to be used in a different way than what it was made for. Many batteries are designed for a specific product and using them interchangeably when they shouldn’t be can cause damage.

According to a recent article in Science Daily, batteries could get a boost from a discovery that increases power, energy density and safety while dramatically reducing charge time.

A team led by Hansan Liu, Gilbert Brown and Parans Paranthaman of the Department of Energy lab's Chemical Sciences Division found that titanium dioxide creates a highly desirable material that increases surface area and features a fast charge-discharge capability for lithium ion batteries. Compared to conventional technologies, the differences in charge time and capacity are striking.

"We can charge our battery to 50 percent of full capacity in six minutes while the traditional graphite-based lithium ion battery would be just 10 percent charged at the same current," Liu said.

Compared to commercial lithium titanate material, the ORNL compound also boasts a higher capacity -- 256 vs. 165 milliampere hour per gram -- and a sloping discharge voltage that is good for controlling state of charge. This characteristic

While momentum continues on the prospect of battery-powered automobiles in the future, a new study indicates that they aren’t currently a cost-effective way to reduce emissions and cut oil use. Rather, utilizing hybrids and plug-in cars that can go short distances on electricity still receive a battery return—at least for now.

Battery technology breakthroughs, a more efficient electric power grid and higher oil costs would actually be needed to justify the expense, weight and assembly-related costs of “large battery pack” cars, according to the survey, as reported in Bloomberg on Sept. 26.

“It’s not that large battery packs are bad, it’s that they are not providing as many benefits per dollar,” Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who led the review, said in an interview. “Ordinary hybrids increase fuel economy substantially, and the incremental cost of those systems is getting relatively small.”

That by no means that research on battery

We have been writing weekly blogs about our quality batteries and how Impact Battery is your source for your power needs of all kinds, but this week we wanted to talk about why ordering batteries online makes sense.

Studies of consumer buyer trends continue to show how more and more people are purchasing online. Reasons are simple: consumers don’t have to drive around and “hunt” for a particular item they seek. Rather, they point and click, are able to read about the item from the comfort of their own home, are able to shop for prices and quality, and then know that the item they want will be delivered to their doorstep.

We stock a wide variety of battery types that aren’t always readily available on retailers’ shelves, and our customers have told us they appreciate knowing that a particular replacement or backup battery is available and will be ready for shipping right away. Since scooter batteries and batteries for toys, boats, power sports, RVs, wheelchairs, and other equipment are sometimes

Selling batteries is what we do, but when we saw the article this week from Techlicious about potential techie products that are possible dangers to children, we wanted to pass it on to our families.

Topping No. 4 on the hazards list is "button cell batteries", touted as potential poison pills. Since 1985, there have been 3,500 injuries and nine deaths. These small button-sized batteries are commonly used in items like remote controls, toys, light-up shoes, digital ear thermometers, and countless other products.

The danger here According to the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., is that children, usually toddler-age, swallow these batteries. The batteries can get stuck in children’s throats.  This is obviously a choking hazard but more often overlooked is the potential for severe chemical burns. "The effect starts within minutes of ingesting the battery and in as soon as two hours can burn a hole through the esophagus where it's lodged," says Dr. Toby Litovitz, executive

Labor Day is the traditional end to summer. And while there is still ample time to enjoy warm weather sports and activities across much of the country, thoughts are already turning to cooler temperatures and new activities it will bring.

If you are a fair weather boater and don’t plan to use your boat once cooler temperatures make their debut, it’s important to make the proper preparations for storing your battery so that it will serve you well when boating season returns.

While the preparations make take some time and effort, it’s much better than having to buy a new battery when you are ready to bring your boat out again next springtime.

Here are the basic steps in boat battery storage:

• Remove the caps off the top of wet cell batteries and check the water level in each cell. Add distilled water so that the level is full in every cell, and then replace the caps.
• Test your battery to make sure it is fully charged. If not, put it on the charger until it is fully charged.
• Clean and dry the