Development

Battery

FAQ: How does a Hydrino Hydride Battery compare to a Lithium-Ion Battery?

BlackLight Power (BLP) is frequently asked to differentiate its Hydrino Hydride Battery (HHB) concept from the market leading Lithium-Ion technology. This document discusses the market forces behind battery development, and the Hydrino Hydride physical and electro-chemical characteristics that can be utilized to design a high voltage, energy dense battery. BLP is currently researching suitable hydrino hydride materials to be incorporated into a HHB.

Market Forces and Li-Ion Design

As portable electronic devices are becoming more sophisticated the demand for a superior battery technology continues to rise. Also, the growing demand for Electric Vehicles requires a battery technology that is light in weight and high in energy and power.

Lithium-ion batteries are preferred to other traditional battery technologies because of their lighter weight and higher relative voltage. Lithium, the active element in a lithium-ion battery, is the lightest metal and has a high voltage. However, lithium-ion batteries are being developed with limited success to power the electronic devices, and weight and cost factors are prohibiting lithium-ion batteries from being used in electric cars.

The schematic of a lithium-ion battery is shown in the Figure 1, below. The lithium-ion shuttles between the anode and cathode during charging and discharging of the battery.

Figure 1. Schematic of Lithium-Ion Battery (Discharge Process)

The Hydrino Hydride Battery (HHB)

Figure 2. Schematic of HHB (Discharge Process)

BLP is currently developing a HHB in which the hydrino hydride-ion shuttles between the anode and cathode. Two different metal hydrides, or a hydride and a metal, act as cathode and anode and a hydride ion conductor as the electrolyte in this battery (shown in Figure 2). Hydrogen, the active element in the HHB, with a light cation such as lithium, provides much lighter anode and cathode materials in a HHB than anode and cathode materials in a lithium ion battery. The HHB will have a much higher voltage and energy density than a lithium-ion battery. Because of its high mobility and high voltage, the HHB will be able to meet the high power needs and will recharge in a very short period of time. Also, HHBs are expected to be less expensive when fully developed, because it is the byproduct of an energy producing process (the BlackLight Process) using hydrogen.

Optimized Hydrino Hydride Battery (Projected) Specifications Compared to Lithium-Ion Battery

BLP is currently developing proof of concept battery prototypes. From our understanding of the physical and chemical properties of hydrino chemical compounds, BLP projects the HHB will have significant commercial competitive advantages. The following table identifies these advantages.

Cost Comparison

The energy density projection for BLP's battery is as high as 10,000+ watt-hours per kilogram. The voltage of BLP's battery may be 70 volts compared to the average voltage for a lithium-ion battery of 3.6 volts. BLP's battery compound may release about 100 times the energy and 1,000 plus times the power of any other conventional chemical used in batteries. This, in turn, means that proportionally less chemical will be required to manufacture BLP's battery. The overall weight should not exceed 1/10th that of a conventional electric vehicle battery. This implies that the cost of manufacturing BLP's battery will be correspondingly low. Conventional batteries cost from $10/kg for lead-acid to $30/kg for lithium-ion. Since BLP's battery should not weigh more than several tens of kg, it is expected to cost less than $2,000 (based on a conservative comparison manufacturing cost of the lithium-ion battery of $30/kg). Based on current cost projections, none of the conventional batteries meet acceptable cost parameters. They range from costs of $300-350/kWh for nickel-cadmium, $150-180/kWh for lithium ion, $150/kWh for nickel-metal-hydride, and $120-150/kWh for lead-acid batteries.

Target Market: Electric Vehicle

Current battery technology does not produce an acceptable range or power. The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has set criteria that batteries must meet to be considered a viable competitive technology alternative to IC vehicles. The battery must have an adequate energy density, termed maximum energy density ("MED"), which defines the vehicles range. The maximum energy density according to the USABC must be at least 200 watt-hr/kg of battery weight. In comparison, BLP's battery has a theoretical MED of at least 10,000 watt-hr/kg. This is important as the higher the MED, the lower the weight of the battery needs to be to meet the performance requirements of speed and range. Up to now, no battery technology has been able to meet these criteria because the MED was too low. In addition to energy density, the batteries must have adequate power for acceleration, termed the maximum power density, of 400 watts/kg. Based on a 500 lb. battery, this would correspond to a peak power of 120 hp. Current technologies are marginal at best. BLP's projected specifications not only surpass those of the USABC, they significantly surpass those of the internal combustion engine. Thus, BLP believes its prospects for obtaining EV market share are favorable.

Target Market: Portable Electronics Battery

A recent article in Forbes [B. Fulford, "Running on Empty", Forbes, February 7, 2000, pp. 12-127.] presents the case that advanced electronics devices such as laptop computers, and high-bandwidth wireless video and Internet handheld devices are threatened by the lack of an adequate power source. The present state of the art is the lithium ion battery which can store 165 watt-hours per kg. Lithium metal is slightly more energetic, but is presently considered unsafe and represents a theoretical limit for energy density. The market potential is enormous. The mobile phone market is estimated to be $10 billion by 2005.

BLP projects demand for an advanced battery based on its technology from the portable consumer electronics market. These applications may provide an interim market until production of hydrino hydride ion is sufficient to supply the EV market.