General Electric Reveals New Low-Cost Zero Emission Durathon Battery for Electric Buses

08/01/2013

General Electric Global Research has put together a team of researchers who have accomplished a milestone in the reduction of the price of zero emission buses, by using GE’s new Durathon battery together with a hydrogen fuel cell and a lithium battery.

As stated by GE, developing this new way to manage the energy consumed by buses could enhance their electrification and fuel acceptance together with that of delivery trucks as well as other bigger, heavy-duty vehicles to enable more use of clean vehicle technology.

Systems Engineer for the Electric Propulsion Systems Lab in GE Global Research, Tim Richter, said, “For years fuel cells have been talked about as a clean transportation alternative but cost has always been a roadblock to widespread adoption… With GE’s battery technology and dynamic dual battery management system, we’re starting to push that roadblock aside.”

The researchers at GE hope that the architecture of their new energy management system will enable buses to function optimally with much smaller fuel cells than was thought possible. Power plants for fuel cells increase cost significantly, whereas the energy management system by GE may potentially halve costs.

“What we want to deliver is a cost-effective bus that emits no harmful pollutants,” Richter added.

Most of today’s batteries either provide a lot of power or are able to store a lot more energy. For instance, lithium batteries are optimized for power to accelerate by do not store much energy for a longer driving range. GE’s Durathon, which are sodium batteries, are the exact opposite in that they are capable of storing more energy but do not provide that much power. The dual battery by GE finds a middle ground enabling the lithium battery to deal with acceleration and braking and the Durathon battery to deal with a stable flow of electric power, thus, extending the bus range.

Source: http://www.greenoptimistic.com/

Same Category

Energy saving tips for your winter

04/10/2024

Clean energy brings stable electricity supply to Truong Sa Archipelago 02/11/2022
Energy shifting towards a green economy 07/10/2021
Reduce your energy bills this fall with these tips 28/09/2021
Looking to save on your energy bill? Here are some easy tips 28/09/2021

10 ways to save water at home 26/09/2021

As we face these effects of climate change, conserving water becomes increasingly important. Saving water also means saving money; the average American family spends more than $1,000 on water a year, which can be diminished significantly by addressing the way we use water in our daily lives.
Saving electricity – Practical tips that cut through the noise 26/09/2021

Power is essential for lighting and running appliances at homes and in businesses. With its ever-increasing costs, consumers constantly compare electricity in addition to other practical ways to save electricity.
Energy saving tips for the home – 7 ways to lower your bills 26/09/2021

Worried about soaring gas prices? Our energy saving tips for the home are a great way to lower gas and electricity bills and save precious cash
Quantum chemists conjure recipe to turn gold, silver and copper into vessels of green energy 23/09/2021

Quantum chemists believe gold, silver and copper could help the world take a leap towards green energy after discovering that compounds based on these metal elements and hydrogen are very promising candidates for hydrogen storage.
As heating bills go up, put your energy into keeping costs down 16/09/2021

With wholesale energy prices soaring, millions of householders will face bigger bills next month. But there are ways to save.
5 easy ways to improve energy efficiency 16/09/2021

In addition to navigating a deadly pandemic, improving energy efficiency is likely the top priority for today’s building owners facing costly, mandatory retrofits by 2025.
How to solve the investment puzzle of clean energy transitions in the developing world 19/02/2021

This article looks into three areas where efforts are needed to accelerate investments in clean energy transitions
Viet Nam News Economy Lessons from solar: Rush to invest in wind power plants to get high tariffs could overload grid 09/02/2020

The rush to invest in wind energy to take advantage of the Government's pricing incentives could lead to overloading of the national grid in a repeat of the solar scenario, experts warn.