Power Up

Batteries are constantly improving, but people continue to demand more from their devices, so it's hard to tell. Some researchers are working on new energy storage devices that would leave current batteries in the dust and would be impossible to ignore as an option in vehicles and on the grid. 

However, many industry analysts say the technology isn't the limiting reagent. On the grid, regulations are making it hard for batteries to catch on and in vehicles, low fossil fuel prices are moving the goal posts for energy storage. 

Eyes on the Prize

When funding research, there's a debate over where to place your bets. The long-shot projects stand to make the biggest difference for humanity's problems, but they are expensive, time consuming and rarely pan out. I spoke with some Nobel Prize winners about their work and the need to support curiosity-driven research in an era of austerity.

Every year, Nobel winners gather in Lindau, an island in southern Germany, to talk about their work with young researchers

Stored Danger

Energy storage is rapidly expanding as a grid resource. Batteries, flywheels and pumped hydropower are important ways to soak up and release electrons on demand. However, many people, especially first responders, are concerned about the safety risks of stored energy and worry these installations are cropping up faster than regulations can keep up.

Save it for later

Storing energy is a crucial component of renewable energy as it gains market share on the grid, allowing the power to flow when the wind stops or the sun sets. At the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) summit, research teams presented all sorts of new technologies that could fulfill this need. 

An aluminum air battery prototype

Grounded Dreams

The National Transportation Safety Board released its report on lithium ion battery fires in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The entire fleet of this new airliner was grounded after flames and smoke erupted in several aircraft. The investigation showed engineering problems with the batteries, as well as deficiencies in testing and safety systems. 

Finally getting it right with lithium ion

Researchers recently figured out that some of their models of lithium ion batteries were based on flawed assumptions. The old model used experimental results, but assumed that battery performance is governed by lithium ion movement between electrodes. The new findings show that it's actually electron movement that's the rate-limiting step, so scientists switched to a new model.