Chemical Power Sources

in IsraelThe Israeli batteries market to grow at a CAGR of 2.6% over the 2009-15 period

(

Israeli Light Vehicle Aftermarket - Batteries Data Report to 2015, http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/Market-Report/israeli-light-vehicle-aftermarket-batteries-data-report-to-2015-611645.asp?prk=4fc0ced0888d27371f4fa3b1dd6f

6

)

State of the battery r&D and production

Major battery R&D players

Prof. D. Aurbach and his team – the most recent project: rechargeable magnesium battery – related R&D .

The opportunities:

•High load applications, low capacity fading.•A "green" and safe battery technology, environmentally non-toxic •Non-explosive.

The laboratory of nano-materials on surfaces (D. Zitoun head) – new methods of the Li-ion cell electrodes research and characterization.

Prof. Boris Rubinsky and his team – the most recent project: an electric battery based on boiled potatoes.

The opportunities:

•A cheap source of electricity in the developing world•Generates energy that is five to 50 times cheaper than commercially available batteries• A light powered by the battery is at least six times more economical than kerosene lamps often used in the developing world.

Major battery R&D players

Prof. E. Peled and his team – the most recent project: cubic-millimeter-size Li-ion batteries.

The opportunities:

•Direct application to stand-alone MEMS sensors and actuators•Cardiac pacemakers, hearing aids and drug-delivery systems

Prof. Y. Ein-Eli and his team – the most recent projects:Mg-air battery rechargeable non-aqueous batteryLi-air battery rechargeable non-aqueous batteryAl-air rechargeable non-aqueous batterySi-air non-aqueous batteryHigh-voltage cathode materials for Li-in cellsA new way of corrosion protection of Zn-alkaline cells

The opportunities:

•Metal-air systems present the highest energy density and specific energy, comparable with the energy density of hydrocarbon fuels• Si-air cells may be made of micron-size and may be easily be integrated with various MEMS sensors and similar applications. •Huge Zn-alkaline cell sales volume promises a sounding market effect

Prof. Y. Ein-Eli and his team – the most recent projects:Mg-air battery rechargeable non-aqueous batteryLi-air battery rechargeable non-aqueous batteryAl-air rechargeable non-aqueous batterySi-air non-aqueous batteryHigh-voltage cathode materials for Li-in cellsA new way of corrosion protection of Zn-alkaline cells

The opportunities:

•Metal-air systems present the highest energy density and specific energy, comparable with the energy density of hydrocarbon fuels• Si-air cells may be made of micron-size and may be easily be integrated with various MEMS sensors and similar applications. •Huge Zn-alkaline cell sales volume promises a sounding market effect

Major battery R&D players

Dror Ben-David – CEO, Dr. Arieh Meitav – CTO; the most recent project: 4.7V Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide cathode.

The opportunities:

•300-350 Wh/kg, over 2,000 cycles•Inherently safer relative to the best competing cells•Up to 40% savings in battery cost and up to 50% savings in weight as compared with a common Li-ion cell•Being used for EV the technology enables twice the driving range

Spitz Doron– CEO, the project:  Silver-Zinc improved

batteries for mobile electronic devices

The opportunities:

•Long cycle life

•The effective energy storage solution in terms of volume, weight and recyclability

•The battery implementation can double the effective usage time of mobile electronic devices.

State of the FC r&D and production

Major FC-field R&D players

The company is developing PEM FC with alkaline- type membrane.

The cost-reduction opportunities:

•The displacement of platinum catalysts in the fuel cell’s electrodes with inexpensive transition metal catalysts, •The replacement of graphite or stainless steel with lightweight aluminum hardware•The implementation of simplified design, thermal management, and manufacturing methods

The company is developing Microbial Fuel Cell and adapting it for wastewater treatment. 

The opportunities:

•The product will meet the growing need for energy efficient wastewater treatment•The production of free, renewable, green energy from wastewater

Major FC-field R&D players

C.En Ltd. has developed a technology for the safe storage of hydrogen in Multi-Capillary Arrays.

The opportunities:

The technology offers the storage equipment which is

•Lighter•Cheaper,•Easier to handle

then existing hydrogen containing means

Dr. Lital Alfonta and her team – finding the way to control the electrochemistry of microorganisms.

•Molecular biology tools improve the electrode-living cell interaction

•An electron transfer pathway within bacterial cells can be engineered

•A full control of the redox potentials within the cascade of electron transfer reactions is to be enabled

Dr. P. Schechner and his team – the most recent project: the development of a glucose-fueled fuel cell for portable devices.

A highly active in glucose oxidation anode was prepared by electro-spinning.

Glucose advantages over other fuels:

•Non-flammable and non-explosive•Abundant and cheap (glucose and its derivates represent more than 50% of the weight of florae) •Renewable•Environmentally friendly

Dr. Alex Schechter and his team – the development of a direct methanol fuel cell components for portable devices.

The research is focused on nano-catalysts for methanol

oxidation, platinum alloy and non-platinum catalysts for

oxygen reduction in fuel cells (particularly methanol

tolerant catalysts) and ultrathin proton conducting membranes.

Major FC-field R&D players

Prof. E. Peled and his team: the development of a nano-porous membrane for direct methanol fuel cell.

The opportunities:

•Smaller systems (due to high power density)•Low methanol crossover:

Long running times (almost pure fuel in the fuel cartridge)More time between refueling (high fuel utilization)

•Affordable manufacturing costs

Major FC-field R&D players

Prof. Y. Ein-Eli and his team: the investigation of the mechanism of contact conductivity of the FC bipolar plates; the development of highly conductive and corrosion-resistant bipolar plates for PEM.

The opportunities:

•Metal is an easy-to-process material •Metal BP are light-weighted, low volume and inexpensive (the weight of PEM with metal PB is twice less then the weight of PEM with carbon PB). •The proprietary surface treatments may secure a required high contact conductivity. •The proprietary surface treatment may suppress BP corrosion substantially.

Prof. Y. Ein-Eli and his team: the investigation of the mechanism of contact conductivity of the FC bipolar plates; the development of highly conductive and corrosion-resistant bipolar plates for PEM.

The opportunities:

•Metal is an easy-to-process material •Metal BP are light-weighted, low volume and inexpensive (the weight of PEM with metal PB is twice less then the weight of PEM with carbon PB). •The proprietary surface treatments may secure a required high contact conductivity. •The proprietary surface treatment may suppress BP corrosion substantially.

Prof. Y. Tzur and his team at Technion: SOFC