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 Lithium ion vs Salt Battery. Is this for real!
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 16 · Written at 5:27:13 PM on 17 April 2023.
Brad's avatar
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My only observation after reading the information at the linked site is that despite the hype surrounding salt batteries, they don't seem to be making a lot of headway with market share, so there has to be more disadvantages than the site is letting on. That said, low discharge current is one of the disadvantages shown and depending on what they mean by "low" that can easily rule out many commercial and industrial uses.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 17 · Written at 5:40:01 PM on 17 April 2023.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
 Member since 10 June 2010
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The NY electrics might have been like this Grandma Duck style of vehicle photographed at the NRMA Carfest when it was last held in Macquarie St Sydney. Now gone out to Olympic Park I think.

Vintage electric car
Vintage electric car
Vintage electric car


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 18 · Written at 1:53:26 PM on 18 April 2023.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
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One of the best metals for storage is actually Nickel. Tesla has people working on Gigawatt & Tera watt batteries. There have been a plethora of battery cells over a century or more. I would note that we are running out of Phosphorous.

If you have a look at Jay Lenos Garage, He has a Baker Electric and at least another type of twenties electric vehicles. A lot of doctors bought these as they were more reliable than the petrol cars of the time and did not require anything like the same maintenance.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 19 · Written at 2:15:02 PM on 18 April 2023.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
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I have done a bit of reading and it turns out that sodium ion and salt batteries are distinct types. The salt batteries use NaCl solution as the electrolyte which didn't come across in the Herald stories. I suspect that these stories are extracted from PR blurbs, and that journalists in these days of much reduced funding since their journal's advertising revenue collapsed, don't have time to make in depth investigations.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 20 · Written at 4:26:10 PM on 18 April 2023.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
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Some of those so called science reporters seem to have very little background knowledge on any subject and our education system is of no help.

There are more salts than common salt and the chemical definition; The word "chemistry" has two parts. Viz. Chemical and Mystery: Its that last bit that gets them every time.

Chemicals & Radio go back a long time Motor regulators for Alexanderson transmitter alternator motors was done with a salt bath, as was the dummy load for many high power transmitters to test their output.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 21 · Written at 8:03:39 PM on 18 April 2023.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
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Whenever I read about such things as salt batteries, I think immediately: If it were viable, the Israelis would have it already.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 22 · Written at 8:58:45 PM on 18 April 2023.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
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One could always look on the lighter side & speculate on the Epsom Salts battery for next April. Its bound to be a battery that goes down the toot quickly.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 23 · Written at 9:01:35 PM on 18 April 2023.
Ian Robertson's Gravatar
 Location: Belrose, NSW
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Are you sure a salt (NaCl) bath was used for regulators, dummy loads etc?

One of the by-products of such a setup would be chlorine gas!


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 24 · Written at 12:16:21 AM on 19 April 2023.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
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Definition error:

Common salt is normally Sodium Chloride. In dyeing some materials I used Glauber's salt (sodium sulfate Na 2 SO 4 ยท10H 2 O) which obviously is a "salt".

Chemically we are talking about salts. I think the one used to make the resistance at Radio Australia was Calcium based? By adding a specific amount, that gave a certain resistance. In similar fashion the
Motor controllers used immersed variable blades, I believe. The Alexanderson transmitters used chemical resistors. That would make cooling easier.

I would suspect that the transmitters power would be done thermally on the basis of 4200 joules per second to heat water one degree.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 25 · Written at 7:42:47 AM on 19 April 2023.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
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Are you sure a salt (NaCl) bath was used for regulators, dummy loads etc?

Yep, here's a guy pumping more than 5kW of RF into a salt-based dummy load:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BAjHnZpVuc


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 26 · Written at 6:21:22 PM on 19 April 2023.
Brad's avatar
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The 6V batteries in that green car are used in golf buggies and electric carts made by Varley, which are used on major railway stations to carry luggage around. I've replaced a few of those in my time.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 27 · Written at 6:55:41 PM on 19 April 2023.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
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Thanks for posting the photos Brad.

I included the sign on the window so that I would know what the make was but it doesn't show up.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 28 · Written at 10:36:03 PM on 19 April 2023.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
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I suspect that is a Baker Electric? t is an interesting thing that many diesel Fergusson tractors used two 6V batteries in series as they apparently performed better than a single 12V of the time.

Baker & such were not designed for Lead Acid batteries, they were alkaline ones Edison built. Jay Leno has samples of the original chargers.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jay+leno+baker+electric+car&view=detail&mid=84DC14232A5992F35CE784DC14232A5992F35CE7&FORM=VIRE

Marc


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 29 · Written at 8:53:40 AM on 3 May 2023.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
 Member since 10 June 2010
 Member #: 681
 Postcount: 1294

The Chinese claim to have developed a "condensed" battery suitable for aircraft and would take a car Sydney to Melbourne on one charge.
A fair bit of technical detail for once.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-05-03/catl-announces-battery-to-make-electric-aviation-possible/102289310


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 30 · Written at 9:50:42 PM on 4 May 2023.
Brad's avatar
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 Location: Naremburn, NSW
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I'll let them fly it whilst I stay on the ground. I am not a big fan of planes at any rate.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
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