lithium-ion

Boeing was granted permission today to conduct test flights of its 787 Dreamliner as the aircraft maker tries to determine the cause of battery fires that have kept the fleet of planes grounded around the world.

The test flights will be subject to a number of restrictions, the Federal Aviation Administration said today, including limiting the flights to specific airspace over unpopulated areas. Other conditions include preflight testing and inspections, and in-flight monitoring.

"The traveling public's safety is our highest priority," the FAA said in a statement. "These test flights will be an important part of … Read more

Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for overheating, catching on fire, or exploding. Yet, they're in most electronics that people use daily.

One such battery set ablaze over the weekend while in a man's pants pocket, according to the Associated Press. The man was walking around with his Samsung mobile phone in his pocket when the battery caught on fire, giving him second-degree burns and a one-inch wound on his thigh. Officials said the battery was not inside the phone when it exploded.

The incident took place in South Korea, which is where Samsung is based. According to the local … Read more

In today's show, we're buying status updates, finding a new route and building a new game addiction:

Would you pay $2 to get your Facebook status message seen by more people? It's something Facebook is testing in New Zealand. (And tell me your two-cents on the issue via Tout!)

The Foxconn factory for Apple products is preparing to build the much anticipated Apple television set. The chief at the Foxconn spilled the beans in a news conference.

According to 9to5Mac, the next version of iOS will not include Google Maps. Rather, it will have Apple's own mapping software. … Read more

If you know anyone living outside the U.S. who wants a tablet, laptop, camera, or smartphone from the States, it's best to send it to them before May 16.

As of next week, the United States Postal Service, or USPS, is banning all international shipments containing lithium ion batteries, which many electronics have (see the full list below).

The most likely reason for the ban is that if lithium ion batteries are fully charged or not correctly stored or packed, they can catch fire or combust -- something obviously best to avoid while shipping. … Read more

Speedy lithium ion batteries, the power source for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, are making inroads into the renewable energy business.

A123 Systems today announced that a Hawaiian wind project developer will use its batteries to firm up power delivery into the grid. The Auwahi Wind project, which has a generating capacity of 21 megawatts, will be buttressed by a giant battery bank able to deliver 11 megawatts of power.

It's the second time this year that A123 Systems' storage systems, built around shipping container-size battery banks, were chosen to be co-located with a wind farm. The Laurel Mountain … Read more

Battery life is always an issue with today's gadgets, from smartphones to tablets to electric cars, but researchers at Northwestern University have come up with a new technology that might lead to longer-lasting devices in the next few years.

Engineers from Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science discovered a way to redesign today's lithium ion cells, which are used in a number of consumer electronics, to address two major problems with today's batteries: energy capacity and charging time.

"We have found a way to extend a new lithium ion battery's charge life … Read more

Tesla Motors today said it has secured supply of battery cells from Panasonic for its Model S electric sedan, a move Tesla says will allow it to meet its cost targets.

Through the supply agreement, Panasonic will make enough lithium ion battery cells for 80,000 electric vehicles over the next four years, according to Tesla.

The Model S will use a line of batteries developed by Panasonic and Tesla specifically for electric vehicles. The collaboration came out of a deal between the two companies in 2009, in which Panasonic supplied battery cells, the components that go into battery packs, … Read more

Replace the insides of a lithium ion battery with a jelly-like goo and you get inexpensive, safe, powerful, lightweight batteries that can power everything from cell phones to electric cars.

These solid-state lithium ion batteries are just around the corner. A gel electrolyte from Leeds University in the U.K. is ready for prime time and the university is looking for commercial partners to use the electrolyte for the next generation of portable batteries. Gel electrolytes have been percolating in laboratories around the world for years, and other research outfits, notably NASA, have recently been offering to license out their technologies.

A key advantage of the Leeds electrolyte is the way it's made. It's extruded in continuous sheets like fresh pasta or fruit leather. The result is a thin, flexible battery that can be stacked in layers to make batteries that hold more energy than today's batteries of the same size and weight. Even better, the pasta-like process means batteries that are cheaper to manufacture.… Read more

Makers of lithium ion electric-vehicle batteries worldwide are outpacing EV automakers in terms of manufacturing capacity.

This is likely to result in a temporary idleness on the part of some factories by 2013, according to a report released today by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The report (only available to BNEF subscribers) shows it's simply a matter of doing the math based on manufacturers' reports and commitments worldwide from both the auto and battery industries.

Automakers are expected to produce roughly 839,000 plug-in EVs worldwide by 2013, which in turn will drive lithium ion EV battery demand to 18 … Read more