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"The concept is being pursued by many different research groups," says Iravani, who is working on a similar system that utilities could use to switch between energy-storage technologies and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Iravani says that within five or six years, hybrid approaches will significantly improve the performance of energy-storage systems.
Indy Power has already demonstrated its technology in golf carts and is scaling up to highway-capable vehicles. A manufacturer approached the company just last week, says Tolen, to say that it was interested in combining two different lithium-ion chemistries and a lead-acid battery pack in a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Indy's system can also be customized with a simple software upgrade, says Tolen. He envisions a day when we can upgrade the performance of vehicles in much the way we add RAM to computers. "My wife never drives more than 20 miles a day, so I would probably put 100 percent lead acid in her vehicle. Some people might want to go 40 miles, so they'll have five kilowatt-hours of lithium-ion batteries and maybe 15 kilowatt-hours of lead acid. It depends on preferences. We just need to change the paradigm of how we buy cars."
The company has some technical veterans behind it. One of its directors is Bill Wylam, a former General Motors engineer who was responsible for the development of the propulsion system for GM's EV1 electric car. Indy Power's chief operating officer is Bob Galyen, who helped develop the battery pack for the EV1 prototype.
Tolen says that Indy Power has also been approached by utilities that would like to see the Multi-Flex system scaled up for grid-based applications. Iravani says that selling to the electricity sector will be more difficult given its aversion to risk, but he believes that the combination of power electronics and hybrid energy storage could increase grid reliability and allow utilities to use more renewable energy.
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Making it no More, but Less Difficult
Let's play around with the following paragraph:
"Tolen says that Indy Power has also been approached by utilities that would like to see the Multi-Flex system scaled up for grid-based applications. Iravani says that selling to the electricity sector will be more difficult given its aversion to risk, but he believes that the combination of power electronics and hybrid energy storage could increase grid reliability and allow utilities to use more renewable energy."
When Tolen writes about utilities, he means the investor owned utilities (IOUs), which let Iravani say "that selling to the electricity sector will be more difficult given its aversion to risk..." That is an essential construct of the IOUs paradigm, which is based on a state regulated price control business model. So, to make it less difficult, we need to change the paradigm to enable federal (not just at the state level) business model innovations (as it is done in the information industry) in a non risk averse paradigm.
This is how it plays out. Forget central generating stations for the moment. They can be added later to the non risk averse component. Under the IOUs paradigm has:
A very complex system combination with: 1) risk averse transmission system, 2) a risk averse state (physical distribution and retail) utility, and 3) a non risk averse fractured (at the meter), every one for himself, open market, where customers may invest in power gadgets (like gen-sets, cars, and the Multi-Flex system) with two independent electricity shopping places (customer's costs involve regulated utility and open market costs)
Under the electricity without price control (EWPC) paradigm, is restructured into:
A new simplified emergent whole, with 1) a risk averse transportation (transmission and distribution) only utility and 2) a non risk averse retail entity in the open federal market (where large savings are available) at one electricity shopping place. By design, "the combination of power electronics and hybrid energy storage" will be done through the grid, and not only at particular locations.
Once you do that, selling to the electricity sector can be made fairly easy. To learn about the opportunities for all stakeholders, see the insights of the EWPC paper Just as Pogo, IOUs Found the Enemy.
If you think there is something missing to get the "will be less difficult" point across, please help by asking.
Guest (DG624)
Re: Making it no More, but Less Difficult
Aren't utilities part of the problem with the great loss of power when circulating power in wires? I think cities should have their own power system generated by individual users and suppliers. Utilities are prone to make more power and more money so they have no interest in saving money or efficiency unless it helps their profit.
Cities should have an incentive to be efficient so residents will have lower taxes. All users will generate their own power and be part of the utility. No power lines in neighborhoods and no outages due to wind or snow.
Is this your power/utility model?
Re: Making it no More, but Less Difficult
WOW!!! This comment came almost one year later.
Since then "my model" has been refined even more. I suggest readers take a look at the EWPC article A Single System & the Enterprise War.
Getting different batteries will cause problem right? It will make it easy for us but damaging to the battery. Thats what I think. - kustomatic
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TimG
21 Comments
Removable Power Packs
This is yet another argument in favor of removable battery packs for vehicles. The electric vehicle industry will continue to be held back until power pack standards are in place. Whether lead-acid, lithium-ion, or some kind of fuel cell, there have to be standards in place for size, shape, weight and connections. Business will need this stability for us to really forge ahead.
Reply
IanLove
1 Comment
Re: Removable Power Packs
I understand electric vehicles are freezing in this cold weather and unbearable in really hot weather because they have no heating or airconditioning. Will removable power packs solve this problem? Is performance and reliability affected by cold weather?
Reply
tlynnch
5 Comments
Re: Removable Power Packs
Heating and air conditioning is just a matter of power. The component weight is not significant. Heat can be salvaged from the motor, but it will be much less then gasoline engines.
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