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0 pointsandrewparker12y ago0 comments

You need to read to the end of the post to understand PG's analogy. There is software that controls the charging rate of the battery that (if the claims are correct) could be fundamentally disruptive to batteries going forward, so the Altair analogy implies a potential software licensing strategy as an upside in this company.

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6 comments · 1 top-level

chillingeffect12y ago· 5 in thread

But is this new technology? Have they really figured out something that other battery companies don't know?

This charger takes 2.25 hours to reach 80% or 4.5 hours to reach 100% capacity. Could it simply be that they're charging more slowly?

Maybe other battery makers know about this, but they don't implement it because they (and consumers) don't value using the battery effectively. Hoping for some lithium-charging experts (I know there are people out there with this as their primary research focus) to weigh in.

veemjeem12y ago

Since they filed a patent on it, I assume it is new tech. There is new charging tech from time to time, but most of the IP belongs to those big semiconductor companies, like TI. I know TI has an innovative power management module for LiPoly batteries, but it is pretty expensive.

dchichkov12y ago

It could be a new tech. While there are quite a few BMS chips available around, from a bunch of companies [ http://liionbms.com/html/BMS_IC_table.html ] it is possible that they did some careful research onto what charging cycles are used in these products and found charging cycles that work even better for particular battery chemistries.

On the other hand, research is tough and it is so much easier to learn about the existence of a few hot words (like BMS), file a provisional patent and smooth-talk an investor or two with 'BatteryOS platform' . Considering that they are comparing their charging cycle with the "conventional" charger and throw words like "Chevy Volt, which only charges its battery to 50 percent capacity" I'm finding this scenario as a more likely one.

Still. It is not like I wouldn't like having more well designed LiIon BMS/charger combos on the market! There aren't many available and it's always nice to have more choice! So good luck!

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brohee12y ago

You'd think that someone on this site would know patent haven't worked like that for a while...

esmi12y ago

In the paper reference to arxiv, which supposedly explains what this tech does, that is exactly what they are doing. Equation (1) shows that rate of SEI growth is proportional to charge rate (note: this equation given is actually a simplification as their rho should be proportional to how full the pack is) so you can limit SEI growth to whatever you want by just taking a charge time hit. Your users may or may not like this.

I can promise you none of this is new to anyone in the battery industry. The problem is not lack of knowledge. In general, the problem is the lack of desire to pay for a micro controller which can run the software necessary to do the math in the battery pack.

gagaga12y ago

It charges slowly because they are charging over micro usb.

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