New Battery Tech

[swatdoc]

I wonder if this is the next step to increase capacity and reduce weight?

3D Printing Used to Create Better Lithium-Ion Batteries

 

[Philip]

Sounds like these guys might need a marketing campaign to promote their new 3D printed batteries. I am recommending that they should put them to the ultimate test at the Erzberg Rodeo next year.

@Judaslefourbe

 

[Judaslefourbe]

Thanks for the ping. There is usually years between a new technology being developed and the possibility to actually manufacture with it. Most of those discoveries will never even make it to that stage because they are not fit for the purpose. I guess we'll see in 5 years...

 

[Fod]

Thanks for the ping. There is usually years between a new technology being developed and the possibility to actually manufacture with it. Most of those discoveries will never even make it to that stage because they are not fit for the purpose. I guess we'll see in 5 years...

I thought alta was the future of fast!
That 5 years should be 5 months! Just playing, no need to have a fire ball explosion between my legs during a moto session....But 5 years seems a bit excessive. Times a ticking and us current alta owners don't have much time before we trade our bikes in for seats at the local bingo bar!

 

[WoodsWeapon]

That is very true Fod. Im of the belief most Alta owners are of legal drinking age.

 

[Fod]

That is very true Fod. Im of the belief most Alta owners are of legal drinking age.

Ha! Would I be out of line to think we average at about a decade away of getting discounts at all national parks and fast food chains?!?!?!? I am almost 40, but I imagine if I was pre-kids(late 20s/early 30s) I would be on a ice bike thinking that electric was a hotwheels bike for adults.

 

[Mark911]

I thought alta was the future of fast!
That 5 years should be 5 months! Just playing, no need to have a fire ball explosion between my legs during a moto session....But 5 years seems a bit excessive. Times a ticking and us current alta owners don't have much time before we trade our bikes in for seats at the local bingo bar!

I think I've figured out a process for replacing the cells in the Alta pack. It's a tedious process of carefully cutting the PCB hard wires and then re-spot welding (or soldering) the cut leads back together using a splice wire, but it's possible without disturbing the surface welds to the PCB. Assuming I can source some quality cells with the ratings I'm looking for without sacrificing capacity too much I just might go for it. Right now the LG HG2 looks like the front runner but things change quickly. Regardless, even these high drain cells will get hot eventually (repeated discharge/charge cycles) and limit performance, so ultimately the root of the problem is still the inability to get the heat out of the pack more efficiently and effectively.

 

[Philip]

Can we circulate coolant through the battery?

 

[snydes]

Ha! Would I be out of line to think we average at about a decade away of getting discounts at all national parks and fast food chains?!?!?!? I am almost 40, but I imagine if I was pre-kids(late 20s/early 30s) I would be on a ice bike thinking that electric was a hotwheels bike for adults.

We can reconfigure our Altas to make one bitchin’ power chair when the time comes...

 

[Philip]

We can reconfigure our Altas to make one bitchin’ power chair when the time comes...

I hope Harley does not start producing Alta trikes.

 

[Mark911]

Can we circulate coolant through the battery?

Not as built (shorts!). However, I've considered putting in fittings for some LN2!!!! If properly distributed it could cool the pack while charging. The only weight hit would be for the tubing, nozzles and venting of the distribution circuits, not unlike a NOS system for your hot rod. Pretty nominal.

 

[Fog 25]

Ha! Would I be out of line to think we average at about a decade away of getting discounts at all national parks and fast food chains?!?!?!? I am almost 40, but I imagine if I was pre-kids(late 20s/early 30s) I would be on a ice bike thinking that electric was a hotwheels bike for adults.

KIDS I already have two domino championships from the men’s league at the park and one for pigeon feeding

 

[Oded]

Marc, I may have missed it, but do we know the cell's brand Alta is using?

 

[Fod]

Not as built (shorts!). However, I've considered putting in fittings for some LN2!!!! If properly distributed it could cool the pack while charging. The only weight hit would be for the tubing, nozzles and venting of the distribution circuits, not unlike a NOS system for your hot rod. Pretty nominal.

How about using thermo-electric coolers?

 

[Mark911]

Marc, I may have missed it, but do we know the cell's brand Alta is using?

Don't know for certain, I've got some guesses based on the configuration of the cap but that's it. Regardless, I think they're probably 10A continuous. The R packs are probably 15A or better. Until I get one out and bench test it I won't know for sure.

How about using thermo-electric coolers?

I've used TECs for cooling my computer CPUs. They're power hungry, need intimate physical contact, and ultimately they need some way to get rid of the heat they absorb which again must have intimate physical contact with the hot side of the TEC and be very effective (water cooling). It gets really complex for such a simple concept.

 

[MotoMinded]

Marc, I may have missed it, but do we know the cell's brand Alta is using?

I was told my my dealer the R is Sony cells. Who knows if that is accurate.

 

[Philip]

I've uses a simple water mist spray very successfully to cool my track day car's engine and oil. Just disabled the wipers and re-routed the windshield washer sprinklers to spray onto the radiator and oil cooler instead. Worked very well. My friend used his to spray-cool his front brakes.

A bottle with water dripping onto the battery pack might work just as well. Or a small pressurized spray bottle. Just need to open it before the battery overheats.

 

[Philip]

In case you didn't see it, @Fod dug up somewhere and posted A Guide to Thermal Limiting. It is a pretty awesome info.

 

[Fod]

In case you didn't see it, @Fod dug up somewhere and posted A Guide to Thermal Limiting. It is a pretty awesome info.

Actually fog was emailed that because he is beast mode lately on his redshift and getting thermal limiting at just under half a battery! I just posted it for him.

 

[Mark911]

Actually fog was emailed that because he is beast mode lately on his redshift and getting thermal limiting at just under half a battery! I just posted it for him.

Yes, this darn heatwave puts the bike in a hole right for the start. If it wasn't totally illegal I'd strap a can of refrigerant to my rear subsection and route a multiple manifolded capillary tube to the battery pack, placing an exit between each cell module/heatsink. Just make sure the pack is well vented and let nature do its thing. Have to get refrigerant without oil, however.

If Alta made the module heatsinks thicker with the ability to route water through them they'd have a great way to cool the pack between races. Just gravity feed cold water through the heatsinks in a "total loss" system with no or little possibility of getting water where it shouldn't be. Probably only make the pack about 1 inch taller and 1/2 pound heavier.