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[Trojita]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/08/new-semi-solid-battery-for-evs-could-recharge-as-fast-as-pumpi/

Researchers at MIT reckon they've struck oil. In fact, you're looking at what they call "Cambridge crude" -- a substance that could halve the weight and cost of EV batteries and make them quicker to charge too. The black goo is packed with a high concentration of energy in the form of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. When separated by a filter, these particles function as mobile electrodes that can be pumped into and around a system before the energy is released. So instead of waiting up to 20 hours to juice your Nissan Leaf, you could potentially just pump this pre-charged substance into it -- rather like dirty old gas. Until now, no such "semi-solid flow cell" has been able to hold useful quantities of energy, but this stuff literally oozes with it. Not only could it power EVs, it could even be used for large-scale electricity storage for utilities. The researchers insist this energy revolution is years off -- but when it comes, there will be blood.

 

[Cyan]

Sounds awesome.

But reserving judgment; seems like these things always turn out exaggerated and overblown.

 

[Zombie James]

So we could be filing up our cars with black ooze? There must be waste with this method...

 

[xbhaskarx]

This could be pretty big...

 

[Trojita]

I'm still confused on whether you need to pump in more of this stuff each time and the whole of the goo becomes energy and disappears completely, if it comes with it already in and you just put a jack in to charge it, or you have to pump it out, charge it, then put it back in.

 

[Flo_Evans]

I'm still confused on whether you need to pump in more of this stuff each time and the whole of the goo becomes energy and disappears completely, if it comes with it already in and you just put a jack in to charge it, or you have to pump it out, charge it, then put it back in.

Sounds like you pump the goo in.

 

[Escape Goat]

Just in time for China. China surpassed US as top energy consumer today.

 

[Rentahamster]

Hopefully this and the other next-gen battery technology bears some tasty-ass fruit soon. It's a very crucial step in getting away from fossil fuels.

 

[Jeramii]

Sounds like you pump the goo in.

then does your car shit out the old goo as a brick of gold?

 

[CrunchyB]

Battery technology is such a limiting factor in a lot of applications, this sounds very interesting.

I'm still confused on whether you need to pump in more of this stuff each time and the whole of the goo becomes energy and disappears completely, if it comes with it already in and you just put a jack in to charge it, or you have to pump it out, charge it, then put it back in.

The problem right now is that charging takes a very long time.

The "goo" holds a charge. So at the gas station you drain the battery of it's contents and fill it up again with already charged liquid. The spent liquid is then recharged (slowly).

You could also swap the entire battery, but those things are big, heavy and very expensive.

 

[Trojita]

So the goo is no matter what recycled by recharging it with electricity?

 

[Of All Trades]

So we could be filing up our cars with black ooze? There must be waste with this method...

The main article doesn't go into how the ooze is regenerated but the idea is that you'd pump out the old ooze or swap out tanks like you would a tire. Old ooze would presumably be either recharged at the station or sent back to some recharge facility. There'd be waste (ion the sense that everything is wasteful at some level) but in a "future energy" society this would completely eliminate one of the major benefits of using oil over electricity.

 

[CHEEZMO™]

Will it also turn you into a Prawn?

 

[Plinko]

This is a horrible idea. The 2nd Ninja Turtles movie showed us all what could happen if we start dabbling with ooze.

 

[SouthernDragon]

bu bu bu but at the current rate of progression electrical vehicles will never be feasible on a mass scale

 

[Escape Goat]

This is a horrible idea. The 2nd Ninja Turtles movie showed us all what could happen if we start dabbling with ooze.

But the ooze gave us Ninja Turtles.

 

[thefro]

Black ooze will be most efficiently made by processing oil.

 

[The Albatross]

Seems like every few months there's a new potential breakthrough in energy production/consumption/storage/etc., and either they don't pan out as the early articles suggest, or they're just overblown hype by media types. So for now, "Sounds cool, but, still going to Shell tomorrow."

 

[Trojita]

I also thought of this

or the oil that was on X-Files.

 

[diddles]

 

[methane47]

Hmmm to me there are some issues with this system.

How does payment work out?

Situation A:
Car battery is almost empty. Head to the gas station and pump out all my ooze. Pump in charged ooze. Pay the bill of lets say $40 and drive away happy.

Situation B: Car battery is half full, but im about to take a long trip on the highway, i go to the gas station. Pump out all my ooze and pump in new ooze. How much do i pay? I dont think i should pay $40 again since it was half charged. but i have to discard ALL my ooze I can't top off indefinitely because the ooze doesn't actually go anywhere. So gas stations must work out some complicated system to figure out how much you have to pay?

How would that work?
Only way i could think is not have one sigualar ooze tank. but multiple ooze canisters. Where the Car would use Ooze from canisters in a First in First out method. That way when you get to the refueling station they just check a dial or something on the canister and just replace the ones that need to be replaced and charge you accordingly.