Two years ago, sodium-ion battery pioneer Natron Energy was busy preparing its specially formulated sodium batteries for mass production. The company slipped a little past its 2023 kickoff plans, but it didn't fall too far behind as far as mass battery production goes. It officially commenced…
  • soEZ@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    These are more fun then lipos… I wounder if u pack a tesla full of these…will it manage to achive escape velocity after a crash? I mean gas cars and lithium batteries right now just tun car into lots fo smoke and flames…but these might really change how we see crashes…

    • cybersin@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      LiPo batteries of the same capacity actually have the potential to be much more dangerous than the sodium cell shown here.

      LiPo packs typically use flat, soft walled cells which are far more susceptible to being punctured. In the event of a puncture or overcharge event, high temperature enduring flames are produced, with the severity and duration largely depending on the amount of energy within the cell. LiPo batteries also degrade at a much faster rate (both over time and with charge cycles) and have been known to spontaneously combust in storage while at rest.

      With the sodium battery, the thrust produced by the puncture could have been easily been overcome by properly securing the cell.

    • Nindelofocho@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      That explosion doesent seem much bigger than a firework thats smaller than the battery’s size. With as much as a car weighs and the amount we already do to protect batteries in electric cars i imagine the explosion from these could be easier to manage safely than a lithium fire. I also wonder how harmful the fumes are compared to lithium

      • Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        Especially considering there’s no fire from a sodium cell, just a quick bang. They definitely seem a lot safer.

        • cybersin@lemm.eeEnglish
          0·
          6 months ago

          Yep, less/no fire is very important when creating battery banks with many cells. The probability of single cell failure spreading to adjacent cells is reduced, making a catastrophic failure of the entire bank less likely.