Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Firefly Energy raises $16M for powered-up lead acid batteries
Jeremy Jacquot | May 5th, 2008 |
The Peoria, Ill., startup capped off a $16 million third round of funding to continue developing and marketing its carbon and graphite foam-based battery technologies for commercial and military use. Khosla Ventures and Infield Capital, which signed on as new investors to lead the deal, were joined by Stark Capital, Caterpillar and other previous investors.
Firefly, which claims its lead acid batteries are cheaper, lighter and more powerful than conventional ones, will release the Oasis battery this summer. Intended for use in long-haul trucks, the battery will power sleeper cabs when the truck’s diesel engine is idling to reduce fuel emissions. This idea isn’t totally unique; Glacier Bay intends to do the same thing with small generators.
With more states adopting tougher anti-idling regulations, the company sees a lot of room for growth. Oasis should also help provide some relief to truck drivers angry over high diesel costs by improving fuel efficiency. Firefly claims it will provide a 50% run time boost over competitors’ batteries.
The company has also released a battery designed for the plug-in hybrid market, which should play well with growing consumer demand for more fuel efficient vehicles and the recent release of Hymotion’s plug-in hybrid kit. It has received over $3.2 million in federal funding from the DOE to develop its 3D advanced batteries.
http://venturebeat.com/2008/05/05/firefly-energy-raises-16m-for-powered-up-lead-acid-batteries/
Walter's "working every day for pwtc". His concept of working is obviously different from a normal person's.
Walter, for future reference, here's a definition for work:
Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something.
Steve, isn't it apparent that hasher, e-y, and peep were right about PWTC management? Walter and Connolly were self serving and there's nothing left of PWTC except bagholders.
PWTC owes Cornell about $1.5 mil of which all assetts (patents,equipment)were to revert over to them from a default.
PWTC owes CSI (Connolly) $.5 mil.
It's my understanding that the pilot plant equipment has been confiscated due to non-payment of the rent.
"We are establishing our pilot plant facility in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. We have leased from Sun Life assurance Company of Canada approximately 3150 square feet of space located at 5600 Parkwood Way, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, for a minimum term of three years, beginning August 1, 2006, at the rate of approximately $2,951 per month."
Joey Jung, co-inventor of the battery, left the company due to non-payment of wages.
Walter's last two lies:
Power Technology to Move to Pink Sheets in Cost Saving Action
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alternative energy
company Power Technology (OTC Bulleting Board: PWTC) announced today that
the Company intends to voluntarily list on the Pink Sheets in the near
future. The purpose of the company's action is to save the significant
costs of reporting on the Over The Counter Bulletin Board and to avoid the
additional costs of complying with the additional outside audit
requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2008. Power Technology intends to
post unaudited balance sheet and income statements on the Pink Sheets on a
quarterly basis to keep shareholders informed of it's financial condition.
Power Technology CEO Announces Plan to Retire
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alternative energy
company Power Technology (OTC Bulletin Board: PWTC) announced today that
the company's CEO, Bernard J. Walter, has announced his intention to retire
as CEO when a new successor is found. The Board of Directors will begin an
immediate search for a new CEO on behalf of Power Technology.
What's left to invest or trade on?
I still own over 800K shares (not a lot anymore considering the price) and would love nothing better for the price to go up. But to let someone who's only posted here a few times come in and take over the ibox doesn't make sense.
Not that it's my call, but I would think if there's some consensus as to what info most would like to see in the ibox, I'm sure logman would likely acquiesce to it.
There's nothing to put into the Ibox unless it's a warning to newbies. Management have shown themselves beyond a shadow of a doubt to be incompetent or criminal. No filings, no PR's, nor do they take any phone calls.
I believe your enthusiasm is misplaced or suspect.
One of these days I'd love to make a trip there also. I have a lot to discuss with LBJW.
How to Build a Better Battery
The search for the perfect battery is fraught with obstacles—namely the laws of physics." />
Britt Robson" />
May 01" /> , 2008" /> In a drab, cramped room at the back of Lee Hart's basement, there is a faint and somewhat eerie hum. More than a hundred large, mostly rechargeable batteries from around the world rise along the walls and sprawl across the floor. A few are hooked to machines with quivering meter needles measuring the amount and durability of their charges; the data are being fed into a 1987 Zenith XT computer with dual floppy disks stationed on a table in the corner. There are the traditional lead-acid batteries of the sort used in most cars. There's a stack of the nickel-metal-hydride batteries Hart salvaged from an EV1, the crushed vehicle that starred in the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? And there are the lighter, exponentially more expensive lithium-ion batteries.
Hart points to one of the latter—made in China, it's known as the Thunder Sky—and declares, "That would be a wonderful battery if it met the specs claimed by the manufacturer, and some of them do. But that tested out at about half the specs. You put this in a [gas-powered] truck, it would be hard to notice. But if you have a stack of underperforming batteries in an electric car, it makes a difference."
A connoisseur of batteries and a debunker of the so-called breakthroughs that come around like clockwork every couple of years, Hart makes it his business to parse hype from performance. Whenever he hears about a new battery, the 58-year-old self-employed electrical engineer (he did lab work at Eastman Kodak and Honeywell) writes the company and asks for a prototype to be sent to his home in Sartell, Minnesota. "I'm a cheapskate, and sometimes they'll send me a free one," he jokes. So far, he still prefers lead-acid batteries. Using a life-extending charging system he designed himself, he's converting his third electric car to handle 14 of them; a buoyant pride creeps into his voice as he notes that most of the batteries are 8 to 10 years old. "Just like you don't feed an old dog puppy chow," he says, an old dog himself with the white tufts on the sides of his balding head combed up to resemble Mercury's wings, "you treat old batteries differently."
Hart has heard the dreamers wax on about a time when batteries will run for days on end, revolutionizing plug-in cars, windmills, and solar panels—just about any source of alternative energy would benefit from good batteries, which allow electricity to be stored and transported. He has sympathy for those visions. A motto of his hero, Thomas Edison, is inscribed on a favorite sweatshirt: "To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." Like most electro-geeks who'd rather tinker than strut, he also adheres to Edison's practical DIY ethos, which explains the battery room and the small fleet of electric cars he has either retrofitted or built from scratch. His tests invariably reinforce what he and most everyone else familiar with the battery market have long known. When it comes to practical applications for sustainable energy, batteries are more of an Achilles' heel than a panacea, because we are running 21st-century technology with what is essentially 18th- or 19th-century chemistry.
A rechargeable battery generally consists of metal electrodes and a highly conductive electrolyte—lead and acid being one example—that react to store a charge. Although crude battery designs date to before Christ, the modern battery prototype came about in the 1790s when Alessandro Volta made an electric circuit by stacking wired-together silver and zinc discs in salt water. While different pairings of metals and chemicals have been used to improve the power, durability, storage capacity, and safety of batteries, the way they function has remained the same.
At the turn of the 20th century, battery-powered cars were considered a formidable competitor to oil- and steam-powered vehicles. Hart points out that the first auto to reach a speed of 60 mph was a French electric in 1899, and his own love affair with electric cars began when he rode in a 1917 Detroit—a model with plush upholstery, rosewood trim, and little flower vases—at a trade show in the 1970s. But electric car companies, which geared their products to a high-income clientele, were soon undercut by the more affordable Model T's coming off Ford's assembly lines. Gasoline has been the world's dominant transportation fuel ever since.
Now peak oil and global warming have thrust electric cars back into the spotlight. But there's just one problem. While computer circuit boards double transistor capacity every two years (a principle dubbed Moore's Law), battery technology has lagged far behind. Blame basic physics. "To get Moore's Law out of battery improvements would be like expecting to make steel twice as strong but with half the density," says Yet-Ming Chiang, a professor in the materials science and engineering department at MIT.
That doesn't mean we can't do incrementally better, says Chiang, who is also the cofounder of A123 Systems, a Massachusetts-based company that is on the cutting edge of battery technology, specifically with respect to lithium-ion chemistry and nanostructures (which increase the surface area of the metal and therefore extend its charge and boost its capability). Lithium-ions are lighter and hold longer charges than other types, but they are also more prone to burst into flames, a tiny, undesirable conflagration in a cell phone, but potentially fatal in a vehicle. The use of nanostructures has enabled A123 to safely put its lithium-ion batteries into power tools, a step forward. The company is also one of two developers chosen to test batteries in the Chevy Volt, an electric car General Motors claims will be mass marketed by 2010.
Powering a drill is a long way from running an automobile, however, and the current battery technology for all-electric cars would be hard-pressed to satisfy the public. The average American drives 40 miles or less per day, but market studies have shown that consumers want electric cars to be able to travel 100 to 200 miles between charges. Which brings us to another problem. "Right now, batteries with a 40-mile range are the size of a small suitcase and weigh 150 pounds," Chiang says. "Imagine five times that to get to 200 miles." And even if lighter lithium-ion batteries could be made safer, they're prohibitively expensive.
The cause is far from hopeless. But some assistance—or simply lack of resistance—from the government and vested business interests is key. Hart says that the nickel-metal-hydride battery made in the 1990s by Ovonics that went into the EV1 was "as good as they claim," capable of a 100-mile range. Had GM continued production, mass sales might have driven down the battery's price. But, Hart notes with a shake of his head, Ovonics "sold the technology to Chevron, and they aren't making them."
While some engineers focus on interim steps—such as adding supercapacitors to lead-acid batteries in order to squeeze out more power—others continue to strive for that elusive revolutionary advance. "To get the technology from 40 miles up to 200 miles on a single charge and do it at a GM price point rather than a NASA price point is obviously going to require a degree of invention and innovation that we don't have yet," says Donald Sadoway, an MIT materials chemistry professor. "We need to discover new materials for electrodes and electrolytes that have greater storage capability and higher current capability." A colleague of his is using computational models to figure out what chemicals could yield better results. "I'm confident we'll see some major innovations come from this approach," says Sadoway.
Another potentially revolutionary use for batteries involves the ongoing development of large-capacity models that utility companies can power up during off-peak hours at night and draw from during the day, supplementing the grid when power is needed most. For nearly a decade, utilities have been storing power in sodium-sulfur batteries that are the size of double-decker buses. Now they are looking to improve and expand the use of this technology to harness wind power, so that energy generated on blustery nights can be used the following day, or even the day after.
"We've looked at sodium-sulfur batteries, but we certainly aren't married to one technology," says Frank Novachek, director of corporate planning for Minnesota-based Xcel Energy, which sells more wind power than any utility in the country. "We plan to tie into a small wind farm in southwestern Minnesota, both to use the battery as if it were integral to the wind farm and to see how it does for electricity storage as a shock absorber on the system."
The latest potential advance involves ceramic-battery chemistry being developed by EEStor, out of Cedar Park, Texas. The company's grandiose claims—"10 times the energy density of lead acid batteries at 1/10th the weight and volume," a "fully 'green' technology" at "half the price per stored watt-hour"—will sound familiar to Hart and other battery enthusiasts. Yet EEStor's credibility was given a boost earlier this year when it entered into an exclusive agreement with Lockheed Martin to use its technology for "military and homeland security applications."
Personally, Hart isn't waiting around for the GMs and Lockheed Martins of the world to solve the energy conundrum. He's busy inventing his own solutions, making do with the batteries at hand. Hart is constructing an electric car based on the Selectra Sunrise prototypes of the 1990s, which he hopes to someday market as a kit for plug-in enthusiasts. "You look at the tools you have and make an engineering choice," Hart explains. "Lead-acid batteries are heavy, but they're cheap. I can make them last, and they are recyclable."
But the main innovation in Hart's car has nothing to do with how it's powered—it'll be compatible with any kind of battery—but rather with its strong and lightweight frame, influenced by the ultraefficient "hypercar" philosophy of environmentalist Amory Lovins. "If I make the car lighter, I still get the fuel economy I'm looking for," notes Hart. In other words, for now, the best way to get more out of batteries is to simply demand less of them.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/05/it-keeps-going-and-going.html
Power tech
Company Name: Power tech
Contact Person: Mr. Assem Nawam
Street Address: Tallet el Khayyat el Mallat street, Al Madina Building
City: Beirut
Province/State: Lebanon
Power Tech company is specialized in batteries for all applications (Automotive, motorcycle, UPS, Alarm systems, Security systems, etc... ).
We deal with Starting, Sealed Lead Acid, industrial, network power Batteries.
We distribute mainly in Lebanon in addition to some countries in Africa (Ivory cost, Gana... )
In addition, we are intrested in all automotive electrical products like battery testers, boosters, load testrs, etc....
Read more
OfflineMoreCompany Profile
Basic Information
Company Name: Power tech
Business Type: Distributor/Wholesaler
Product/Service: Automotive, Motorcycle, UPS, Batteries. Batteries for all Applications, Automotive Accessories.
Number of Employees: 11 - 50 People
Trade & Market
Main Markets: Mid East
Total Annual Sales Volume: US$2.5 Million - US$5 Million
http://www.alibaba.com/company/10844929.html
This is the last known company address and phone number as found in the last SEC filing from 9/07.
POWER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
(Name of Small Business Issuer in Its Charter)
7101 HIGHWAY 71 WEST, SUITE 200
AUSTIN, TX 78735
(Address of principal executive offices)
512.288.8528
(Issuer's telephone number)
The ibox reflects the Company's current policy toward shareholders ....... no info !!!!!
For your convenience .... enforcement@sec.gov
Toyota looking past lithium batteries
07.03.08 05:54
( Motor Authority )- By now most of us are well aware of the benefits that lithium-ion batteries are purported to bring to hybrids: lighter weight, longer range and better power. We’ve also heard the downsides of lithium-ion batteries: unexpected fires and explosions, heat, and high costs. Toyota, already slow to join the lithium-ion camp, has decided that the smart money is on what’s next - although it will still use lithium-ion batteries in some vehicles.
Alternative materials like air-zinc are being eyed, and Toyota is devoting new resources to a unit that will investigate the issue. The company has a goal of 50mi (80km) on a battery that can be charged from a standard home electricity outlet, reports Automotive News Europe. With hopes to commercialize such a battery by 2020, the company has its work cut out - but it’s not impossible. The 2020 goal falls in step with the broader goal of having a hybrid version of every model in its lineup.
Toyota’s move toward the technology of the generation-after-next comes just as other makers are beginning to firm up their implementations of next-generation lithium-ion technology. Toyota itself hopes to have a new plug-in hybrid on the market as soon as 2010, a year after Mercedes expects to come to market with its S400 BlueEFFICIENCY hybrid. BMW is using lithium-ion batteries in its most recent hybrids, and Ford just delivered its first lithium-ion plug-in hybrid SUV test vehicle in January.
Lead still a contender for hybrid cars: industry
By Anna Stablum
LONDON (Reuters) - Lead is still in the race to make batteries for hybrid-powered vehicles, President Bruce Neil at privately-owned lead producer Doe Run told a conference on Monday.
Three kinds of batteries can power the new generation of environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles, but the one that wins is the one that has the best balance of price and performance.
"Lead-acid batteries still belong in the race," Neil said at a Metal Bulletin Conference in London.
Lead, nickel and lithium producers all want their share in the booming battery market supplying various hybrid vehicles.
"I know that in various places in the world tests are going on...we are at the beginning of a catch-up phase," Neil said.
"The results we are seeing are very favorable," he added.
Doe Run is a founding member of the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium and in the United Kingdom the consortium recently completed a 100,000-mile (160,000-km) test drive of a Honda Insight with lead-acid battery power.
"This demonstrates that lead-acid is at least as durable as nickel metal hydride as well as more efficient and less expensive," Neil said.
A nickel metal hydridhydride battery can cost up to $4,000, where lead-acid batteries with comparable performance might cost $800, he said.
Hybrid vehicles using lead-acid batteries are not commercially fabricated and instead all commercial hybrid cars run on nickel-metal hydride batteries.
A lithium-ion battery has the same capacity but half the weight of lead, making the vehicle more fuel-efficient.
Critics say lead's heavier weight is its main drawback.
Doe Run accounts for some six percent of world refined metal production in 2007, according to figures from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG).
(Reporting by Anna Stablum, editing by Michael Roddy)
Think to Partner with Large Automaker
The Norwegian electric-car company known for its iconic tiny car says its next model will be bigger -- and will be developed together with a large automaker.
by: Rachel Barron
February 26, 2008
Norwegian electric-car company Think Global plans to announce it will partner with a large automaker next week in order to build a bigger vehicle, Chairman Jan-Olaf Willums said Tuesday.
It’s a change for the company, which has been producing distinctive cars about the size of a Mini Cooper.
At the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, Willums said he wouldn’t divulge any more details until next week.
It would be interesting if the partner turned out to be Ford Motor. Think’s technology originally was developed by Ford (see Recharged Runabout).
The company isn’t alone in its all-electric efforts to team with auto-industry giants.
All-electric sports car maker Tesla Motors also said last week it wants to partner with a large automaker to manufacture its third model at "high volumes" (see Tesla to Big Three: Let’s Be Friends).
Tesla’s third model is expected to be a compact sports car with a price tag of between $30,000 and $35,000.
Electric cars haven’t always been a joy ride for large automakers (think "Who Killed the Electric Car"), but Willums sees that changing.
For example, Renault-Nissan Alliance said in January it would partner with Project Better Place to mass-produce electric cars.
All this partnership news shows that alternative-vehicle companies are beginning to focus on forming their supply chains, an important step toward mass production and distribution, said Thilo Koslowski, lead automotive analyst at Gartner, last week (see Green Cars Cruise Forward).
"It’s a healthy development. It’s very important for the entire industry that the companies are making headway," he said.
But even with large manufactures getting on board, electric vehicles still have a ways to go.
Among the biggest challenges facing electric vehicles are batteries, which are key to getting better mileage out of hybrids and better range out of all-electric vehicles, and the difficulty of recharging them.
Case in point: One conference attendee asked how she could drive from Arizona to California in one of Think’s vehicles. "I think you are typically a noncustomer for us," Willums responded, adding Think is targeting drivers who commute short distances.
Axion Announces Demonstration Projects With the U.S. Army and Penn State University
Thursday February 21, 11:13 am ET
NEW CASTLE, Pa., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Axion Power International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AXPW - News) said today that it has agreed to provide PbC(TM) Ultracapacitors to the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University for testing in conjunction with the U.S. Army's Tank and Automobile Command (TACOM). Tom Granville, CEO of Axion made the announcement at the Company's presentation at CleanEquity Monaco 2008 conference (http://www.cleanequitymonaco.com)
The TACOM project will cover a broad range of established and emerging military vehicle applications including starting, lighting and ignition systems (SLI) for diesel engines that operate in extreme weather conditions; hybrid electric vehicle drive systems; silent watch systems; and other military applications where the lighter weight, higher power, and longer cycle-life of Axion's PbC Ultracapacitors will improve the performance of existing systems and facilitate the roll out of new systems. Testing will begin immediately with the shipment of several different versions of PbC Ultracapacitors to the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State.
Dr. Edward Buiel, Axion's CTO said, "Military applications present a number of unique challenges for battery systems. Military vehicles must operate well in sub-freezing temperatures where newer battery technologies have difficulties starting vehicles. New requirements for the operation of high-power electronic loads for communications, surveillance, and other operations when the engine is not running are placing significant new demands on developing battery technology. We believe our TACOM demonstration project is likely to identify several military applications where the cold weather performance, deep discharge capacity and long cycle-life of our PbC Ultracapacitors will be particularly desirable. "
In addition to Axion's efforts to develop PbC Ultracapacitor solutions to existing and emerging military applications, Axion has begun work on a complementary project to replace the nickel metal hydride battery systems in a pair of Honda Civic hybrids with a less expensive and comparably sized PbC alternative. Testing protocols are being finalized with Penn State and will include data from upwards of 100,000 miles of road tests. In the second phase of the hybrid project, Axion will add Toyota Prius and other vehicles to the test regime. Commenting on the hybrid project, Tom Granville said, "The first hybrids are now reaching the point where the owners will need to replace their battery packs at significant cost. We believe we will be able to offer a comparable PbC alternative at significantly lower cost."
About Axion Power International, Inc.
Axion has developed and patented a next generation energy storage device that won the prestigious 2006 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for North America in the field of lead-acid batteries. According to Frost & Sullivan, Axion's new PbC(TM) has "the potential to revitalize the lead-acid battery industry by breathing new life into an established technology that was not well-suited to the requirements of important new applications like hybrid electric vehicles and renewable power."
PbC batteries use sophisticated carbon electrode assemblies to replace the simple lead-based negative electrodes used by other lead-acid battery manufacturers. The resulting device offers energy storage approaching lead- acid batteries, coupled with far longer cycle-life and power output approaching super-capacitors. These low-cost devices recharge rapidly and are environmentally friendly because they use 40% less lead. Axion has been producing prototype PbC Ultracapacitors at its lead-acid battery plant in New Castle, Pennsylvania for more than a year using the same cases, positive electrodes, separators, electrolytes and manufacturing equipment used in its other lead-acid battery lines. The only notable manufacturing difference is the use of Axion's proprietary carbon electrode assemblies instead of lead- based negative electrodes.
Axion believes its PbC Ultracapacitors are the only class of advanced energy storage device that can be assembled on existing lead-acid battery production lines without significant changes to production equipment and fabrication processes. It also believes it will be able to manufacture carbon electrode assemblies in volume at low cost using standard production methods that are commonly used in other industries. When its electrode manufacturing methods are fully developed, Axion believes it will be able to sell carbon electrode assemblies as virtual plug-and-play replacements for the lead-based negative electrodes used by all other lead-acid battery manufacturers.
Axion's goal is to become the leading supplier of carbon electrode assemblies for the lead-acid battery industry.
Posted by: crdtz8
Date:8/12/2006 11:39:35 AM
I play offensive tackle and University of Missouri-Rolla Football is in the Great Lakes Football Confrence. Division II
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=12623528
Inside NiLar's Bi-Polar Battery
By EV World
Published: 14-Feb-2008
PHOTO CAPTION: Cutaway view of NiLar Bi-polar NiMH battery showing layers of cathode, anode and separator. The battery comes in both 12 and 24 volt models, both rated at 9 amp hours. Expected service life is 7-10 years and 2000 recharge cycles.
Neil Puester briefs EV World on the workings of his firm's new nickel metal hydride battery
The lead acid battery that powers your typical electric wheelchair can weigh 110 lbs. and needs to be replaced every year.
By contrast, a comparable bi-polar nickel metal hydride battery from Colorado-based NiLar would weigh between 25-35 lbs. and have a 7-10 year life cycle.
How it manages to accomplish this is the topic of a conversation I had with the company co-founder Neil Puester, whose background in battery development dates back to 1971 and the UTC battery that helped power the Apollo spacecraft, as well as underwater applications.
After working at Optima Battery between 1984 and 1996, he made the acquaintance of Lars Fredrickson in Norway while developing a battery for the Norwegian military. That friendship would eventually lead to the creation of NiLar in 2000 in order to commercialize a NiMH battery that wouldn't result in a patent fight with Energy Conversion Devices and Chevron Texaco, which owns the patents to certain key technologies found in most of the batteries that power today's hybrid cars.
Siting at a table off the side of the exhibition area at EVS 23, Puester generously took the time to explain the history and general workings of his bipolar cell, using the above cutaway model and a competing battery that uses conventional technologies.
What distinguishes the NiLar from a normal NiMH battery is how the internal components are arranged. Think of the traditional nickel metal battery as a jelly roll with three key layers: the cathode, the separator, the anode layers. These are rolled together with their respective positive and negative contact tabs at opposite ends of the roll. A lithium ion cobalt battery will generate between 3.3-3.6 volts. This compares to the typical lead acid cell at 2 volts.
In order to assemble the battery, all the individual cells have to have their respective tabs welded together, positive-to-negative-to-postive, etc. All these little "jelly rolls" are then wedged into the battery case, leaving open space between the round cells.
As Puester explained it, this type of construction means electrons have to follow an energy robbing, heat-producing circuitous path that his bipolar approach avoids.
Think of the NiLar cell as a lasagna, multiple alternating layers where the "tab" isn't a little slip of metal, but as an entire sheet that runs the length and breadth of the cell, as illustrated by the different colored layers in the cutaway. The advantage of this approach is it allows for more efficient flow of energy through the battery, as well as much easier and therefore less costly manufacturing. The biggest drawback, however, is that it generates just 1.2 volts per cell. This means it will take more cells to produce a workable voltage in most electric vehicle applications. A NiLar battery module like that above is rated at both 12 and 24 volts at 9 amp hours. The difference is there are more layers in the "lasagna". The operating temperature range of the battery is between 20-125 degrees F (-6 C to +52 C).
Nilar has been granted 13 patents and has an additional 3 applied for; interestingly all of them through its international headquarters in Sweden where Puester claims the patent filing process if faster and more thorough than elsewhere.
During 2007, the company was only able to turn out about 7,000 modules in low volume production, but it plans to ramp this up to more than 20,000 this year. In addition to the wheelchair application, Plug-in Conversions in San Diego is marketing the Nilar battery, mainly for use in Prius conversions. Puester has also identified another promising niche market, but he asked we not share it with our readers since he doesn't want his competitors learning of it. He would only say that the reason this particular niche likes it is because his battery "won't blow up."
The company web site also notes the following characteristics of the battery:
Offers more than 2,000 charge/discharge cycles
Maintenance-free operation
Fast charging
Fully recyclable
Wanted: Long-Lasting Electric Car Battery
Source: BusinessWeek
[Feb 13, 2008]
While major players see 2010 at the turning point for clean electric-drive vehicles, safety and cost issues remain.
The linchpin to the development of electric vehicles still comes down to developing the right battery.
Many of the major auto makers have gravitated toward lithium ion -- the type of battery used in smaller devices such as notebook computers and digital media players. It is lighter, holds a stronger charge and has the potential to last longer.
But safety and cost issues remain. Critics, meanwhile, remain skeptical about the battery's environmentally friendly credentials, especially the concept and practicality of "zero emissions." Still, major players predict 2010 will be a turning point for clean electric and next-generation hybrid cars as the new battery comes on the market.
"The early phase will begin in 2010 as many companies intend to introduce electric vehicles," said Minoru Shinohara, senior vice president of the technology division at Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. . "It's the starting point, and there will be very tough competition."
The auto makers will have to overcome the shaky reputation pure electric vehicles have earned. The cars offered limited range and horsepower, and there were too few of the required charging stations to make long-distance traveling a practical option.
But demand for eco-friendly vehicles is high, as illustrated by the strong sales of hybrid cars, which have both gas- and electric-powered motors to provide better acceleration and distance. With gas prices high and a focus on environmental responsibility a new priority for companies, auto makers want to go even further.
General Motors Corp. is hyping its Chevrolet Volt, which uses a pure electric engine but has a back-up gas-powered engine after the car goes further than 40 miles.
Nissan, meanwhile, expects to test an electric car in addition to its hybrid cars by 2010, with a mass-market version roughly two years after.
Nissan and GM, among others, will use lithium ion batteries to power their electric vehicles. That differs from the nickel-metal hydride batteries that hybrids typically use.
Lithium ion batteries have several advantages. They are lighter and hold a larger charge, and test vehicles using the battery performed twice as well as current hybrid cars, Shinohara said.
But safety remains a major issue. In 2006, a rash of exploding laptops plagued the PC industry and forced a massive recall by several computer makers. The cause: unstable lithium ion batteries that overheated.
The laptops left tables scorched, so imagine the damage a battery big enough to power a car could do.
"The jury is still out on (lithium ion) battery technology," said Robert Goebel, vice president of sales and marketing for Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. . "It's still in development."
Altair is developing a battery called lithium titanate, which would be similar to lithium ion, but the company uses nano titanate particles to replace graphite, the element blamed for the overheating. As a result, the battery is more stable, but holds less of a charge.
"In our case, we broaden the safety field," Goebel said.
The major auto makers are looking at Altair's technology, and the company has partnered with "prominent tier-one suppliers," although Goebel declined to specify any companies.
Nissan, meanwhile, is focusing on stabilizing the materials around a lithium ion battery. The company uses manganese-based material, which is more stable, Shinohara said. Additionally, the battery uses an aluminum casing, which is better for cooling efficiency, and a process of "laminating" the battery that also makes it thinner. Nissan is drawing from a decade of experience, as it has put out a handful of vehicles using lithium ion batteries over the past several years.
"We're confident about the safety," he said.
Another impediment to electric vehicle technology is cost.
"The price of the battery is almost equivalent to the car itself," Shinohara said. "It's not very practical right now."
The cost will only go down after the cars go into mass-market production. Nissan has set up a joint venture with NEC Corp. (6701.TO) to mass produce the batteries, and intends to supply the batteries to other auto makers.
While the ultimate goal is a car that doesn't emit any waste that can harm the environment, it probably isn't within anyone's grasp for the near term, said Perry Stern, senior editor at MSN Autos.
"Getting 90 percent of the way isn't that expensive," he said. "The closer you get to 100 percent, the more expensive you get. The last 5 percent is exponentially expensive."
The closest anyone has gotten to a purely clean car is Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and its FCX Clarity, Stern said. The FCX also uses a lithium ion battery, but uses hydrogen fuel cells to store power.
Few manufacturers are looking for a pure electric car, Stern said, adding that they will likely go the route of the FCX and use hydrogen fuel cells. One limitation for the vehicle is it only works with specific charging stations, which are currently only located in southern California.
The Volt may also be another prototype for future configurations of electric vehicle, he added. The car only needs to be plugged into a standard outlet and requires a six-hour charge.
While everyone is pushing for more environmentally friendly cars, one issue that gets glossed over is how to dispose of old batteries. The first batch of nickel metal hydride batteries from hybrid vehicles are expected to die out soon.
"No one wants to address what to do with them when they're dead," Stern said. "How do you dispose of them?"
True. Someone (god knows why) placed a .00004 bid in and likely Cornell or the Texas Two (Connolly and Walter) got a chance to make lunch money.
That's ok, it's hard to follow which shell the pea is under here. : )
A Cheaper Battery for Hybrid Cars
Source: Technology Review
[Jan 24, 2008]
The new UltraBattery lasts at least four times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries, and its creators say that it can be manufactured at one-quarter the cost of existing hybrid-electric battery packs.
The future market for hybrid-electric vehicles, at least those that are affordable, isn't necessarily paved with lithium. Researchers in Australia have created what could be called a lead-acid battery on steroids, capable of performing as well as the nickel-metal hydride systems found in most hybrid cars but at a fraction of the cost.
The so-called UltraBattery combines 150-year-old lead-acid technology with supercapacitors, electronic devices that can quickly absorb and release large bursts of energy over millions of cycles without significant degradation. As a result, the new battery lasts at least four times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries, and its creators say that it can be manufactured at one-quarter the cost of existing hybrid-electric battery packs.
In the United Kingdom last week, a Honda Insight hybrid powered by the UltraBattery system surpassed 100,000 miles on a test track. "The batteries were still in perfect condition at the end of the test," says David Lamb, who heads up low-emission transport research at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency. "What we've got is a lead-acid battery that is nice and cheap but can perform as well as, or better than, the nickel-metal hydride technology, which we know is very expensive."
Lead-acid batteries, invented by French physicist Gaston Plante in 1859, don't get much respect these days, despite being a crucial fixture under the hood of most vehicles. They contain lead, so environmentalists don't like them. They're heavy for the energy they store--a bad trait for mobile applications. And they degrade easily if not cycled properly. Indeed, there have been no major advances in the technology over the decades.
Meanwhile, a newer generation of batteries--most notably lithium-ion ones--are capturing the attention of investors and automakers. "Many have tried to improve the lead-acid battery, but the improvements were usually not that great or worth the added cost," says Malcolm Shemmans, founder and president of BET Services, a provider of battery-testing services to the auto industry.
To compensate for some of the shortcomings of lead-acid technology, many in the past have tried to complement the batteries with supercapacitors. In the late 1990s, for example, Lamb helped design two hybrid cars that used a 60-volt lead-acid pack and a separate 150-volt supercapacitor pack. The lead-acid system allowed the vehicles to drive in all-electric mode in the city, while the supercapacitors gave the cars the jolt that was needed for acceleration and the ability to quickly absorb energy from braking.
The cars worked well, but all the power electronics that were needed to control the two power systems were heavy and prohibitively expensive. Instead of treating the lead-acid batteries and supercapacitors as separate systems, Lamb's team decided to eliminate the need for all external electronics and instead build the supercapacitors directly into the battery. Essentially, one of the plates (the negative electrode) in the lead-acid battery was made half of lead and half of carbon, turning the battery into a supercapacitor-lead-acid hybrid.
CSIRO brought the design to Japanese battery manufacturer Furukawa Battery Company, which saw potential in the technology. After three years of collaboration, the two organizations determined that they could manufacture the UltraBattery much like conventional lead-acid batteries and at similar cost.
Meanwhile, Axion Power International, in New Castle, PA, has also developed a new type of lead-acid battery. Edward Buiel, chief technical officer with Axion, says that lead-acid batteries can play a significant role in the future of transportation and energy supply. Unfortunately, he adds, the automakers don't see the potential. "If you're not lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride, they're not interested. It's frustrating."
Buiel says that the typical cost of a nickel-metal hydride power pack is $2,000, and close to $5,000 retail. "A comparable lead-acid could be in the range of $1,000 in low volume, and significantly less in high volume," he says. "It's a battery where the consumer could see enough fuel savings for a payback in a year or two."
Despite the reluctance of the auto industry to embrace the technology, Lamb is convinced that by 2010 there will be some Japanese-made hybrid cars on the market offering the UltraBattery option.
However, Axion might have something to say about it. "We definitely think this technology is an excellent choice for hybrid-electric vehicles," says Buiel. "There's a lot of intellectual property in this area, and most of it is owned by Axion. Obviously, if we feel somebody violates our patent, we will defend that vigorously." He says that Axion plans to launch a demonstration project in North America this year that will test dozens of hybrid vehicles retrofitted with its lead-carbon batteries.
The Plot Thickens ...
Axion Expands Its Management Team
Thursday December 6, 7:30 am ET
Dr. Robert Nelson to take over manufacturing duties
NEW CASTLE, Pa., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Axion Power International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AXPW - News) announced today that well known industry innovator, Robert F. Nelson, PhD, has joined the Company, as vice president of Manufacturing Engineering. Thomas Granville, Axion CEO, said that the expansion of the manufacturing development team is in response to rapidly evolving business conditions both in the Company and in the energy storage industry as a whole. Dr. Nelson is relocating to New Castle, and has already taken up his duties.
Dr. Nelson is a specialized manufacturing design and development professional with over 40 years of experience in academia and industry. From 1967 through 1977, Dr. Nelson worked as an assistant professor of chemistry at California State University, Sacramento; the University of Idaho and the University of Georgia. Since 1977, Dr. Nelson has held a variety of increasingly responsible technical management positions at leading firms in the lead-acid battery industry including Gates Corporation; Portable Energy Products; the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium; Bolder Technologies Corporation; and most recently Firefly Energy Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President of Engineering.
Tom Granville, CEO said, "Bob has been a respected expert in the battery industry for over 30 years and was a driving force for the development and commercialization of the valve regulated lead acid battery technology used in every modern sealed lead-acid battery. He was also responsible for originating the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium, an industry consortium that he subsequently managed for several years. For the last 11 years, Bob has focused on developing advanced lead acid battery technology for hybrid vehicles and other heavy demand applications. We believe his expertise will be invaluable as we complete the development and begin the commercialization of our award winning PbC battery technology, which promises a 300% to 400% improvement in battery cycle life."
Mr. Granville continued, "Utilities, faced with the need to build generation and distribution facilities to meet peak customer demand, have long believed that cost-effective short-term energy storage systems would be an ideal solution. To date, the bulk of the efforts have been unsatisfactory due to the high cost and limited lives of most battery-based systems. We believe our low-cost PbC(TM) battery has the potential to provide the cost-effective short-term energy solution the utility industry has sought for decades. Our NYSERDA-DCEC installation will cost significantly less than other recently announced battery projects, and will give us an excellent opportunity to test our batteries and management system under extreme utility operating conditions."
Dr. Nelson commented, "Emerging battery applications in wind and solar power, utility applications and hybrid electric vehicles, all have unique performance demands that current lead-acid technology cannot satisfy. Axion's work on the PbC battery has overcome many of the technical performance limitations of lead-acid technology and created a product with the capability of satisfying the extraordinary demands of these new applications. I am looking forward to helping Axion introduce a truly unique product to the market."
About Axion Power International, Inc.
Axion has developed and patented a next generation energy storage device that won the prestigious 2006 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for North America in the field of lead-acid batteries. According to Frost & Sullivan, Axion's new PbC batteries have "the potential to revitalize the lead-acid battery industry by breathing new life into an established technology that was not well-suited to the requirements of important new applications like hybrid electric vehicles and renewable power."
Axion's new PbC batteries use sophisticated carbon electrode assemblies to replace the simple lead-based negative electrodes used by lead-acid battery manufacturers. The resulting PbC battery offers energy storage approaching lead acid batteries, coupled with far longer cycle life and power output approaching super-capacitors. These low-cost devices recharge rapidly and are environmentally friendly because they use 40% less lead. Axion has been producing prototype PbC(TM) batteries at its lead-acid battery plant in New Castle, Pennsylvania for more than a year with the same cases, positive electrodes, separators, electrolytes and manufacturing equipment used in its other lead-acid battery lines. The only notable manufacturing difference is the use of Axion's proprietary carbon electrode assemblies instead of lead- based negative electrodes.
Axion believes its PbC batteries are the only class of advanced battery that can be assembled on existing lead-acid battery production lines without significant changes to production equipment and fabrication processes. It also believes it will be able to manufacture carbon electrode assemblies in volume at low cost using standard production methods that are commonly used in other industries. When its electrode manufacturing methods are fully developed, Axion believes it will be able to sell carbon electrode assemblies as virtual plug and play replacements for the lead based negative electrodes used by all other lead acid battery manufacturers.
Axion's goal is to become the leading supplier of carbon electrode assemblies for the lead-acid battery industry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firefly Presents Illinois Senator with Its First Battery
Source: Journal Star
[Jan 13, 2008]
Peoria-based battery maker recognizes efforts of Senator Durbin in securing federal funding to help develop its unique carbon-foam battery technology.
PEORIA - Firefly Energy's first battery aimed at the plug-in hybrid market has left the building.
The battery was mounted on a plaque presented to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who visited Firefly offices at the Illinois Central College North campus, 5407 N. University St., Friday.
The presentation was the company's way of thanking Durbin for helping get federal funds for research into the high-tech batteries being developed at Firefly since technology that originated at Caterpillar Inc. formed the basis of the start-up company in 2003.
Durbin announced earlier that $3.2 million in federal funds had been budgeted for Firefly's 3D advanced battery, designed to replace traditional lead acid batteries.
Driving the nation's push to find a better battery are the needs of the U.S. military, currently involved in hot-weather combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Durbin. "Current lead acid batteries lose as much as 50 percent of their power for every 15 degrees above 70 degrees," he said.
Durbin also addressed the country's new energy bill thatwas signed into law last month. "We're in a new debate. We're looking for fuel economy to average 35 miles per gallon for U.S. vehicles by 2020. Automakers say that's impossible. We shouldn't accept that," he said.
Durbin recalled that U.S. automakers also fought a hike in fuel economy standards in the 1970s when the price of oil rose from $2 a barrel to $5 a barrel.
Calling Firefly "on the front line" in efforts to develop a more fuel-efficient future, Durbin applauded the firm for its work in the energy field. "I believe in what you're doing here," he told assembled employees.
Firefly co-founder Mil Ovan said the company now employs 45 people, up from three when the firm was spun off from Caterpillar five years ago.
"I like the parentage of this company. Caterpillar is a company well-grounded in technology. I like what I've seen here. Early reports are very positive," said Durbin of Firefly research efforts.
In addition to encouraging Firefly, Durbin called for a greater public effort in conservation. "There are things we can do to consume less energy. Each individual American has a responsibility to make it work," he said.
Ovan said Firefly planned to send samples of hybrid batteries to the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago this spring for testing. A positive result could lead to further funding by the U.S. Department of Energy and FreedomCAR, a partnership between the U.S. government and the nation's automakers, he said.
Plug-in hybrids are vehicles that use batteries that can be recharged overnight. Automakers are expected to develop the plug-in hybrid as a major market segment.
Firefly is also pursuing the U.S. truck market with its Oasis battery, designed to meet the needs of truckers now facing stiffer idling regulations in California, said Ovan. Firefly expects the new battery to be available this summer with full production expected in the fourth quarter of 2008.
I think he is restricted to selling only 500k every 6 months. At today's prices that's about what, $1200/year. His golden parachute has a big tear in it.
Maybe it's to make the "Ask" more attractive to buyers. : )
This is from Microcapfeed ...
http://66.201.236.134/export/level2.jsp?symbol=rshn
MM ID Bid Size Time
VERT 0.0001 5000 13:12:51
SBSH 0.0001 5000 11:31:22
ETRD 0.0001 5000 15:38:43
VFIN 0.0000 5000 12:25:51
MM ID Ask Size Time
VFIN 0.0000 5000 12:25:51
VERT 0.0001 5000 13:12:51
SBSH 0.0002 5000 11:31:22
ETRD 0.0002 5000 15:38:43
HILL 0.0002 5000 12:25:05
NITE 0.0002 5000 11:21:32
SSGI 0.0002 25000 10:08:07
UBSS 0.0002 5000 09:30:39
FRAN 0.0002 5000 06:51:18
Nothing compared to what he could have had. He wasn't criminal, he just wasn't very bright.
Because Walter is an idiot and an arrogant one at that. Worst possible combination. He doesn't have the business sense to operate a lemonade stand much less a startup public company. Bernard was the Gilligan of CEO's. Screwed up everything he touched. Clueless. He couldn't pour piss out of his Texas boot even if instructions were written on the bottom.
Another organic competitor ...
My wife just brought back these "Apple and Eve" organic jucies from a running event.
http://www.appleandeve.com/our_juices/organics.php
I bet he has 6 six fingers or toes on each limb. lol
Don't forget about his secretary. The one who's skirt Walter hides under when an investor tries to call him. I imagine she's on the payroll still.
Why does this remind me of the guess which shell the pea is under game?
Japan looks to batteries to clean up cars
Wed Oct 3, 2007 2:53am EDT
By Chang-Ran Kim and Noriyuki Hirata
TOKYO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Achieving a breakthrough in battery technology is the key to tackling pollution caused by cars and sustaining a rapid growth in car ownership worldwide, an official at the Japanese automakers' lobby said.
An estimated 700 million cars are on the road today and this is expected to double "in no time" given rapid motorisation in China, India and other emerging markets, said Minoru Taniguchi, head of the environment department at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.
"The auto industry knows that this pace of motorisation is not sustainable without tackling the issues of pollution, recycling, industrial waste -- in addition to global warming," he said in an interview in Tokyo for the Reuters Environment Summit.
While alternative vehicle powertrains such as plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell systems are seen as a possible solution, these require next-generation batteries that have posed the biggest barrier to their proliferation.
"The general view is that without the ability to develop fuel-cell cars or hybrids, it would be difficult for automakers to survive further out. For that, battery technology is critical," he said.
Most automakers are working on developing lithium-ion batteries, believed to be a better fit for rechargeable plug-in cars and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles than the lower-energy nickel-metal hydride currently used in hybrid cars such as Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) popular Prius.
But even Toyota, a leader in environmentally friendly vehicle technology, has said that it would take some time to prepare lithium-ion batteries for commercial use due to safety and cost issues.
GOVERNMENT AID
Japan's government has pledged 25 billion yen ($215 million) over the next five years for fundamental research into next-generation vehicle batteries, Taniguchi said.
"The government recognises their importance and is putting a lot of effort into this initiative."
It is also spending 30 billion yen a year on hydrogen-related research, including zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles, to meet its own ecological targets.
Japan has a goal of reducing its 100 percent dependence on fossil fuels for the transport sector to 80 percent by 2030.
Energy security plays a part, as the country has to import all its fossil fuel needs, while it also has an obligation under the Kyoto Protocol to cut the country's overall emissions of greenhouse gases to 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012.
Taniguchi said the government was keen to see diesel cars take off in Japan since they emit less carbon dioxide than gasoline cars, but he doubted whether consumers would follow. In Europe, every other new car is now fuelled by diesel.
"In Japan, there's less of an advantage in driving a diesel car than in Europe," he said, noting that diesel cars are good for long-distance travel, and need to be driven a lot to make up for the price premium over their gasoline cousins.
Europeans drive an average 20,000-30,000 km (12,000-18,000 miles) a year, while Japanese clock a little over 5,000 km on average, Taniguchi said.
With so much short-distance driving in Japan, plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged through electric sockets, have perhaps the biggest potential 10, 20 years from now, he said, adding that infrastructure issues could hold back fuel-cell cars.
"I expect regular hybrid cars will keep spreading. But for plug-in hybrid cars to become viable, we're going to need a breakthrough in battery technology." (For summit blog: http://summitnotebook.reuters.com/) ($1=115.60 Yen)
PWTC Board Meeting ...
He's a professional rubber stamp. I would still love to see a class action against LBJW and the directors for their gross negligence on running the company.
A 50 cent trade so far today. Somebody sold out. lol
Thanks for the true translation Gary. lol eom
The only redeeming thing is ...
Balak never got to open his golden parachute.
CERTIFICATION AND NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 OR SUSPENSION OF DUTY TO FILE
REPORTS UNDER SECTIONS 13 AND 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 0-24857
POWER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
(Name of Small Business Issuer in Its Charter)
NEVADA
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
88-0395816
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
7101 HIGHWAY 71 WEST, SUITE 200
AUSTIN, TX 78735
(Address of principal executive offices)
512.288.8528
(Issuer's telephone number)
SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12(b) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT: N/A
NAME OF EACH EXCHANGE ON WHICH REGISTERED: N/A
SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12(g) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT:
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Titles of all other classes of securities for which a duty to file reports
under section 13(a) or 15(d) remains)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please place an X in the box(es) to designate the appropriate rule provision(s) relied upon to terminate or suspend the duty to file reports:
Rule 12g-4(a)(1)(i) x Rule 12h-3(b)(1)(i) o
Rule 12g-4(a)(1)(ii) o Rule 12h-3(b)(1)(ii) o
Rule 12g-4(a)(2)(i) o Rule 12h-3(b)(2)(i) o
Rule 12g-4(a)(2)(ii) o Rule 12h-3(b)(2)(ii) o
Rule 15d-6 o
Approximate number of holders of record as of the certification or notice date:
As of September 13, 2007, there were 215,883,407 shares of common stock outstanding and these securities were held of record by 228 persons.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Power Technology, Inc. has caused this certification/notice to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned duly authorized person.
Date: September 13, 2007 By: /s/ Bernard J. Walter, President
Bernard J. Walter
Instruction: This form is required by Rules 12g-4, 12h-3 and 15d-6 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The registrant shall file with the Commission three copies of Form 15, one of which shall be manually signed. It may be signed by an officer of the registrant, by counsel or by any other duly authorized person. The name and title of the person signing the form shall be typed or printed under the signature.
Persons who respond to the collection of
information contained in this form is not
required to respond unless the form displays a
SEC2069(12-04) currently valid OMB control number.
The post that I deleted was clearly a personnel attack. If I allowed that, I would surely hear about it. I've had to delete a number of posts at times that I really didn't want to. I've even had some of my posts deleted when I've let my emotions get the best of me. : )
I'm sure Matt wouldn't have a problem getting rid of me if I was shown to be unfair.
For all the smart-butt posts, this is straight from the IHUB's moderator's handbook:
"Note: When managing one of these boards, you have six reasons to choose from when deciding whether or not a post should be removed:
Personal Attack – when someone attacks a person, with name calling, or relating to the messenger and not the message."
Any further questions?
As a moderator, you should know that there's a difference between attacking a post and attacking a poster. If you believe there is any impropriety feel free to contact admin.
Form 8-K for POWER TECHNOLOGY INC/CN
28-Aug-2007
ITEM 8.01 Other Events
Prototype Battery Preliminary Test results
During April of 2007, a commercial battery plant used our reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes to manufacture five sealed valve regulated, absorption glass mat (VRLA) twelve volt lead acid batteries. Each battery had six two volt cells and each two volt cell was assembled with 3 positive and 3 negative electrodes. The prototype batteries were manufactured using existing standard processes and machinery necessary for insertion of our electrodes into the battery case. The completion of the manufacturing of our prototype batteries used existing standard processes, methods, and machinery commonly used in the manufacture of a typical lead acid battery. Our prototype batteries were tested at the manufacturing plant. The prototype batteries were tested by the manufacturer and passed all the standard quality control tests including pressure testing, leak testing and internal short circuit testing. The manufacturer of the battery has completed preliminary testing of one prototype battery. We have completed preliminary testing of three of the prototype batteries. The manufacturer of the battery and we both determined that, as manufactured, there was not sufficient electrolyte present and the performance of the prototype batteries was limited. When the battery manufacturer and we added additional electrolyte to the prototype batteries, the performance of the prototype batteries significantly improved.
The following table reflects the results of the battery manufacturer’s testing of one prototype battery:
Discharge 20 hrs 9 hrs
Extra Volume Electrolyte Added Insufficient Volume of
Electrolyte Insufficient Volume of
Electrolyte
Current (Amperes) (A) 3 3 5
Capacity (Ah)
Ampere hours 67 55 50
Positive Active Material
Efficiency
(PAM %) 51 42 38
Note: Cutoff voltage: 10.5 V
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We reformed and recharged three of the prototype batteries and the following table reflects the results of our testing of three of the prototype batteries compare:
Discharge 20 hrs 9 hrs
Extra Volume Electrolyte Added Insufficient Volume of Electrolyte Insufficient Volume of Electrolyte
Current (Amperes) (A) 3 3 5
Capacity (Ah)
Ampere hours 71 58 53
Positive Active Material Efficiency (PAM %) 54 45 40
Note: Cutoff voltage: 10.5 V
We also manufactured a flooded, 2 Volt battery using the same standard reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes used in the 12 Volt prototype batteries. We tested this battery at our pilot plant. The following table shows the 2 volt battery test data:
Discharge Current (Ampere per square inch)
(A/in2) Capacity
Ampere Hour per square inch
(Ah/in2) Positive Active
Material Efficiency
PAM (%)
20 hours 0.05 1.03 59
15 hours 0.06 0.92 54
7 hours 0.12 0.84 49
Notes 1. 2 Volt flooded battery with 1 positive plate and 2 negative electrodes
2. Cutoff voltage: 1.75 V
3. Size of 2V battery electrodes: 5.50” x 4.87”
Conventional lead acid batteries have Positive Active Material Efficiency of approximately 38%.
Our 2 volt flooded battery has a higher utilization of Positive Active Material Efficiency, 59% compared to our 12 volt prototype battery Positive Active Material Efficiency of 54%.
Based on the tests, we concluded that rather than manufacturing batteries with an equal number of positive electrodes and negative electrodes per cell, we should manufacture additional prototype batteries that employ one more negative electrodes per cell than the number of positive electrodes per cell to ensure the positive active material will contribute to the capacity and increase the batteries performance.
We are continuing to perform testing on the prototype batteries to determine their cycle life, which is the number of times a rechargeable battery can be charged and discharged
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Default in Obligation Under Employment Agreement
As of August 15, 2007, we were in default in our obligations under our employment agreement with Joey Jung, our Vice President, and Chief Technology Officer. As of that date we were in arrears in payment to Mr. Jung of four months salary, totaling approximately $37,879. Mr. Jung advised us that if we are not able to reach an agreement concerning payments to him that he intends to resign as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Company on August 31, 2007.
Termination of Employment of Robert Magyar
Mr. Robert Magyar terminated his employment as President of our wholly owned subsidiary, Sentry Power Technology, Inc. as of August 7, 2007.
POWER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Date: August 28, 2007 By: /s/ Bernard J. Walter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bernard J. Walter
Chief Executive Officer and President