Nyobolt is a team of scientific specialists in Cambridge, England working quietly away at a brilliant idea. This focuses on a battery charging to 80% from 10% in 5 minutes, which is the most economically useful range. They plan a commercial use for their application, and are understandably shy about the details. We share what we have been able to glean thus far.
Prototype Charging To 80% From 10% In 5 Minutes
The Nyobolt website provides the following clues as to what electric vehicle users may look forward to, compared to lithium-ion batteries (although the company must first commercialize its prototype):
- Optimizing their uptime and productivity with charging in 5 minutes.
- Benefiting from highest power density in a smaller, lighter battery.
- Looking forward to lower total cost of ownership with long cycle battery life.
- Combining a lower risk of lithium plating with a wider temperature range,
Fleet News sees many lifestyle benefits from a lithium-ion battery fast charging to 80% from 10% in 5 minutes. They obtained access to information about the ‘sports car’ fitted with the Nyobolt prototype lithium-ion battery.
It has successfully repeated ten-to-eighty high-speed test,s and apparently avoided degradation from fast charging. Moreover, it has already covered 600,000 simulated miles by recharging 4,000 times.
Cathode Technology Detailed in Patent Application
The patent application states that the Nyobolt battery has an electrode with a niobium surface. Now niobium is a light-gray crystalline, ductile transition metal as hard as pure titanium. Brazil has by far the largest reserves, followed by Canada.
Some 90% on mined niobium ends up in high-grade structural steel, and super-alloys. The light-gray metal is also used in a very small share of superconductors, and electronic components. You may already own the metal if you collect commemorative coins.
Niobium metal is more user-friendly and environmentally-friendly than the lithium metal in lithium-ion batteries. Wikipedia confirms that the elemental metal is hypoallergenic and harmless in solid form. Although in dust form it does irritate eyes and skin, and is potentially flammable.
More Information
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