Battery and Fuel Cell Technology

The On-board electric power generation in the absence of external energy may be sufficient to realize tough electric vehicles. The method to charge the Li-ion battery modules in the present investigation differs from the conventional single voltage source scheme in that the power requirement is only 12% of the power required for typical direct voltage applications. This method utilizes the electrostatic-induction potential-superposed electrolytic charge (ESI-PSC). The on-board electric power generation system is an identical twin of battery modules that function in ESI-PSC mode, in which the performance can be explained through consecutive cycles of field-induced charge and discharge between two batteries (Fig.1). When the charge of one battery is terminated, it becomes responsible for both the power to recharge the other battery and the power to drive the motor. This power generation system works with zero energy input, zero matter input and zero emission, without violating the laws of thermodynamics. The commercially available Li-ion battery modules and power control systems enable the realization of this type of EVs. A simulation based on the official standard cruising mode (JCO08) showed that an electric vehicle with an on-board twin of 13.2 kWh energy capacity modules can travel 132 km before switching from charge to discharge.