Thread

1. burnt-resistor · 1789889300 · focus · HN ↗

   This isn't really a viable technology because it requires careful invasive chemical injection into risky cell chemistries. Generally, liquid electrolyte and plastic separator NMC, LFP, and LiPo should be banned for all but hobby uses when far safer solid state cells with ceramic separators exist such as those offered by ProLogium. NMC are extremely dangerous under deflagration, and LFP create huge amounts of colorless and odorless hydrogen gas that has already blown up many improperly engineered buildings that used them and assumed they were "safe". Real solid state electrolyte chemistries tend to have much slower passivation growth than liquid chemistries.

   1. Tade0 · 1789905778 · focus · HN ↗

      > and LFP create huge amounts of colorless and odorless hydrogen gas

      Lead-acid batteries do that while being charged, so it's an engineering problem to solve, not some insurmountable challenge.

      1. burnt-resistor · 1789978566 · focus · HN ↗

         > Lead-acid batteries do that while being charged

         Apples and oranges strawman. In very small quantities that can be managed by simply dumping it overboard using small diameter tubing.

         Watch the StacheD YT channel about the structures blown up by deflagrating LFP packs because they lacked constant igniters like Megapacks. Also, the Moss Landing LFP fire reignited after 20 months. LFP aren't anywhere close to "safe", they're just relatively safer compared to NMC.

         1. Tade0 · 1789981107 · focus · HN ↗

            So it is an engineering problem after all.

            I watched the clip and the youtuber himself says the facility was poorly designed and should not have been built at all.

            I've read ProLogium's press release when it came out and while their progress is impressive, I don't see their batteries making it to grid storage anytime soon. For one, they don't have the production capacity yet.

            My bet is that for the time being it's cheaper to just build facilities with good fire prevention measures than have a technology which is just scaling up take over right now.

         2. ZeroGravitas · 1789990807 · focus · HN ↗

            I think Moss Landing was NMC as it was an older battery site.

            These scientists are monitoring the impact on a local wildlife and are finding Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt traces:

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;elkhornslough.org&#x2F;reserve&#x2F;research&#x2F;moss-landing-battery-fire&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;elkhornslough.org&#x2F;reserve&#x2F;research&#x2F;moss-landing-batt...

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.