Tech
Tesla patents new chemistry for better, longer-lasting and cheaper batteries – Electrek
Tesla has made a lot of battery moves this year and it is closing the year by filing a patent on a new chemistry for better, longer-lasting and cheaper batteries.
Earlier this year, we reported on Tesla’s battery research partner, Jeff Dahn and his team at Dalhousie University, unveiling the impressive results of tests on a new battery cell that could last over 1 million miles in an electric vehicle.
The new battery tested is a Li-Ion battery cell with a next-generation “single crystal” NMC cathode and a new advanced electrolyte.
Since then, Tesla has been filing US and international patents on the new battery chemistry.
The automaker, through its ‘Tesla Motors Canada’ subsidiary, filed a new international patent called ‘Dioxazolones and nitrile sulfites as electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries’.
They wrote in the patent application:
“This disclosure covers novel battery systems with fewer operative, electrolyte additives that may be used in different energy storage applications, for example, in vehicle and grid-storage. More specifically, this disclosure includes additive electrolyte systems that enhance performance and lifetime of lithium-ion batteries, while reducing costs from other systems that rely on more or other additives.”
Tesla wrote in the conclusion of the patent application for the new battery chemistry:
“This work characterizes the high temperature storage and long-term cycling performance of lithium-ion NMC/graphite pouch cells prepared with a recently developed electrolyte additive, MDO, and two new additives, PDO and BS. Differential capacity versus voltage indicates that both MDO and PDO form passive SEI layers on the graphite electrode surface during cell formation, whereas BS does not. The reduction features are generally consistent with DFT-predicted values, although the presence of multiple reduction peaks requires additional study to rationalize. As individual additives, PDO-containing cells show the best performance although these are nonetheless out-performed by VC-containing cells. The additives were also tested in binary blends with VC, DTD, and LFO. In long-term cycling tests, cells prepared with 2%PDO/l%DTD and 2%PDO/l%LFO additive blends outperform VC-containing cells. However, the high temperature storage behavior of 2%PDO/l%LFO is superior than that of the 2%PDO/l%DTD blend. A person of skill in the art will understand that compositions described herein may be further optimized, for example, by adjusting the ratio of primary and secondary additives or through introducing ternary blends.”
The patent application says that the new two-additive mixtures in an electrolyte solvent can be used with lithium nickel manganese cobalt compounds, also known as an NMC battery chemistry.
It is commonly used in electric vehicles by many automakers, but not by Tesla. The company used the technology in its stationary energy storage systems, but it uses NCA for its vehicle battery cells.
The patent filed by Tesla’s battery research group mentions that the technology would be useful for both electric vehicles and grid-storage.
Interestingly, Tesla has been rumored to be switching to NCM battery cells for Chinese Model 3 vehicles.
Tesla has been filing new battery patents as it has also been making moves toward building its own battery cells.
Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that they built Model 3 to last as long as a commercial truck, a million miles, and the battery modules should last between 300,000 miles and 500,000 miles.
However, the CEO claimed that Tesla has a new battery coming up next year that will last a million miles.
Here’s Tesla’s full patent application:
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Tech
This week in SooToday+: A members-only flash auction and why you shouldn't wash your eyes out with cola – SooToday
Get ready to bid! SooToday+ is happy to bring members our first flash auction beginning Friday, January 22 at 12 noon and closing Sunday, January 24 at 8 p.m. +Members can bid on select gift cards starting at half of their value.
Happening this week for SooToday+ members:
Got a project you have been wanting to tackle? +Members can enter for a chance to win our latest giveaway, a $300 gift card to Home Hardware! Remember to enter DAILY – which means you will have even MORE chances to WIN!
The clock is ticking but there’s still time to enter for the chance to win a $100 gift card from Wacky Wings. Contest closes tonight at 11:59.
We’ll have a brand new contest beginning tomorrow! One lucky SooToday+ member will have the chance to win a $100 gift card to Paesano Foods.
All you need is love! Be sure to check out this month’s contest +member writing contest, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
On the editorial side Mike Purvis tells you why you shouldn’t wash your eyes out with Cola and other tidbits learned while covering conflict.
We want to know what your pandemic passion projects are in a new poll.
Our latest member-only offer from our +partners:
*members may be required to present their virtual ID card and/or a unique promo code at checkout
Get 10% off apparel from Brand Dead apparel – check your Member Dashboard for details
Get 10% off apparel from God’s Country Clothing – check your Member Dashboard for details
Get 10% off tire or oil changes from Autoworks – check your Member Dashboard for details
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Get 13% off all services at Pidges’ Car Wash – check your Member Dashboard for details
And if you missed it, here’s what else happened last week:
We had a column from editor Mike Purvis about the ongoing struggle of cold-weather journalism, and we be brought you a conversation Darren Taylor recently had with a Sault native whose passion for healthcare was recently recognized in the U.S.
By Stephen Nellis
(Reuters) – MediaTek Inc on Wednesday said it would use Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s 6-nanometer chipmaking technology for its newest chips aimed at premium 5G smartphones.
Taiwan’s MediaTek appears to be one of the first high-volume customers for the technology and is among a handful of companies with modem technology to connect phones to mobile data networks, competing against Qualcomm Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. The new chips announced Wednesday, called Dimensity 1100 and 1200, build on MediaTek’s efforts to go after higher-priced handsets where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips have historically had stronger market share.
Like Qualcomm and Apple, MediaTek designs chips and then contracts out production to outside firms. The newest chips will be made at TSMC, on a chipmaking technology called 6-nanometer. Qualcomm’s chips are being made by Samsung on 5-nanometer technology while Apple Inc uses TSMC’s 5-nanometer technology.
Smaller chipmaker technology is faster and more power efficient. MediaTek’s previous chips used a 7-nanometer process, and moving to newer manufacturing technology along with advances in the chip’s design make it 22% faster at computing tasks while consuming 25% less power, Finbarr Moynihan, general manager of international corporate sales, told Reuters in an interview.
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Tech
Galaxy S21 Plus specs vs. S21 Ultra vs. S20 Plus vs. S20 Ultra: Samsung S phones compared – CNET
Drew Evans/CNET
Samsung’s trio of phones that make up its flagship S21 lineup have arrived — and the higher-end S21 Plus and S21 Ultra come packed with all the trappings you’d expect from a premium Android phone. All three are available to preorder now, and will ship on Jan. 29.
If you’re in the market for something fancier than the base model, it’s probably a good time to take a closer look at how Samsung’s pro phones, the S21 Plus and the S21 Ultra, compare with each other, and how they differ from their predecessors.
The standout change to the S21 is the price tag. Following lackluster sales of the S20 family, the South Korean company slashed prices by $200 across the S21 line, with the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra starting at $1,000 (£949, AU$ 1,549) and $1,200 (£1,329, AU$1,849) respectively.
The S21 Pro and S21 Ultra also have the expected incremental upgrades working in their favor: Processors are speedier, the displays have been upgraded and the cameras have been improved to take crisper photos and videos. The S21 Ultra now also supports Samsung’s stylus, the S Pen (sold separately), which blurs the line between the S series and the more professional Note series.
Watch this:
We unbox and go hands-on with the Galaxy S21 and S21…
9:10
Samsung has also packed some refinements into the S21 Ultra’s camera system, but it hasn’t updated headline features such as 8K resolution and the phone’s 108-megapixel shooter. If you’re an avid photographer, you’ll likely care that the S21 Ultra comes equipped with two telephoto lenses (as opposed to one in the S20 Ultra) that offer 3x and 10x optical zoom, instead of digital zoom. Plus the main image sensor is apparently larger, which will allow it to capture photographs with improved dynamic range.
It’s also important to highlight the features Samsung removed to allow it to start at those lower prices. Because Samsung slashed prices of all three of S21 phones, it needed to save on costs by eliminating expandable storage entirely and ditching the in-box charger and earphones. The pricier S20 Pro and Ultra meanwhile, let you add up to 1TB storage and include those bundled accessories.
For more details on the differences between the S21 Ultra, S21 Pro, S20 Ultra and S20 Pro, take a look at our specs chart below.
Galaxy S21 Pro vs. S21 Ultra vs. S20 Pro vs. S20 Ultra
| Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.7-inch Flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2,400×1,080 pixels) | 6.8-inch Edge WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (3,200×1,440 pixels), | 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Pixel density | 394 ppi | 515 ppi | 525ppi | 511ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 2.97×6.35×0.30 in | 2.97×6.50×0.35 in | 2.9×6.37×0.30 in | 2.99×6.57×0.35 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 75.6×161.5×7.8 mm | 75.6×165.1×8.9 mm | 73.7×161.9×7.8 mm | 76.0×166.9×8.8 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 7.12 oz; 202g | 8.07 oz; 229 g | 6.56 oz; 186g | 7.76 oz; 220g |
| Mobile software | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Camera | 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 10-megapixel (telephoto), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera |
| Front-facing camera | 10-megapixel | 40-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 40-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K | 8K | 8K | 8K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 or 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.8GHz (Max 2.4GHz +1.8GHz) | Snapdragon 888 or 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.8GHz (Max 2.4GHz +1.8GHz) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB, 16GB | 12GB (5G), 8GB (LTE) | 12GB, 16GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB |
| Battery | 4,800 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen |
| Headphone jack | No | No | No | No |
| Special features | IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 30X Space Zoom, 10W wireless charging, | IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 100X Space Zoom, 10W wireless charging, 10x optical zoom | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; water resistant (IP68) | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom; water resistant (IP68) |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $1,000 (128 GB) | $1,200 (128 GB) | $1,199 (128 GB) , $1,349 (512GB) | $1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £949 | £1,329 | £999 (5G) | £1,199 (128GB), £1,399 (512GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,549 | AU$1,849 | AU$1,499 (4G), AU$1,649 (128GB), AU$1,899 (512GB) | AU$1,999 (128GB), AU$2,249 (512GB) |
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