wider lithium battery use strains technology - experts

WASHINGTON (Reuters)-
Experts tell the United States that batteries burning on Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner in January can become safer, but doing so can reduce performance and increase costsS.
Security investigators on Thursday
Use of lithium-
Over the past decade, ion batteries have expanded significantly to power everything from Tesla cars to the ipad, and the risk of fire is high --
Experts said at a forum organized by the US government that,S.
National Committee on Transport Safety
But even if the participants praised the battery as the most powerful and lightest, they said there were still no fools --
Proof method to predict or prevent internal short circuit related to Dreamliner fire.
On January, a fire broke out in a 787 battery compartment parked on the ground in Boston, followed by a fire on January.
The flight battery failure over Japan led to the grounding of the Dreamliner.
While the final cause of these incidents is still under investigation, the United States allows BoeingS.
The FAA will test the redesigned battery unit, which is part of the aircraft\'s auxiliary power system. The two-
The NTSB meeting, which starts on Thursday, aims to help security agencies assess the risks of lithium
With the use of ion batteries in aircraft and vehicles continues to expand.
Deborah Hersman, president of NTSB, said after Thursday\'s meeting that risks must be addressed.
\"I think lithium
\"The ion battery, the elf is no longer in the bottle,\" Hersman said . \".
Quantity of lithium-
The ion batteries made worldwide have expanded to four.
According to the portable rechargeable batteries association of the battery manufacturer trade group, it was 4 billion in 2012 and 0. 8 billion in 2002. Boeing’s high-
Technology Dreamliner, which also uses carbon fiber extensively to reduce weight, is the first commercial aircraft to use lithium extensively. ion batteries.
\"The growth of lithium mission --
Lithium-ion batteries are huge, \"said Glenn bowling, vice president of sales for lithium-ion battery producer Saft special battery group.
\"It\'s an extension of the technological boundaries and we have to be professional when we do that.
\"Understanding of the causes of lithium short circuit
Ion batteries and how to prevent them from still being blurry.
Laurie Florence, chief engineer of the independent safety testing organization UL, said that some of the batteries in the battery can withstand short circuits caused by nail piercings, but cannot withstand internal defects, it may be caused by impurities or other manufacturing problems.
While consumer usage has surged, the high cost of lithium
Ions that make battery technology safe cause the speed to slow downthan-
The expected development of electric vehicles and other larger applications.
Compared with the actual market size in 2011, the recent 2008 battery market forecast \"dropped more than 10 times\", however-
Jiang Ming, professor of materials science and engineering at MIT.
\"This puts a lot of pressure on people who make batteries,\" he said at the NTSB forum . \".
Some businesses closed down mainly because of the lithium market.
Ions are not realized.
At present, there is enough idle lithium
The capacity of the ion battery can power 400,000 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, he said.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama proposed a federal budget to raise the tax credit for buying electric cars from $10,000 to $7,500 to help support sales.
25% of typical lithium
Ion batteries are flammable liquids, which increases the risk of fire, Jiang said.
But experts say making the battery safer with additives can reduce performance.
Difficulties with lithium-
Ion batteries have prompted some experts to rework old technologies or move forward to more advanced batteries in the hope of finding safer, lower-cost solutions for modern use.
Boeing\'s rival Airbus has given up lithium.
The ion Battery of the upcoming A350 jet said it wanted to mature the technology and avoid any risk of delaying the jet\'s development.
Daniel Doherty, president of Battery Safety Consulting, said at the NTSB forum that better technology is needed to predict whether the battery will have an internal short circuit due to manufacturing defects.
New methods are also needed to prevent battery fires from spreading to other batteries in the battery pack, he added.
Widespread use of lithium
Ion batteries also put pressure on regulators to develop new methods for safe transportation.
\"We all know that lithium batteries are hazardous materials,\" said Janet McLoughlin, deputy director of the FAA hazardous materials safety program.
In the past, the FAA estimated that the number of hazardous materials on a given cargo plane was about 5%.
But for now, that number could be around 80%, most of which are related to batteries, says McLoughlin.