- New attack fells Internet Explorer
- Steve Jobs is a man of a few words
- Oddball gifts for uber geeks
- Global warming research exposed after hack
- Google adding IPv6 to YouTube
Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) said it has developed a lithium-ion battery that won't overheat even if a short circuit occurs.
The new battery includes a heat-resistive insulator inside the battery cell, next to an existing separator that insulates the anode and cathode. If that separator is punctured a short circuit occurs that typically causes the battery to overheat and in some circumstances catch fire. Panasonic said its insulator layer ensures that the battery won't overheat even in the event of a short circuit.
Panasonic's announcement responds to consumers' concern about the safety of lithium-ion batteries following a number of incidents involving them.
Earlier this year most major laptop computer makers started recall or exchange programs for batteries containing lithium-ion cells made by Sony Corp. after a number of batteries overheated and caught fire. Sony blamed the problem on metallic particles that got inside the battery during production, puncturing the separator layer and causing a short circuit. The replacement program covers 9.6 million batteries and will cost Sony up to ¥51 billion (US$432 million).
Then on Dec. 7, Japanese mobile-carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. and handset-maker Mitsubishi Electric Corp. recalled 1.3 million cell-phone batteries made by Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., saying they could overheat and catch fire.
Panasonic's new batteries are made by another company in the Matsushita group, Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd., and are ready for mass production, said Akira Kadota, a spokesman for Panasonic in Tokyo. The batteries aren't available directly to end users but are sold in bulk to electronics product manufacturers, so Panasonic wouldn't reveal their price. Kadota said they could be more expensive than current cells but could also work out cheaper if large orders are placed.
Matsushita Battery Industrial is one of the largest battery makers in Japan.
Rss FeedRss Feed
The Leader in Network Knowledge
Partner Content
www.bmc.com
Gartner 2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling
Gartner has positioned BMC CONTROL-M in the Leaders Quadrant of their "2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling." The report assesses the ability to execute and completeness of vision of key vendors in the marketplace. Read a full copy today, courtesy of BMC Software.
Download whitepaper
Dell's SMART Approach to Workload Automation
Read a compelling case study by EMA, Inc. to learn how Dell uses BMC CONTROL-M to cut cost and increase productivity with workload automation.
Download whitepaper
Workload Automation Cost Savings 2 Minute Video
A major computer manufacturer uses BMC CONTROL-M and just four people to schedule and run over 85,000 jobs every month. By switching to BMC CONTROL-M, they more than quadrupled the workload without adding a single staff member. See how in this 2-minute video overview.
Go to video
Comments (1)
Panasonic develops battery that won't overheatBy Anonymous on March 27, 2007, 9:07 pmLithium ion batteries are best for most applications, if the explode and fire hazard is really solved. Neil
Reply | Read entire comment
View all comments