back to article DoD hopes $30M BEACONS will light the way to next-gen American battery designs

The Department of Defense has become the latest US government body to push for next-gen battery manufacturing in America, with a $30 million (£24m) investment in an energy storage systems campus in the Lone Star State.  The funds, awarded to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and a consortium of other universities, …

  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    In Texas?

    Picturing the scene from Oppenheimer with Texas officials noting the plates of any researchers driving EVs as possible climate change believers

  2. bombastic bob Silver badge
    Devil

    Something OTHER than Lithium

    In My Bombastic Opinion any new battery tech needs to focus on something OTHER than lithium, particularly something that is CHEAP to build, yet still lightweight.

    Aluminum battery tech may be the best alternative to something that is likely to form a bottleneck in the supply chain (i.e. Lithium batteries made by CCP). If they are SERIOUS, this is what they will do.

    But, if they just want to suck away public funds to hire overpaid people and get ALL NEW equipment for the lab... don't expect ANYTHING revolutionary.

    (and NO hiring CCP foreign nationals, either)

    Other inexpensive and lightweight materials may be just as good (or better) than aluminum. Problems with lithium (easily catches fire under certain conditions) would be eliminated (not to mention the ENRICHING of the CCP as they have cornered the market on Lithium)

    I'm not a fan of pure EV but HYBRID often makes sense as long as the battery does not make them cost prohibitive. Domestically produced inexpensive batteries using materials like Aluminum (which is cheap and available) would help a LOT. Aluminum batteries would also be good for phones, laptops, and so on. I'd just deal with the extra few ounces of weight, if any.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_battery

    1. Zebo-the-Fat

      Re: Something OTHER than Lithium

      Lithium ion batteries actually contain very little lithium, when they catch fire it isn't due to the lithium just the large amount of energy they store... it has to go somewhere!

    2. blackcat Silver badge

      Re: Something OTHER than Lithium

      Certainly for non-mobile usage there are alternatives to lithium. Redox and sodium ion are just two. The lithium content of a battery is about 10-15% by weight but that is still quite a lot given it is a very light metal.

  3. that one in the corner Silver badge

    Advance Commercialization and National Security

    Bit on the nose there.

    Everyone else: go electric, Save the Planet

    Texas: ah, screw that

  4. EricB123 Silver badge

    We Have 3 Priorities, But the 4th Priority is Just as Important?

    "UTD said a fourth priority, developing a US workforce needed to make the aforementioned three goals possible, is also as important as the other three. "

    If this isn't the most important thing, then this screams "outsourcing" to me.

    Better beef up the student loan amounts!

  5. _Elvi_

    Eye Smell something ..

    .. and it might be cow droppings ...

    .. Lets hope the actual researchers get funds to research with; not the typical "Big hat, no Cattle" RepubilTards Texas seems to be good at raising and nurturing, and even rewarding even when they do boo boo's.. (I'm looking at you, Ken and the Texas Senate)

    (At least you can eat a cow ..)

    1. Spherical Cow Silver badge

      Re: Eye Smell something ..

      (Hopefully not a spherical one?)

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