U.S. astronauts to the station a new battery
WASHINGTON, May 21 (Xinhua): The United States, "Atlantis" Space Shuttle crew of two astronauts conducted 21 since launch the third and final spacewalk for the space station's two solar panels installed new batteries.
This task is the "Atlantis" mission specialist Michael Good and Catelaymen. They installed new batteries each weighing 170 kg and cost up to $ 3.6 million, removing the old battery will be shipped back to Earth. In addition, the two astronauts for the space station cooling system is also connected to a new cable.
"Atlantis" for the ISS trip of six new batteries, and another astronaut Michael Goode Stive spacewalk in 19 has been installed 4.
Space station solar panel battery has been in service for 10 years. NASA hopes the space shuttle before retiring end of this year, these batteries "new for old." Launched in July last year, the "Endeavour" astronauts have replaced the six batteries.
"Atlantis" No. 14 from Florida's Kennedy Space Center launch to the International Space Station, the 12-day mission, the main task for the ISS Russian-made "Dawn" was a small test module, solar cell and Ku-band antenna and other key components and goods.
This is the "Atlantis" in service since 1985, the first 32 flights, is also planned last time. "Discovery" and "Endeavour" will be held in September, the final flight in November, followed by the U.S. space shuttle will be retired.
Summer electric car battery maintenance
How do battery maintenance, the experts put forward five suggestions:
1, avoid loss of power storage, loss of power state refers to the battery did not charge the battery after use, prone to sulfate, lead sulfate crystals attached to the plates, electric plug ion channels, resulting in lack of charging, the battery capacity decline. Loss of electrical idle state longer, more serious damage to the battery. Battery idle, should be charged once a month, which can extend battery life.
2, periodic inspection, during use, if the continued line of electric bicycles a sudden drop in mileage in a short time more than ten kilometers, it is likely that at least one battery cell group appeared off the grid, plate to soften, the plate active material shedding and other short circuit. At this point, it is timely to examine the professional body repair battery, repair, or with a group.
3, not large current discharge, electric bicycles at the start, manned, uphill, it is best to use pedal power to avoid the momentary high current discharge. Easily lead to large current discharge of lead sulfate crystals, to the detriment of the physical properties of the battery plate.
4, control the charging time, under normal circumstances the battery is charging at night, the average charging time of 8 hours. If the light discharge (charge mileage is very short), the battery will soon be filled, there will continue to charge the phenomenon of overcharging, resulting in battery water loss, fever, reduced battery life. Therefore, the battery to discharge depth of 60% -70% of the best one charge, the actual mileage can be converted into riding, charging according to actual conditions necessary to avoid damaging charge.
5, to prevent heat exposure, electric vehicles is prohibited in the sun exposure. Temperature conditions may cause the battery leaving the battery internal pressure increases the pressure limiting valve is forced open automatically increase the battery is a direct consequence of water loss, and excessive water loss will inevitably lead to battery battery decreased activity, accelerated softening plate, charging shell body heat, from the drum shell, deformation and other fatal injuries.
Air lithium batteries: electric cars tomorrow?
In France, Argonne researchers are the initial development of the air battery, according to some scientists, this battery will be over the existing electric vehicle battery pack 100 times the energy storage capability.
According to this plug-in electric car market reaction, can not know whether the user is really high for the current price of the car battery and its limited storage capacity pay. Although the new generation of lithium batteries in the past 10 years has been leaps and bounds, but it still exists limitations, can not meet the needs of many users.
If the lithium batteries can be lighter, cheaper, and can reach its storage capacity of the Chevrolet Volt, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Leaf five times when the situation then?
Aragon lab officials said, the air above-mentioned lithium battery can achieve these goals, or even more, now that the project has received $ 8.8 million of government funding.
Ordinary lithium battery is moved out through the carbon rod anodes of lithium ion through the electrolyte (usually a lithium salt) to the cathode metal oxide. Air lithium-ion batteries use a lithium anode and porous nature of the cathode carbon rod, so that the supply of lithium ion through the oxygen to achieve freedom of movement. The difference is, in layman's eyes, this is the breathing air of lithium ion batteries, lithium ion battery capacity is determined by the size of the lithium-ion cathode contains the number of how many. This structure can make the battery smaller, lighter and there may be more expensive. Another may be installed on the battery electric cars more power to travel 100 kilometers on one charge or more.
Air lithium-ion technology is still in its early stages, but with the development of clean energy technologies, the world's major institutions and auto manufacturers are struggling to find the future direction of electric vehicles. Most experts have said that battery technology for 10 years (or even 20 years) to really reduce the cost and really put into use.
The federal government for similar air battery technology, battery technology with confidence, and will soon be an additional $ 34 million in funding for the vehicle battery research and development.
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