Aquion is a company founded in 2008 by Ted Wiley and Jay Whitacre. Whitacre
is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The company currently has
research and development offices in Lawrenceville in Pittsburgh,
Pa. and is setting up manufacturing facilities at the old Sony plant in
nearby East Huntingdon. The company was the corporate winner in the
energy category at the 2011 World Technology Awards and has raised
over 20 million dollars; investors include Bill Gates. They have a
close relationship with Siemens.
In 2013, CEO Scott Pearson got national press coverage when he ate one of their batteries during a meeting.
Aquion is working on a battery with a sodium magnesium oxide chemistry. The chemistry is not new. Research into the sodium-ion battery started in the early 1970s but quickly diverted into lithium-ion when it seemed more rewarding.
Compared to lithium, the sodium ions are larger and heavier by a factor of two--heavier and therefor slower--so a replacement for the commonly available graphite used as an electrode material in Li-Ion batteries must be found. Without a replacement, cycle life is very low, on the order of maybe 50 cycles. Some experiments report a maximum cycle life of less than ten cycles. Vanadium has been tested in the lab as an electrode material, which reportedly can boost the cycle life to over 500 cycles, but at a reduction in battery capacity to about 85 percent. Severe volume expansion of the electrodes--of over 5 times--during charge/discharge is another problem.
The lower energy density and operating voltage of the element sodium makes it unsuitable for consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It is seen as most suitable for larger scale grid storage. But battery life expectancy would have to allow cycling for at least ten years in the field.
Some research indicates that the sodium ions are best able to travel from electrode to electrode at temperatures greater than 266 degrees Fahrenheit but that would create considerable temperature engineering challenges.
In January, Aquion raised $55 million in new capital. Aquion has raised more than $100 million and may seek additional capital later this year or early next year.
In 2013, CEO Scott Pearson got national press coverage when he ate one of their batteries during a meeting.
Aquion is working on a battery with a sodium magnesium oxide chemistry. The chemistry is not new. Research into the sodium-ion battery started in the early 1970s but quickly diverted into lithium-ion when it seemed more rewarding.
Compared to lithium, the sodium ions are larger and heavier by a factor of two--heavier and therefor slower--so a replacement for the commonly available graphite used as an electrode material in Li-Ion batteries must be found. Without a replacement, cycle life is very low, on the order of maybe 50 cycles. Some experiments report a maximum cycle life of less than ten cycles. Vanadium has been tested in the lab as an electrode material, which reportedly can boost the cycle life to over 500 cycles, but at a reduction in battery capacity to about 85 percent. Severe volume expansion of the electrodes--of over 5 times--during charge/discharge is another problem.
The lower energy density and operating voltage of the element sodium makes it unsuitable for consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It is seen as most suitable for larger scale grid storage. But battery life expectancy would have to allow cycling for at least ten years in the field.
Some research indicates that the sodium ions are best able to travel from electrode to electrode at temperatures greater than 266 degrees Fahrenheit but that would create considerable temperature engineering challenges.
In January, Aquion raised $55 million in new capital. Aquion has raised more than $100 million and may seek additional capital later this year or early next year.
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