4 ms·

I regularly heat things in and near my house to 350º, 450º or even 600º F. It's called cooking. I'm pretty sure if I look at my water heater or clothes dryer th

I regularly heat things in and near my house to 350º, 450º or even 600º F. It's called cooking. I'm pretty sure if I look at my water heater or clothes dryer the point heat source raising the temperature there is well over 200º F as well.

giantg2 4y ago
Yeah, and those aren't constantly on, some require outside venting and/or insulation. They also don't constitute the majority of a wall. There's a reason old timey kitchens were outdoors in the hot areas. All I'm saying is that there are other concerns with this battery vs a lithium battery, and that I feel the concerns are much lower with lithium.
- cestith 4y ago
  I'm more concerned about the battery itself bursting into flame on my wall, frankly, than having a battery that needs some insulation and a metal enclosure between it and air-conditioned space. Lithium batteries can do that. They say this one can't. Either way, safety steps should be taken before putting a battery in a pile of oily rags or anything.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Eh, that's exceedingly rare. I wouldn't be surprised if defects in the mass manufacturing of the new battery produces rare fire hazards too. I assume the thermal expansion and contraction of the containment materials will lead to issues too (I've seen it in even cooler operation temps for other batteries). Lithium sulfur batteries are supposed to be fire safe too. I assume there are other options out there as well, stuff with thousands of cycles vs hundreds. It will be interesting to see how it pans out over the next decade, if it becomes commercially available at all.
    - cestith 4y ago
      I imagine before it hits any markets (if ever of course) refinements would increase the recharge cycle limit somewhat. They used to be lower on lithium, too. We used to use NiCad and NiMH too. I'm just saying that level of heat is not a deal killer for a fixed position residential application.
- Tagbert 4y ago
  You might have a tank water heater in your home that holds a large quantity of very hot water 24/7. Not quite to this level but in the same scale. That water heater is insulated and doesn’t prove a problem due to heat.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Eventually you'll heat soak the insulation. With a waterheater, you have new water moving in as you use the previously heated on. The loss may be minimal, but still an efficiency drain half the year. Either way, you to pay for the housing and insulation. Then pay for a replacement battery every year or two.
    - Tagbert 4y ago
      Why would you need to pay for a replacement battery? These aluminum batteries are specifically designed for long lifetimes. the operating tempurature is not a detriment to the battery.
      - giantg2 4y ago
        If you're using a cycle a day, it would deteriorate to 80% capacity in just 200 days. The article says it lasts a few hundred cycles. That's not very long. The tempature isn't a detriment to the battery, in fact it's required to operate efficiently. What it does limit is the suitable applications.

giantg2 4y ago

Yeah, and those aren't constantly on, some require outside venting and/or insulation. They also don't constitute the majority of a wall. There's a reason old timey kitchens were outdoors in the hot areas. All I'm saying is that there are other concerns with this battery vs a lithium battery, and that I feel the concerns are much lower with lithium.

cestith 4y ago
I'm more concerned about the battery itself bursting into flame on my wall, frankly, than having a battery that needs some insulation and a metal enclosure between it and air-conditioned space. Lithium batteries can do that. They say this one can't. Either way, safety steps should be taken before putting a battery in a pile of oily rags or anything.
- giantg2 4y ago
  Eh, that's exceedingly rare. I wouldn't be surprised if defects in the mass manufacturing of the new battery produces rare fire hazards too. I assume the thermal expansion and contraction of the containment materials will lead to issues too (I've seen it in even cooler operation temps for other batteries). Lithium sulfur batteries are supposed to be fire safe too. I assume there are other options out there as well, stuff with thousands of cycles vs hundreds. It will be interesting to see how it pans out over the next decade, if it becomes commercially available at all.
  - cestith 4y ago
    I imagine before it hits any markets (if ever of course) refinements would increase the recharge cycle limit somewhat. They used to be lower on lithium, too. We used to use NiCad and NiMH too. I'm just saying that level of heat is not a deal killer for a fixed position residential application.
Tagbert 4y ago
You might have a tank water heater in your home that holds a large quantity of very hot water 24/7. Not quite to this level but in the same scale. That water heater is insulated and doesn’t prove a problem due to heat.
- giantg2 4y ago
  Eventually you'll heat soak the insulation. With a waterheater, you have new water moving in as you use the previously heated on. The loss may be minimal, but still an efficiency drain half the year. Either way, you to pay for the housing and insulation. Then pay for a replacement battery every year or two.
  - Tagbert 4y ago
    Why would you need to pay for a replacement battery? These aluminum batteries are specifically designed for long lifetimes. the operating tempurature is not a detriment to the battery.
    - giantg2 4y ago
      If you're using a cycle a day, it would deteriorate to 80% capacity in just 200 days. The article says it lasts a few hundred cycles. That's not very long. The tempature isn't a detriment to the battery, in fact it's required to operate efficiently. What it does limit is the suitable applications.