Basement workshop science and start-up businesses, speaking ofbatteries. . .

Imagine for a moment that you were a really good electro chemist, that
you had enough money to allow you to do applied research on battery
technology, you had an invention that improved energy density for
batteries, and that you were also somewhat knowledgeable as an
entrepreneur. So you have this battery technology and it's well
protected by patents and/or trade secrets. Now what? Where would you
apply it?

Battery operated cars and airplanes require lots of other 'invention'
before the rubber meets the road or runway. There is an a market
though, where if we could achieve form, fit, and function -- the
battery can fit into existing spaces and it provides the correct power
profile -- where billions might be made. Portable devices like cell
phones, smart phones, laptops, all have a 'I'll buy it right now"
market if there was a simple doubling of endurance. There is no FAA
certification needed, no DOT compliances either. A web site will do.
Where do I send a check to get 24 hours without a recharge on my
laptop?

So rather than look for first applications where lots of ancillary
investment is needed, look at markets that can be immediately
satisfied. If the product matures there other apps will follow.

There are college entrepreneurial technology incubators where some
grad student with a credible business plan for high energy density
batteries could get funding the day after tomorrow. Hell, I'd help
arrange for VC capitalization for a small equity position.

I've been known to be wrong, but I think this technology is being
peddled to the same people who are apt to respond to emails that read
"Dear Sir, I am the wife of an ambassador who has been slain, and need
to transfer several million dollars. . ."


My sense is if the prototype technology is being 'shopped' on the net
it's either airborne pie or feed corn that has already been processed
by the digestive engine housed inside bulls.


That's my 2 cents worth.

a wrote:
Imagine for a moment that you were a really good electro chemist, that
you had enough money to allow you to do applied research on battery
technology, you had an invention that improved energy density for
batteries, and that you were also somewhat knowledgeable as an
entrepreneur. So you have this battery technology and it's well
protected by patents and/or trade secrets. Now what? Where would you
apply it?

Battery operated cars and airplanes require lots of other 'invention'
before the rubber meets the road or runway. There is an a market
though, where if we could achieve form, fit, and function -- the
battery can fit into existing spaces and it provides the correct power
profile -- where billions might be made. Portable devices like cell
phones, smart phones, laptops, all have a 'I'll buy it right now"
market if there was a simple doubling of endurance. There is no FAA
certification needed, no DOT compliances either. A web site will do.
Where do I send a check to get 24 hours without a recharge on my
laptop?

So rather than look for first applications where lots of ancillary
investment is needed, look at markets that can be immediately
satisfied. If the product matures there other apps will follow.

There are college entrepreneurial technology incubators where some
grad student with a credible business plan for high energy density
batteries could get funding the day after tomorrow. Hell, I'd help
arrange for VC capitalization for a small equity position.

I've been known to be wrong, but I think this technology is being
peddled to the same people who are apt to respond to emails that read
"Dear Sir, I am the wife of an ambassador who has been slain, and need
to transfer several million dollars. . ."


My sense is if the prototype technology is being 'shopped' on the net
it's either airborne pie or feed corn that has already been processed
by the digestive engine housed inside bulls.


That's my 2 cents worth.

Electric cars are the "in" thing right now, so that's where all the
breathless press rleases that promise pie in the sky are.

There would be no electric cars at all if it weren't for government pressure
and subsidies.

All the real advances in battery technology is going to the places you
think they would go; cell phones, laptops, etc.


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

On Sun, 19 Sep 2010 14:53:10 -0000, wrote in :

All the real advances in battery technology is going to the places you
think they would go; cell phones, laptops, etc.

The part of the "etc." with which I am somewhat familiar:
radio-controlled airplanes, helicopters, cars, and boats.

The change in battery technology these last five years has
been amazing.

I've bought into the LiFE chemistry (lithium iron). Not
as light as Li-ion or LiPo, but not as delicate or prone
to fire, either.

Marty
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Big-8 newsgroups: humanities.*, misc.*, news.*, rec.*, sci.*, soc.*, talk.*
See http://www.big-8.org for info on how to add or remove newsgroups.

On Sep 19, 10:53*am, wrote:
a wrote:
Imagine for a moment that you were a really good electro chemist, that
you had enough money to allow you to do applied research on battery
technology, you had an invention that improved energy density for
batteries, and that you were also somewhat knowledgeable as an
entrepreneur. So you have this battery technology and it's well
protected by patents and/or trade secrets. Now what? Where would you
apply it?

Battery operated cars and airplanes require lots of other 'invention'
before the rubber meets the road or runway. There is an a market
though, where if we could achieve form, fit, and function -- the
battery can fit into existing spaces and it provides the correct power
profile *-- where billions might be made. Portable devices like cell
phones, smart phones, laptops, all have a 'I'll buy it right now"
market if there was a simple doubling of endurance. There is no FAA
certification needed, no DOT compliances either. *A web site will do.
Where do I send a check to get 24 hours without a recharge on my
laptop?

So rather than look for first applications where lots of ancillary
investment is needed, look at markets that can be immediately
satisfied. If the product matures there other apps will follow.

There are college entrepreneurial technology incubators where some
grad student with a credible business plan for high energy density
batteries could get funding the day after tomorrow. Hell, I'd help
arrange for VC capitalization for a small equity position.

I've been known to be wrong, but I think this technology is being
peddled to the same people who are apt to respond to emails that read
"Dear Sir, I am the wife of an ambassador who has been slain, and need
to transfer several million dollars. . ."

My sense is if the prototype technology is being 'shopped' on the net
it's either airborne pie or feed corn that has already been processed
by the digestive engine housed inside bulls.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Electric cars are the "in" thing right now, so that's where all the
breathless press rleases that promise pie in the sky are.

There would be no electric cars at all if it weren't for government pressure
and subsidies.

All the real advances in battery technology is going to the places you
think they would go; cell phones, laptops, etc.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Don't overlook the relative price insensitivity in the mobile
electronics market. Many would pay more than twice as much for a power
source for a laptop that give it twice the endurance. And weight would
not be a serious issue, for that matter.

On Sep 19, 10:36*am, a wrote:
So you have this battery technology and it's well
protected by patents and/or trade secrets.

I heard patents weren't safe if you have something
the corporate world wants. I know there is patent
infringement insurance, but they could drag it out
for decades. Also, China is stealing everything.

---
Mark

On Sep 19, 12:10*pm, Mark wrote:
On Sep 19, 10:36*am, a wrote:
*So you have this battery technology and it's well

protected by patents and/or trade secrets.

I heard patents weren't safe if you have something
the corporate world wants. I know there is patent
infringement insurance, but they could drag it out
for decades. Also, China is stealing everything.

---
Mark
The patents I hold, which are not for anything as significant as this
potential application, protected the invention as intended. More to
the point, if the technology is not able to be protected, one would be
foolish to have as its initial application something that would take
years to earn a reasonable return. We follow a fairly simple minded
rule, taking into account market uncertainties which means heavily
discounting future returns, we apply our technologies to the best
projected present value, and that usually means what is closest to
earning money. In the battery technology case, if it was in my shop,
that means form-fit-function replacements for an existing market. If I
was in the battery business and my product manager suggested our
initial application be as the primary power source for airplanes, he
would have to have a compelling fact based argument, or I'd question
his (or her, but if it was promoting general aviation applications it
would probably be a guy) judgment.

The point is, look to immediate applications if you want to see if a
technology has the legs to run in this market. I would love to have as
competitors executives who use competing technologies to chase blue
sky applications (pun intended although I like actual IMC better) ,
unfortunately they are as least as insightful as I am, and don't do
things like that.

a wrote:
Where do I send a check to get 24 hours without a recharge on my
laptop?

There was (probably still is) work being done on tiny turbines
constructed using MEMS technologies that would be small enough to
replace batteries in laptops and other electronic devices and provide
power 10 times longer than batteries. The irony is that their advantage
is due to the much larger energy density of liquid fuels. Some links:

http://robots.net/article/2650.html
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6245/
http://www.ece.umd.edu/MEMS/projects..._June_2008.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microel...anical_systems