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Lockheed Martin Signs Agreement with EESTOR for Energy Storage Solutions
10 January 2008
Lockheed Martin has signed an exclusive international rights agreement to integrate and market Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) from EEStor, Inc., for military and homeland security applications. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The EESU is a new high-power-density ceramic ultracapacitor that EESTOR says could provide 10 times the energy density of lead acid batteries at 1/10th the weight and volume. As envisioned, EESUs will be half the price per stored watt-hour than traditional battery technologies.
In 2007, Canadian electric automaker ZENN Motor Company took an initial 3.8% equity position in EESTOR. Under a technology agreement with EESTOR, ZENN holds certain worldwide exclusive licenses for EEStor’s storage units for new small and medium-sized low-speed and highway-capable vehicles (up to 1,400 kg curb weight). ZENN also holds worldwide exclusive rights for EEStor units for the conversion of any used internal combustion passenger vehicle to electric drive. (Earlier post.)
Lockheed Martin is primarily focused on the potential use of the EESTOR units in battlefield applications, for soldiers in the field.
EESU qualification testing and mass production at EEStor’s facility in Cedar Park is now planned for late 2008.
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I find this encouraging as I'm pretty sure Lockheed-Martin will have done some due diligence before signing anything. In my books, EEStor has gone from a long shot to a medium shot.
Posted by: Neil | Jan 10, 2008 8:11:01 AM
As the first commenter said, this makes the thing look serious.
Quite a lot of people has marked Eestor vaporware. In light of this agreement, I would say they are getting close to production.
Very encouraging indeed. I hope this turns out to be the big thing. If it gets even close to what they promised, there will be quite a revolution in electric car technology.
An other interesting thing is the license for ZENN to convert traditional cars to EESTOR based electric cars.
Posted by: sola | Jan 10, 2008 8:47:40 AM
Agree with you Neil. However, Lockheed may not have to put much money out for this potential new military technology till EEstor comes through. If so, Lockheed is just covering all possible bases.
Posted by: litesong | Jan 10, 2008 8:49:46 AM
"EESU qualification testing and mass production at EEStor’s facility in Cedar Park is planned for late 2008." Looks like a one -year slip in schedule. So we might reasonably expect something from EEStor this time next year.
Posted by: Stephen Reed | Jan 10, 2008 8:58:12 AM
Very good news. I had more or less lost hope in this firm. If they hold what they promise and the price is competitive this is a revolutionary product that can be used for much more than vehicles and military applications. Indeed, the war on global warming looks less hopeless with such news.
Posted by: Henrik | Jan 10, 2008 9:00:55 AM
I agree with the previous comments as this is encouraging.
Something seems a little funny however. EEStor has been quite public when it comes to their claims in the past(and even here), so why haven't they done the same PR work to actually show some working technology. It just doesn't make sense given their history.
I guess in the end I'm still hopeful, but accordingly skeptic.
Posted by: Clark | Jan 10, 2008 9:17:41 AM
For more info check out the following interview:
http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/01/10/lockheed-martin-signs-agreement-with-eestor/
Posted by: Neil | Jan 10, 2008 9:26:04 AM
I wonder if EESTOR are shifting towards high power high revenue applications (which is in their interest). The requirements for a BEV (high energy density) is not natural for a capacitor and products like those of ZENN would require a low cost per energy. So EESTOR might succeed but I'd guess not with ZENN.
Posted by: DavidJ | Jan 10, 2008 10:08:51 AM
ZENN has never made sense to me for eestor. ZENN won't be able to ship millions of cars per year. ZENN won't be able to charge premium prices. ZENN should not have an exclusive for vehicles under 2600 pounds.
The only part that maybe makes sense is that eetor wanted a paid beta tester and figured big car companies wouldn't touch their 3000-volt eesu's with a 10-foot pole until there were 100,000 of them on the road.
Even then...ZENN?
Maybe the exclusive has a quick expiration.
Posted by: Healthy Breeze | Jan 10, 2008 2:22:08 PM
Lockheed-Martin is working on missile defense system, and high-power laser beam is one of the way to shoot down missile, and laser can certainly benefit from the rapid discharge capability of a super capacitor. No surprise there. Energy storage density is of much lower priority in comparison to the very rapid discharge capability of a super-cap.
However, it is theoretically impossible for any kind of super-capacitor to get anywhere near to the energy storage density of chemical battery.
Posted by: Roger Pham | Jan 10, 2008 3:45:44 PM
Roger,
I'm not sure that's so. Barium Titanate has huge capacitance. Stored energy is a function of surface area. The smaller your particles, the more total surface area they have (A barrel full of marbles has more surface area than a barrel full of soccer balls, and such). eestor's idea sounds right. make the particles small enough, pack them tightly enough, and you store a huge amount of energy in a small space.
They're execution? We just don't know. It's worrisome that they won't show an alpha version to ZENN or Lockheed. Whether it's this, or Lithium Ion batteries with Silicon Nanowires, or something else, nano tech seems to offer something new to energy density that will hopefully exceed all previous options by enough to make commercialization a reality.
Posted by: Healthy Breeze | Jan 10, 2008 4:30:04 PM
It seems that Lockheed-Martin is convinced that EEStor's super caps are scalable and will offer higher energy density + higher power density at a fraction of the cost.
L-M could give a welcomed helping hand with prototypes construction and testing.
If L-M is correct the EEStor EESU will give all chemical batteries a run for value in many applications.
L-M seems to be very interested in the EEStor unit large pulse power capabilities.
The capability to very quickly charge and discharge a million times is something that batteries dont have. This would make it an ideal unit for PHEVs and BEVs.
Posted by: Harvey D | Jan 10, 2008 4:36:38 PM
This also makes it much easier to do quick charging at home from your solar panels. Your home super-cap zaps your car super-cap to full in a very short time. V2G...quick charge stations...directed energy beam weapons.
This could really change everything.
Posted by: Domenick | Jan 10, 2008 6:44:42 PM
Interessing indeed, though it doesn't prove anything at this point. It is not surprise that Lokheed might be interested by EESTOR promise, that doesn't prove they will get what they expect, they haven't tested anything yet. I personally doubt that EESTOR will ever developp 50KWh supercap but 1 to 2 KWh might be possible which is quite enough for laser weapon or simple hybrid car.
Wait and see
Posted by: Treehugger | Jan 10, 2008 9:07:22 PM
I'm not sure how exclusive the agreement with Zen will turn out to be. If 2600 pounds is the maximum vehicle weight by Zen's agreement with EEStor, then this is not a lot of weight. A Honda Accord weighs over 3100 pounds. Even a Tesla Roadster weighs 2700 pounds.
Stephen
Posted by: Stephen Boulet | Jan 10, 2008 11:20:09 PM
Harvey:
There have been quite a few articles here about how HEV need high power batteries where as BEV and PHEV need high energy batteries (though they could also usefully use a capacitor as part of a hybrid battery pack).
Posted by: DavidJ | Jan 11, 2008 5:26:24 AM
This is great news.
A couple of minor points. EESTor hasn't spread news, quite the contrary. They've only had 3 press releases, one to announce a president, one to announce that they acheieved a goal of purity in their production line and one to announce the rehiring of an executive.
The other point I'd make is that while I think this is big, even world changing, we don't see it yet. It might yet crack and have a short life or worse, be unsafe.
Posted by: greg woulf | Jan 11, 2008 5:36:52 AM
Lockheed....skunk works....Area 51...major interest in EEstor cap tech, with potential large scale pulse power technologies....new propulsion system in the works with this technology?
Posted by: ejj | Jan 11, 2008 9:31:28 AM
Good for LH-M, good for EEstor, good for greenies. The exclusive nature secures certain proprietary technology for use in defense applications. EEstor now has a partner with an essentially unlimited pocket. The new "hybrid EV" will be S-cap + LiIon. Watch.
Posted by: gr | Jan 11, 2008 1:44:04 PM
Healthy breeze,
Please read an excellent comment by Emosson in the following article to fully understand my position in this issue:
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18330/
Posted by: Roger Pham | Jan 11, 2008 2:59:42 PM
The critiques of the patent have been flying thick and furious for almost a year now; but EEStor still appears to be moving ahead. One way or another this should be a very interesting story with big litigation or big profits.
Posted by: Neil | Jan 11, 2008 4:13:31 PM
A couple military applications with high pulsed power delivery (or absorbtion) requirements:
Aircraft carrier aircraft launch & recovery systems.
Linear accelerators (Gauss guns).
High-powered lasers.
I've read somewhere that electrifying the launch/recovery system on an aircraft carrier would save an insane amount of weight from the vessel, and also eliminate 500 billets. Can't for the life of me remember where I saw that though...
Posted by: rob | Jan 11, 2008 5:34:20 PM
1,400 kg is 3,086 lbs.
Posted by: Mitch | Jan 13, 2008 5:55:11 PM
The EEStor technology is to coat particles of high dielectric constant/low breakdown strength substance (barium titanate) with a high breakdown strength/low dielectric strength substance. They claim this will yield a dielectric with high voltage capability and also high dielectric constant.
This won't work, b/c the applied voltage will be across the low dielectric constant coating, not the barium titanate.
The 1 year delay we have observed will be because EEStor can't produce a dielectric with the high dielectric constant they need. As soon as there is any impurity in the dielectric (in this case the particle coating) the dielectric constant collapses. Its like putting an electrolytic capacitor in series with a ceramic capacitor - the ceramic capacitor dominates.
Posted by: Bruce | Jan 13, 2008 6:46:47 PM
I have to agree with Bruce. It's possible EEStor figured out a way to deliver high dielectric constant AND high voltage, but there's zero evidence. Their claimed method should fail for the reasons Bruce cited. As Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and EEStor consistently refuses to demonstrate their miracle device to anyone (including their customers). Their bizarre patent makes one question whether they even understand the problem. I still hope they've got something, but my suspicions deepen with every delay.
Posted by: doggydogworld | Jan 14, 2008 8:11:06 AM
If you see this from the eyes of the inventor, rather than from eyes of those who did not invent it, i.e. need to prove it wrong, why would any smart inventor give out clear and concise details of a WORLD changing technology that could be copied countries like China in a patent application, let alone a detailed press release? And why would a smart CEO of such technology be stupid enough to provide ALPHA units that can get "Lost" or go missing from off site test facilities. I think people are being a little naive about industrial espionage. What? You think that is "spy" fiction? SO to those intellectuals that assume too much from lack of proof, temper that skepticism until success or failure is prove. Additionally, no company, ESPECIALLY L.M. will be "Given" an exclusive contract unless the pony up some CASH. And L.M. will not do anything like that or ZENN unless their engineers see upclose PROOF of concept demonstrations. Try to see things with "business Glasses" on while you watch things unfold. BTW, factory production slippage is normal if expected production capacity requirements increase before completion of a facility. It would COST a lot to close an existing facility to change production lines rather than just change the design before any production starts. For anyone with manufacturing development experience, you know this already.
Posted by: InternetELF | Jan 23, 2008 2:27:22 AM
InternetELF is correct on all points concerning secrecy of a revolutionary new technology and industrial espionage and theft of that technology. Just remember what RCA tried to do to Farnsworth, the inventor of T.V. Eestor's invention would be quite revolutionary and, combined with solar, would probably eliminate dependence on fossil fuels. It would do serious damage to the oil industry. With true electric cars there would be no need for gas or oil to lubricate those automobile engines. No need for heating oil/gas to heat your house. It would be very green energy, even better than nuclear.
Posted by: Paul | Feb 7, 2008 6:41:18 PM
