AIME takes advantage of the world’s largest 3D printer, which is housed at Oak Ridge. It’s been used to 3D print cars in the past, but this time it’s less about showing off and more about presenting a real vision for the future. The vehicle is boxy and has an open two-seat cab with a large back compartment housing the battery and motor.

In this design, the electric vehicle is powered by a single traction motor with a transmission to the rear wheels. It has a range of just 35 miles, with only electric power. When it is driven someplace a bit farther away, it has a small natural gas tank that can be used to recharge the battery. The top speed is about 60 miles per hour. A Tesla this is not, but it is 30% carbon fiber-reinforced ABS plastic. It took about 20 hours to 3D print this vehicle.

The matching home is somewhat more unusual in appearance — you might not immediately realize you’re looking at a shelter as it has a serious cargo container vibe. It’s composed of multiple segments, each with a pair of small windows on one side. Insulation, electrical systems, and even roof solar panels are all built into the structure of the home. It’s arranged in segments because that makes it feasible to print in the same ABS plastic used in the EV.

The real magic of the AIME project is the way it manages energy. The shelter and vehicle share a 6.6kW bi-directional wireless power system. It uses resonant technology, allowing for power to be transmitted between the batteries at distances of a few feet with efficiency around 85%. So the home charges itself and the car using solar power, and recharges the vehicle after it has returned from a trip. If the home is running low on power, but the car is fully charged, it can beam power back to the house.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory plans to continue exploring the AIME concept for the future of housing and transportation. Researchers are interested in trying out different engines and power sources on the vehicle and more configurations for the shelter.

Source: www.extremetech.com

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A battery clean enough to eat may belong in a fictional future world, but the Aquion battery, which is not only clean but also has a long life and is relatively inexpensive, is already on the market. The battery can be used as a stationary storage solution for small operations, like houses equipped with solar or off-grid resorts, but its more exciting application is as a storage solution for large-scale energy farms. It could even be used alongside our existing energy grid, providing a cleaner way for energy utilities to store the excess solar electricity their customers produce during the day.

The technology, a twist on the 200-year-old saltwater battery, is made using abundant, non-toxic materials. Although it is a unique solution, it is not without its competitors. Tesla’s gigafactory is set to churn out hundreds of thousands of batteries per year. Some of these will be car batteries, but their Powerwall battery is also intended to store energy for homes and businesses. Ambri, a Boston-based company, is working on a battery that is based on a low-cost liquid metal technology. But for now, the Aquion factory is working at capacity, manufacturing batteries as quickly as it can, for a host of customers around the world.

Source: inhabitat.com