Ultra-thin sealed lead-acid batteries
The structure and performance of the world's first ultra-thin sealed lead-acid batteries are described. The batteries are 0.65 mm thick, the thinnest ever achieved, and are made possible by a new electrode structure. In a conventional battery, the separator is sandwiched between the positive and negative electrodes. In the new battery structure, however, the positive electrode, electrolyte, and negative electrode are arranged on the same plane. Movement of the battery reaction sites during charge/discharge is parallel to the main surface of the electrode. Consequently, the new battery structure offers significant advantages in regard to life performance. Batteries utilizing this new structure have a long life of over 400 cycles, and good performance of the charge/discharge characteristics. In addition, a variety of different batteries can be manufactured using screen patterns. By using the techniques described above, the thickness of a sealed lead-acid battery can be reduced to less than one seventh of that of a conventional one, without performance degradation.<<ETX>>
High-capacity thin sealed lead-acid battery
The authors have developed a battery structure to achieve an ultra-thin sealed lead-acid battery with nondegrading performance. A thin and high-capacity sealed lead-acid battery utilizing the developed battery structure is described. To develop high-capacity batteries, several problems must be overcome. They include the establishment of a printing method to print thick lead paste layers precisely, and a technique to improve the bonding force between the active material and the collector. Consequently, the capacity of the batteries is 700 mAh, and its thickness is, respectively, 1.0 mm and 2.2 mm. In addition, these batteries have a life of over 400 cycles, and have achieved an energy density over 100 Wh/L.<<ETX>>
Parboiled rice effluent: A wastewater niche for microalgae and cyanobacteria with growth coupled to comprehensive remediation and phosphorus biofertilization
Abstract The potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria for bioremediation of wastewater by nutrient uptake combined with simultaneous biomass production is a well recognized perception of today's world. The present study illustrates the treatment of a highly polluted wastewater generated during parboiling of paddy in rice mill industries, widely operational in developing countries where rice is the staple food crop, with the help of microalgal and cyanobacterial isolates capable of growing at high rates in parboiled rice mill effluent (RME). This endeavor leads to comprehensive bioremediation of the said effluent and subsequent use of the harvested biomass as slow release phosphorus biofertilizers and the treated effluent for crop irrigation. The RME-acclimatized algal consortium demonstrated highest growth in terms of fresh weight and greatest remediation efficiency at the end of 36 days' treatment of RME, with 93.9% phosphorus and 100% ammonia-nitrogen removal, 98.7%, 91.6% and 93.5% reduction in biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total dissolved solid, respectively, and an increment of 186 ± 0.3 mg L − 1 dissolved oxygen, bringing down the pollutants level well below the discharge limits suggested by Central Pollution Control Board, India. Additionally, microalgae in the consortium aggregated in clumps spontaneously in presence of the filaments of Phormidium sp. facilitating easy harvest. The RME-acclimatized algal consortium demonstrated highest accumulation of polyphosphate (poly-P) (0.76 ± 0.01% of dry weight) as well as highest release of phosphorus in non-sterile soil emphasizing the essential role of soil phosphorus solubilizing organisms to leach soluble phosphorus from the insoluble poly-P present in the biomass. The rice seedlings watered with treated RME also showed improved growth effect on shoot height and leaf width. The study results establish the suitability of RME as an excellent growth media for microalgae and cyanobacteria.