New Batteries For EV's

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
6,330
Yeah but the number of measurements would be finite and countable.
So...fewer air molecules than batteries/knives in the world?

Edit: BTW, "temperature" is already an average. Taking an average of averages (or an average of an average of averages!) is suspect.

if they do not have any batteries then the average is zero, unless of course they want to calculate the average volume of all the batteries they DON'T have :)
Actually, the average size of zero objects would be undefined, not zero.
 
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Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,716
So...fewer air molecules than batteries/knives in the world?

Edit: BTW, "temperature" is already an average. Taking an average of averages (or an average of an average of averages!) is suspect.



Actually, the average size of zero objects would be undefined, not zero.
Hi,

Not sure what you mean by the statement about temperature. Why would average temperature be suspect.

As to the average size of zero objects being undefined and not zero, I can't fully agree with that, especially the volume.
I may be able to agree with the average of zero objects not always being zero, but not the average volume. Volume is a physical thing which sets the context and/or the application, which will have a definite answer. If we call it undefined then we are basically saying we don't know what it is, when really we do. Undefined really means UNDEFINED, but if we are talking about something physical and we do not have any of that, it makes more sense to call it zero.

It's true that in pure math we cannot define some things, but once we set the application (or the context) we often can. That can come from some limit.
Another example is:
a=atan2(y,x)
If 'x' and 'y' are both zero, mathematically this is undefined. However, once we set the application it can easily have a limit, and then we can calculate what 'a' is, even though statically 'x' and 'y' are both zero. I think this is easy to picture too when we think in terms of phase angle in a given circuit. If the phase is 0.1 at y=y1 and x=x1, then the phase is 0.01 at y=y1+dy and x=x1+dx, and the phase is 0.001 at y=y1+2*dy and x=x1+2*dx, then we can most likely say that limit of 'a' is zero.

If we have 10 oranges that each weigh 8 ounces, the average weight of the oranges is 8oz. If we have 5 oranges the average weight is still 8oz. 2 oranges, the same, 1 orange, average still 8oz.
If we have zero oranges it may not make any sense to say we have an undefined average, because that could mean that we have an infinite number of oranges but we just don't know the average because it's undefined. It makes more sense to say we have an average of 0 oranges even though mathematically it may be said to be undefined.

So sometimes it will be not defined but other times it has some physical attribute which we would lose if we just go by the purely mathematical solution. The application brings us the deciding factor. Maybe length or width isn't the best example, but volume is a good example.

I think we should defer further discussion of this though we are getting a bit off topic. We can discuss more in PM's if you like. This concept does come into play a lot though in electronics but I don't think anyone really cares that much about what the average volume of a group of batteries is when there are no batteries :)
Kind of hilarious when you think about it.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,716
Yeah until tomorrow :)

But I read some interesting news about solar cells. They are getting a boost in efficiency due to a new quantum physics discovery that has to do with the way the photons affect the electrons. There is something else in the mix that only allows photons to move electrons with a certain velocity, and with a special coating, there is an intermediate phase that allows a 'much' greater efficacy. That means they can also be made much thinner.
As usual, we'll have to wait to see how this plays out.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
18,115
In my opinion articles like this are promoted by the Chinese to advance the notion that they've already won the space and everyone else should wrap up and go home. It's a valid business strategy and widely used by the Chinese. Others too. CATL is absolutely a major force but I'm betting they won't have a monopoly on safe EV batteries. There will be room for others.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,333
https://www.reuters.com/technology/...reak-europes-ev-battery-ambitions-2024-11-22/
Northvolt crisis may be make or break for Europe's EV battery ambitions
Europe's biggest hope for an electric vehicle battery champion filed for U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday after talks with investors and creditors including Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs for funding failed.

The Swedish company, whose motto is "make oil history", has received more than $10 billion in equity, debt and public financing since its 2016 start-up. Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs each own about one fifth of its shares.
Northvolt said on Friday it needed $1.0-$1.2 billion in new funds under the restructuring process, which it hopes will end by the end of March.
...
At least eight companies have postponed or abandoned EV battery projects in Europe this year, including China's Svolt and joint venture ACC, led by Stellantis (STLAM.MI), opens new tab and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), opens new tab.
In 2024, Europe's battery pipeline capacity out to 2030 has fallen by 176 gigawatt-hours, according to data firm Benchmark Minerals. That's equivalent to almost all the current installed capacity in Europe, according to Reuters calculations.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,716
In my opinion articles like this are promoted by the Chinese to advance the notion that they've already won the space and everyone else should wrap up and go home. It's a valid business strategy and widely used by the Chinese. Others too. CATL is absolutely a major force but I'm betting they won't have a monopoly on safe EV batteries. There will be room for others.
That's an example of why I don't read as much of the hyperbolic news as I used to. It used to be exciting to read the technology news, now it has become a HUGE waste of time. I'm waiting until I see the product on the shelf before I get all worked up about it anymore. If it's something really, really important I might read it, but only if I have time to burn. Today you can only believe about 10 percent of what you read about technology advances.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
13,716
On another site there was a John Cleese quote which unfortunately is the way of the world now:
"The World is insane. With tiny spots of sanity, here and there... Not the other way around!" - John Cleese.

It used to be technology was immune to this, but not anymore. Both the hyperbole and a lot of the technology itself follows this rule now.

Remember the quote, "Money is the root of all evil". Now that more of everything has become 99 percent about money, the world has become 99 percent evil :)
 
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