HYSTOR-Nickel Hydrogen Battery

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Subject: UFTO Note — HYSTOR-Nickel Hydrogen Battery
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 13:13:19 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth
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| * UFTO * Edward Beardsworth * Consultant
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675
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This press release came out today. They’re making good progress in the EV field, but my own view is that they could be terrifically valuable in stationary applications.

UFTO first mentioned Ergenics in December 1995, repeated in “DU 1.0”.

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Ergenics Demonstrates Advanced Electric Vehicle Battery

RINGWOOD, N.J., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ via Individual Inc. — Ergenics announced today that it has achieved a major milestone in its rechargeable battery development program with the demonstration of its first Hy-Stor(TM) multi-cell bipolar advanced battery for electric vehicles. The outstanding performance of the Hy-Stor battery is made possible by coupling the established know-how of high energy storage density of metal hydrides with the unmatched high cycle life capabilities of nickel-hydrogen batteries, which have been used successfully in orbiting satellites for over two decades.

The Hy-Stor battery offers safety, performance and economic advantages over lead-acid, nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries. Ergenics is initially targeting its application to the market for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, where it provides much longer cycle life, much greater range between charge cycles, a greater temperature range of operation and substantial cost efficiencies.

Unlike space batteries, which store their required hydrogen in pressurized containers, the Hy-Stor battery stores its hydrogen, in even higher densities, in a chemical bond with powdered metal at ambient temperatures and ambient, or slightly lower, pressures, thereby eliminating the safety hazards associated with highly pressurized gas tanks, etc. Furthermore, the manufacture of the Hy-Stor battery is a very “clean” process, as is its subsequent operation. Since it involves no heavy metals or toxic substances, it is environmentally friendly.

The Hy-Stor battery will provide an electric vehicle with more than double than the range between recharges of currently available lead acid batteries and 20% greater range than nickel metal hydride batteries, at equivalent levels of acceleration performance. At the same time, the Hy-Stor battery will retain its stored energy when not in use, i.e., it will not “self discharge” as happens with other types of batteries when idle, and will last far longer, longer than the average life of an automobile today, due to its extraordinarily high cycle life. Hence, its overall economics should prove most compelling.

Ergenics, believes that, eventually, the hybrid electric vehicle will prove to be the most popular and, indeed, effective means of achieving energy saving and pollution control objectives. It will have a base load, highly efficient internal combustion engine, and use a battery for purposes of acceleration and to store power from regenerative braking. In that case, the Hy-Stor battery should prove an ideal application with its life of 2,000 cycles at 100% discharge, 100,000 cycles at 15% discharge and high power pulse capacity.

Ergenics’ Vice President for Research & Development, Mark Golben, comments, “This milestone is the final step leading us to fabrication of a full size electric vehicle battery.” With cutting edge innovative technology, Ergenics has been granted over 25 U.S. patents and corresponding foreign patents. Privately owned, Ergenics, Inc., with its headquarters and principal manufacturing operation in northern New Jersey, is a world leader in the development and commercialization of metal hydride technology.
CONTACT: Philip A. Burghart, Senior Vice President, Ergenics, Inc.
201-962-4480, or fax, 201-962-4325

Room Temp Superconductor Wire

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Subject: UFTO Note — Room Temp Superconductor Wire
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 12:46:46 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth <edbeards@batnet.com>
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| * UFTO * Edward Beardsworth * Consultant
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675
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ROOTS, Inc. — Room Temp Superconductors (again)

References: previous UFTO notes about this company:
Aug 27, 1996 Private placement offering memo
May 23, 1996 Update on progress
March 1995 First UFTO report

The credibility of this story appears to be increasing substantially.

ROOTS Inc. has established the presence of very high conductivity in certain classes of polypropylene polymer films, and is actively developing applications for the film, while also working on making wire. The materials exhibit near zero resistivity, several orders of magnitude less than copper, from -450 to +390 degrees F.

ROOTS has completed a phase 1 SBIR with the Air Force, and began a Phase 2 contract in May.

Dr. James L. Smith, Chief Scientist at the Superconductivity Center at Los Alamos National Lab, has recently joined their Scientific Advisory Group, and has clearly indicated that he takes their work very seriously.

The company now has prepared a detailed development plan to build “ultraconductor” wire, one kilometer long, and they recently submitted a proposal for an NIST/ATP grant for $2 million.

This new plan provides the clearest picture of what is happening, including a readable outline of the theory. A copy can be obtained from ROOTS under a non-disclosure agreement.
Contact Mark Goldes, ROOTS, Sebastopol, CA, 707-829-9391.

DOE Public Meetings on Restructuring

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Subject: DOE Public Meetings on Restructuring
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 09:21:58 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth

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| *** UFTO *** Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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Your company may have received mailings about one or more of these four public input meetings. I just noticed a press release from PSE&G last week reporting their CEO’s comments to the first meeting in New Jersey, and contacted DOE Office of Policy. The focus is LEGISLATION in connection with electric utility industry restructuring.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DOE Press Releases R-96-144 September 27, 1996

DOE Sets Electricity Restructuring Meetings

First Two Regional Sessions Planned in New Jersey, New Mexico;
Public Input to Help Department Craft Restructuring Legislation

Input from four public meetings across the country will help the Department of Energy formulate electricity restructuring legislation that the Clinton Administration plans to submit to Congress next year.

“Many difficult issues must be addressed as we build a foundation for the new U.S. electricity industry,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel R. O’Leary, who will lead the first two meetings. “Public involvement will help ensure that the transition to electricity competition strengthens our nation’s economy, protects the environment and improves the quality of life for all Americans.”

To encourage public discussion on a wide range of restructuring issues, each meeting will focus on different topics. However, regional and local participants at each of the meetings can examine other topics related to electric industry restructuring. Dates, locations and times are:

Oct. 10 New Brunswick, N.J., area 1:30-5:00 p.m.
location to be announced
Focus: public purpose programs and issues, with particular emphasis on environmental protection, consumer interests, low-income assistance, retail choice and renewable energy.

Oct. 22 Sante Fe, N.M. 3:00-6:00 p.m
Sweeney Convention Center
Focus: jurisdiction and rate regulation, with particular emphasis on stranded cost recovery, retail choice and state/federal jurisdiction. This session will follow the DOE/National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners meeting in Sante Fe.

Two more regional meetings will be held in mid-November.

(CHICAGO) One will explore issues related to reliability and producers, with particular emphasis on reform of the Public Utility Holding Company Act, regulation of affiliate transactions, retail and wholesale competition in regional markets, competition-related functions of independent transmission system operators and bulk power system reliability.

The final meeting (ATLANTA) will provide an opportunity to revisit the full set of issues involved in electricity industry restructuring.

Questions about these meetings can be directed to an information hotline, 423/576-3610.

O’Leary and CEOs meeting re Reliability

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Subject: UFTO Note – O’Leary and CEOs meeting re Reliability
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 12:04:53 -0700

On September 7, during the EEI CEO Meeting in Chicago, there was an invitation only luncheon of DOE Secretary Hazel O’Leary and a number of utility industry CEOs. EPRI was present as well. The issue was reliability of the power system, and unconfirmed reports are that basically the message was “you fix it, or DOE will”. (Echoes of 1965?)

Nothing has appeared in the press that I’ve seen, and DOE (Office of Policy) has nothing in writing to offer yet. Apparently, DOE is considering a proposal to create a new task force under the SEAB (Strategic Energy Advisory Board).
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| Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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EPRI ISO Project

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Subject: UFTO Note — EPRI ISO Project
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:46:24 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth

RP8501-02 “Transmission Dispatch and Congestion Mgt. System” Basically to write spec for computer applications an ISO will need for scheduling, dispatch, costing, etc.

I’d mentioned this project in passing to Graham Siegel the other day, and got more details about it today. The Draft Final Report is due in to project manager Ali Vojdani in a week or two. I don’t know when it will be published. (Please don’t call Ali and tell him I told you!)

Funded by core, so apparently any epri member can have it.

Bernie Pasternak, AEP, was rep on utility advisory committee from Midwest ISO. All regions were represented.
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| Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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Announcements & Other Business

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Subject: UFTO Announcements & Other Business
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 13:03:48 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth

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| *** UFTO *** Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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(Since we don’t do the “Bulletin” anymore, here’s a new way to feed you bits and pieces of information.)

1. T&D Workshop Plans are firming up for the UFTO T&D Workshop at PNL. Date will be either Nov 4-5 or Nov 11-12, from noon to noon. We’ll have a decision about the dates by the end of this week. There will also be a number of other things for you to see or do after we adjourn, by arrangement with PNL. Details forthcoming.

A few of you haven’t responded yet about whether you or someone from your company plans to attend, so please let me know. Also, ideas and issues for the program/agenda would be very helpful. What would YOU consider to be a successful outcome?

2. Travelin’ I’ll be out of the office Mon – Wed, and back on Thurs. Sept 26. I will be checking tel. messages, but will NOT have access to email.

I will be visiting Ontario Hydro Technologies (OHT) in Toronto, to look at the technologies and services they have to offer UFTO (and maybe convince them to join UFTO — as a user as well as a supplier of technology). As you probably know, OHT is Ontario Hydro’s former in-house R&D division, now a separate subsidiary.

October 8,9, I’ll attend the (invitation only) DOE/Dawnbreaker “Commercialization Opportunity Forum” in DC, to see presentations by 42 SBIR awardees–startup companies that are looking for investors and partners.

Technology 2006, the big annual NASA conference, is in Anaheim Oct 29-31. I plan to attend, particularly the exhibits. It’d be great to see you there, too. For registration info, call 1-800-844-NASA.

EOSytems, Inc. Electrochem. Oxid of Hazardous Organics

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Subject: UFTO Note — EOSytems, Inc. Electrochem. Oxid of Hazardous Organics
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 10:39:33 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth

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| *** UFTO *** Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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**** “EOSystems — Electrochemical Oxidation of Hazardous Organics — benign on-site modular treatment, eliminating transport and incineration while building off-peak electric load. Also applicable to low-level radwaste volume reduction.” (UFTO Tech Nugget, August 1995) ****

UPDATE! There’s been considerable progress —

EOSystems, Inc. is commercializing a process for the destruction of both organic and mixed (hazardous wastes containing some level of radioactivity) organic wastes. They have recently obtained the first 20% of a $5 million private offering, and welcome inquiries by additional potential investors and other interested parties.

This is “electrotechnology” at its best. Significant for utilities, the process consumes considerable amounts of electric power, and this load can be shifted to off-peak times, making this a win-win-win for the utility, for the industrial customer, and for the environment.

EOSystems’ vision is to eliminate the creation, transportation and incineration of hazardous wastes by placing a unit at the site of every generator, from university labs to major chemical manufacturers and government facilities.

The Company has designed a proprietary reactor cell, which is the heart of the system. The cell is designed to be manufactured in volume from high density plastics, using advanced injection techniques, resulting in a system that is inexpensive to manufacture, service and replace. The engineering is being done jointly by EOSystems and Fluoroware, Inc., of Chaska, Minnesota.

EOSystems’ process is mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO), for the destruction of hazardous aqueous organic process streams. The technology was commercially refined at both Pacific Northwest Lab (PNL) in Washington state and at Lawrence Livermore National Lab with a $4 million CRADA. The testing and prototype development have been completed by EOSystems and Flouroware with help from PNL. Controlled Power of Troy, Michigan, is aiding in the design and manufacture of custom power supplies.

EOSystems’ market is estimated at $200 billion in capital equipment sales to private and public laboratories, as well as chemical, pharmaceutical and semi-conductor companies. Manufacturers will employ EOSystems’ electrochemical oxidation in their processes to reduce or eliminate the creation of wastes which are currently difficult and expensive to handle and destroy (e.g., by incineration or landfill).

All wastes are fully contained until destroyed, eliminating costly downstream trapping required by thermal destruction processes. The system is also scalable to a customer’s process volume, and will match the specific constituent demands of each process stream, saving manufacturers even more in process costs while eliminating the liability associated with production of hazardous wastes.

EOSystems’ MEO is a very rapid, chemical, non-biological, step-wise dismantling of the organics, one electron at a time. It converts organics to carbon dioxide and water, using electricity to force a chemical reaction which picks up an electron from the organic, changing its chemical make up. The “mediator” is a metal ion in the solution; in this case the ion is cerium3+, which is exposed to an anode that removes an electron, changing it to cerium4+, an element now hungry for an electron. The cerium4+ is injected into a vessel containing the organics, where it sucks an electron from an organic, becoming cerium3+ again, and unbinding the organic so that it converts into carbon dioxide and water.

UFTO can provide a more detailed company summary, or contact:
Tony Steward, President, EOSystems, San Jose, CA 408/744-9180

High Strength Conductors

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Subject: UFTO NOTE — High Strength Conductors
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 13:18:23 -0700
From: Ed Beardsworth

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| *** UFTO *** Edward Beardsworth * Consultant |
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 415-328-5670 |
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 415-328-5675 |
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High Strength Conductors
A new class of alloys developed at Ames Laboratory has 10 times the tensile strength of copper, at about 80% the electrical conductivity. These are deformation processed copper metal matrix composites that have a long filamentary microscopic structure.

Possible applications, in addition to non-sagging transmission and distribution wires that could allow hotter operation and increased tower spacing, include use in equipment where tensile strength is extremely important, such as generators or pulsed-power magnetizers that are used to make permanent-magnets.

While the metallurgy aspects have been published in trade journals, there’s been no funding currently available to pursue these various power systems applications. The Lab would appreciate input from interested industrial parties.

In related work, the Lab also has developed improved aluminum metal-matrix composites with increased strength and very little loss of conductivity, which may be another candidate for power conductor applications.

Contact: Larry Jones, (Principal Investigator), Ames Laboratory, 515-294-5236