Membrane-free lithium-ion costs 30% less, could transform home energy storage

Plus: Lockheed Martin aces missile test, DOE backs zinc bromide batteries, and your car may be spying you ⚡️ In a breakthrough for renewable energy storage, researchers at the University of Cincinnati have created innovative lithium-ion batteries that eliminate the costly membrane separator. By doing away with the inefficient membrane, the new design removes a key barrier to lithium-ion batteries becoming cheap enough for widespread home use. The team’s lead researcher envisions a future where every household can be powered by renewable energy stored in batteries. Learn more about how this could become a reality in today's [Must Read](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let's get into it! 📈 Also, Generative AI is the future of business and is here to stay for the long term. Join experts Andrew McAfee & Erik Brynjolfsson on Sept 12, 11 a.m. PDT, as they unveil transformative research on [AI's impact on workforce productivity](. Don't miss out! 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Must Read [🔋 Membrane-free lithium-ion batteries could help power grid]( Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed a new design for lithium-ion batteries that removes the membrane separator, a costly component. This design innovation could reduce manufacturing costs of lithium-ion batteries by up to 30%. Conventional lithium-ion batteries use a membrane separator between the positive and negative sides. However, these membranes are inefficient, allowing crossover of ions between the two sides. The new membrane-free design eliminates this component entirely. The water-free batteries generate 4 volts of power and reduce the risk of explosion. The researchers believe this breakthrough could enable widespread adoption of lithium-ion batteries for renewable energy storage in households. [[Read More]( [Military]( [✅ Lockheed's Revolutionary 93-Mile Precision Rocket Artillery Aces Recent Test]( The Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System doubles the range of existing precision rockets to 93 miles, maintaining pinpoint accuracy while utilizing the combat-proven HIMARS mobile launch platform. By filling the capability gap between short-range rockets and longer-range missiles, the intermediate-range system brings advanced standoff strike options to ground forces. [[Read More]( [Transportation]( 🚘 Your car may be listening, watching and collecting your data A recent report by Mozilla Foundation sounds an alarm about user privacy in internet-connected cars, finding 25 major brands collect more personal data than required. The report flagged brands like Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Honda for excessive data harvesting and opaque policies. Only two brands guaranteed user data deletion rights. The report gave poor marks to Tesla, citing issues with its AI-powered autopilot. [[Read More]( [Innovation]( [🇺🇸 Zinc bromide batteries get US government help to scale up]( Eos’ zinc bromide batteries last 20 years, avoid fire risks, and sidestep lithium's volatile costs. But technical hurdles — like lower efficiency — remain. The conditional loan from the Department of Energy will support manufacturing buildout to prove the company's batteries are truly a scalable, affordable solution for renewable energy storage, versus an incremental innovation. 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Most of you say it will find a mix of uses, but 21 percent expect military deployment first and foremost. 55% A mix of good and bad 21% Strictly Dark Side 17% It probably doesn't work 7% Yes, many civilian uses “Batteries store renewable energy for when it’s needed, not just when it’s produced. This is crucial for getting the most out of wind and solar power.” Jimmy Jiang, associate professor University of Cincinnati ENGINEER'S ARSENAL [Digital Calculator]( [$127.66]( [Jewelers Doming Block]( [$136.00]( [Electric 3 Hole Punch]( $174.35 [Aluminum T-Square]( [$179.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Can an AI-generated song win a Grammy? Quite possibly, yes]( - [9 examples of when AI went haywire]( [premium] - [Apple signs new long-term deal for continued chip development]( - [Last-minute camera 'hack' leads to a new view of the Sun]( - [Most remote galactic magnetic field found in early universe]( - [ZF's magnet-free EV motor is more efficient and sustainable]( - [Too hot to fly? 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