The hand of Australopithecus afarensis does not appear to have been stressed by use of the grip, but there is some evidence for this type of stress in the metacarpals from Sterkfontein Member 4. Chimpanzee hand postures resembling this form of human power grip are not fully comparable and lack some of these morphological correlates that facilitate its use. Several morphological features occur in high frequency among humans which facilitate the grip and are consistent with the large internal and external forces associated with it in hammering and in other tool-using activities. Results of the study indicate that humans use a squeeze form of power grip effectively to wield cylindrical tools forcefully as extensions of the forearm. Our approaches include: (1) the analysis of the human grip, focusing on both the hand posture involved and hand movements associated with use of the grip in hammering (2) the analysis of similar chimpanzee grips and associated movements (3) comparative functional analysis of regions in the hand exploited and stressed by the grip and its associated movements in humans and (4) a review of the literature on the power grip and its morphological correlates. In-kind support was provided by the National Research Council of Canada (Edmonton) and the U of A’s nanoFAB Fabrication and Characterization Centre.The 'squeeze' form of power grip is investigated for the purposes of clarifying the hand posture and activities associated with the grip, assessing the potential in chimpanzees for using the grip, and identifying morphological correlates of an effective power grip that may be recognized in fossil hominid species. It’s also supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Alberta Innovates and Buriak’s Canada Research Chairs program grant.

Woodard’s work is supported through funding from Future Energy Systems, a cross-disciplinary research and teaching network at the U of A working to develop innovations for energy transition. “That matters at a time when companies are making big investments in silicon as a next-generation anode, and when you’re talking about vehicles that you want to last for years.”

The findings can help narrow the field for future research and investment in increasing the lifetime stability of the batteries, Woodard believes. Squeeze It Lyrics von Three 6 Mafia mit Video: We looking for them J-Lo booties big ol ass round and fat / Let me sqeeze it, Let me squeeze it / When. Woodard’s work has so far identified and eliminated certain coatings that were thought to have potential but don’t work well.Īs well, his research has shown that surface coatings could improve the performance of lower-quality silicon, but not enough to make it commercially viable at this point.Īlong with that, his work confirmed that coating anodes of high-quality silicon doesn’t provide much improvement. To mitigate that effect, Woodard has been testing different molecular coatings on the silicon to protect it from unwanted reactions that come with that expansion.Ĭoating the surface also helps keep it from crumbling and losing contact - and subsequently, power - with the battery cell. “As silicon stores more lithium, it also expands, then contracts - and this breaks down the battery, causing it to have a shorter lifespan.” It’s already being used in some personal electronics and will soon be used in new Mercedes-Benz EV engines, “so it does have potential,” says Woodard. Silicon, like carbon, is plentiful, inexpensive and safe. If we were able to entirely replace graphite with silicon for anodes, we could potentially see a 34 per cent increase in energy output for an electric car.” “Silicon reacts with 10 times more lithium ions, resulting in more charge capacity.

Graphite, a form of carbon, is commonly used in the batteries because it’s abundant, safe and has a high power output.īut graphite pales in comparison to the capacity of silicon, Woodard notes. Woodard, based in the lab of professor Jillian Buriak, is experimenting with swapping out graphite for silicon on the anode - the side of the battery that stores lithium when fully charged. “If we can get longer battery life in an electric vehicle, it can either get you farther on a single charge - you can get from Edmonton to Lethbridge instead of Calgary - or you can get to Calgary in a cheaper vehicle which has a higher capacity battery.” “It would make good technology better,” says Woodard, a chemistry PhD candidate in the Faculty of Science. Cruising down the highway in an electric car, who wouldn’t want to squeeze a few hundred extra kilometres out of a single battery charge?īy working to improve a particular component in the lithium ion batteries that power EVs - and everyday must-haves like cellphones - University of Alberta researcher Jasper Woodard hopes to help them last longer between charging sessions.

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