Posted on 10/13/2014 9:17:01 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The next-generation of lithium-ion batteries is really going to ensure that users get all-day, and even more battery life out of their devices. A team of researchers in Singapore have developed this improved lithium-ion battery tech, which is capable of recharging a battery to 70% in just two minutes, yes: 120 seconds.
The clinch, is that this isn't a new battery technology, but it improves on the existing technology that is used. The improvements are coming from a form of nanostructures, where instead of traditional graphite used to create the lithium-ion battery's anode, this new technology uses a cheap titanium dioxide gel, which is a similar material to that used in sunscreen, that absorbs UV rays.
The scientists have discovered a way to turn these compounds into nanostructures that super-speed the charging process, with this change making lithium-ion batteries capable of charging 20x faster, and lasting up to 20x longer. Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong of Nanyang Technological University said in a release "With our nanotechnology, electric cars would be able to increase their range dramatically with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars". The researchers hope to have this technology on the market within two years, which should be perfect timing for our next, next-gen smartphones and electric cars.
“This would also be a huge boon for Solar power.”
This COULD also be a huge boon for Solar power. And I hope it will be.
Toyota has sold over 2 million Prius type hybrids, worldwide. Going back over ten years.
I remember all the criticism of such a vehicle, and technology.
Yet every single person I have asked, says they love their vehicles and the fuel economy. No battery problems. Every single one.
Exactly.
A constant-rpm diesel powering batteries and/or electric motors. The constant-rpm diesel engine might be able to run on almost any kind of oil.
I don’t know when battery technology will surpass the gas engine, but itt will happen.
I just made a flippant comment to those who come on every thread about electric cars and wail and gnash their teeth.
Let’s build some nukes.
I can't help but think of the miracle carberator said that promised 200 Mpg.
My problem is the reality of what an electric cell is. . . it is a means of releasing energy by chemical change. There is an exothermic reaction if you charge it too fast as you add energy, forcing a chemical change. At one rate, the exothermic reaction is manageable, speed charging up by 20x, can they say the same? I really don't think so. I think the battery, a collection of cells, would get very HOT.
Now THAT makes a lot more sense. . . and the economics might be more sensible. A battery can cost ten times more but if it's life is 20x longer it's approximately half the cost over its useful life.
Well... I use rechargeable batteries a LOT, and the early failure rates are dismal indeed. If the researchers are claiming 10,000 charge cycles, what we’ll probably get in “real” production is 1500, on average. That is, 1500 charge cycles if the contacts don’t corrode first, etc. This is a welcome improvement, but no miracle.
The charge rates are still limited by charger capacity.
Yes, that is my point about heat in the battery being charged. I’d guess that the improvement being touted involves less heat generation as the current is pushed in, and / or less tendency to go exothermic, but, still, 20x is dumping in a LOT of energy quickly.
This can be seen in high capacity batteries being charged by “quick chargers” (ie., high current chargers) available even a few years ago. The batteries get HOT.
Internal resistance of the cells would need to be much lower too — making for high output capacity without overheating, but, if the thing ever shorts out, oh boy!
I happened to accidentally short out a plain ‘ol Alkaline cell in my pocket the other day: It left a very nice burn mark on my leg...
Ow! Don't DO that!
Sony made some batteries (about 300,000, IIRC) for Apple IBooks and for some Fujistsu and Dell laptops way back in the in the early 2000s that had some defective electronics in them. The Apples merely overheated by rapidly discharging and discolored the cases, but the Fujitsus and the Dells, in a few cases, actually caught fire. Apple recalled 50,000, and the other two makers recalled 250,000, but guess which company got the lion's share of the bad publicity? Yup, Apple. . . and it was reported that it was Apple laptops that caught fire, not the Dells and Fujitsus that actually ignited. LOL!
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