Battery Life Breakthrough Could Increase Li-Ion Capacity by 1000%

ZoomLife ^ | 11/25/08 | Sebastian Schepis

[LibWhacker]

In what could potentially be a revolutionary breakthrough for everything from laptops to electric cars, a South Korean team of researchers have made a major discovery in Lithium-Ion battery technology. A team of researchers at South Korea’s Hanyung University, led by professor Cho Jaephil, has claimed a discovery that could extend lithium ion battery energy capacity by up to 1000% or more.

The key to Jaephil’s discovery was the application of a three-dimensional porous silicon graphite cathode, which has the ability of holding up to ten times the number of lithium ions as conventional graphite cathodes. Patents have already been applied for. from the press release:

Lithium ion accumulator batteries produce current by moving lithium ions. The battery usually contains a cathode (positive electrode) made of a mixed metal oxide, such as lithium cobalt oxide, and an anode (negative electrode) made of graphite. While the battery is being charged, lithium ions migrate into the anode, where they are stored between the graphite layers. When the battery is being discharged, these ions migrate back to the cathode.

It would be nice to have an anodic material that could store more lithium ions than graphite. Silicon presents an interesting alternative. The problem: silicon expands a great deal while absorbing lithium ions (charging) and shrinks when giving them up (discharging). After several cycles the required thin silicon layers are pulverized and can no longer be charged.

Cho’s team has now developed a new method for the production of a porous silicon anode that can withstand this strain. They annealed silicon dioxide nanoparticles with silicon particles whose outermost silicon atoms have short hydrocarbon chains attached to them at 900 °C under an argon atmosphere. The silicon dioxide particles were removed from the resulting mass by etching. What remained were carbon-coated silicon crystals in a continuous, three-dimensional, highly porous structure.

If this is for real, it could have a huge impact on the electric vehicle industry. For example, the Tesla Roadster currently gets about 150-200 miles per charge. Imagine having an electric car that gets 1600 miles per charge, with a full charge costing you less than a regular tank of gas. You’re getting more miles for less money, with no fossil fuel use - especially if your electrity comes from a renewable source.

[Petronski]

I remember poo-poohing similar claims not that long ago about a breakthrough in hard drive capacity using quantum mechanics.

“Suuuuuure,” I said.

Then one day, I noticed a 30GB laptop drive cost far less than I’d not long ago spent for a 340MB drive—and yet was thinner!—and I took notice. Not long after, those two “breakers-through” won the Nobel Prize and I paid even less still for a 160GB drive.

[Centurion2000]

Cho Jaephil, has claimed a discovery that could extend lithium ion battery energy capacity by up to 1000% or more.

Great, 10 times the life .... what about surge power applications?

I want my pocket railgun / phaser.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[The Antiyuppie]

“Because we don’t graduate engineers anymore. American students all want to be famous or wealthy or both and they want it now. Therefore they major in performing arts, sports or finance. Those pesky math and science course make their little brains hurt. This is another reason why we are slowly becoming a second class country.”

This is not a new phenomenon, it’s been going on for 40 years, when a lot of people who didn’t really belong in school acquired “soft” degrees. Before then, the only reason you took those courses of study was so that you would not waste valuable time in college better spent looking for a spouse who was getting a math or science degree!

On the battery, I worry about what happens when a battery like that develops a short. I think “it might be bad”. As in, vaporizing in a white-hot fireball.

[norton]

My own fetish has always been family sized power packs, solar (urban) plus wind (urban and rural) or whatever;
problem (aside from cost) has always been what to do during down times (batteries).

What's this do for that concept?

[norton]

Oh yeah:
Electric cars are a dead end unless and until they are capable of charging themselves.
Which, of course, will require some other means of power while the batteries are being built back up.
And while new nuclear generating plants are being debated by powers that be.

[decal]

“...extend lithium ion battery energy capacity by up to 1000% or more.”

“Department of Redundancy Department, please pick up and lift the white courtesy phone device.”

[Myrddin]

Thanks!

[Rick_Michael]

nah

[Kevmo]

3 dimensional porosity sounds like sinterization to me.

[Wonder Warthog]

"I have only one question: why was this discovered in Korea and not the United States?"

Hey, there ARE reseaachers in other countries--SOMETIMES they have to be first. But to put your mind at rest:

http://www.intomobile.com/2008/01/02/stanford-researchers-develop-super-long-lasting-lithium-ion-battery.html

So we're not exactly doing nothing in the area.

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....

If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....THANKS TO B4Ranch!...........

[Red Badger]

I have only one question: why was this discovered in Korea and not the United States?

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

[AFreeBird]

Samsung Now Producing 256GB Solid State Drives

[mo]

“I have only one question: why was this discovered in Korea and not the United States....”

Maybe because the Korean college students are in their labs at 6:00 am Saturday mornings?

[ecomcon]

Because we’re just consumers and service providers now. R&D is so last century.

[cpdiii]

Didn’t this come up about 3 or 4 years ago, and the consensus was that the battery would be too unstable, and might explode?

That is a boat load of energy in a small space. Remember the compaq laptop computers that would explode? Scale that up a thousand times!

However, I hope that they can make a battery with that great of a power density that is safe. Batteries have been the weak link in electrical powered cars.

[editor-surveyor]

"That is a boat load of energy in a small space"

Yes, it is. Its like packing the charge from the battery of a KW highway tractor into a battery the size of a D cell.

"However, I hope that they can make a battery with that great of a power density that is safe."

Possibly a catalyst can be found that sufficiently regulates the available discharge rate down to the application's required level.

[ConservativeMind]

Unfortunately, this does nothing to help address the scarcity of usable lithium supplies.

[B4Ranch]

The dead battery is what gives you a reason to take a smoke break. This new battery idea will have our wives and bosses expecting too much production from husbands and employees!