This battery breakthrough could change the world

GearBurn ^ | July 12, 2016 | By Wiehahn Diederichs

[Paul46360]

I can’t spell penicillin..that’s why it wasn’t in there.

[xzins]

Gold nanowires?

Gold?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

You can put a gas tank on a bicycle if you wanna, and measure the amount of gas the bicycle uses to go a mile, and - viola! infinite gas mileage.

But as far as a real automobile getting 200 mpg, you have to understand that the efficiency of a gasoline engine, as of 1960, ranged up to 30%. To get up close to 100% is possible, but not with a heat engine but only with a fuel cell generating electricity. Even if you were to surmount all the obstacles which have kept fuel cells out of automobiles ever since their invention during the Apollo space program, you would only turn a 30 mpg car into a 100 mpg car.

Having said that 99% efficiency is possible with a fuel cell, I must add that I first heard the magic carburetor story from an uncle, easily 10 years before the invention of the fuel cell. I assume that the story urban legend long predates my first hearing of it.

Note that cars today do not have carburetors but rather have fuel injection - but even at that we do not see 50 mpg cars much. More like 30mpg for a car I would want to drive.

[discostu]

That’s how technology frequently grows. Planned research is great, but real leaps come because somebody said “huh, that’s funny”.

[TheBattman]

I think you missed something - this was part of research into advancing nanowire technology via a gel electrolyte vs. the standard liquid. This extended life-cycle development, while not specifically what was being pursued, was a welcome “added benefit”. Many many “discoveries” over the years have come while researching/pursuing other goals.

[TexasGator]

“By accident and you get velcro, silly putty, super ball, and Obummer..well 3 out of 4 ain’t bad.”

Obama was not an accident. He was a strategic placement as was WJC.

[Drawsing]

All the good stuff is five years away.

[ThunderSleeps]

Potentially significant breakthrough in battery tech - ANDROID PING!
Android Ping! If you want on or off the Android Ping List, Freepmail me.

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Is it a pun to use the word potential when speaking of a battery? ;-)

[Hot Tabasco]

To be more specific, the discovery was made by fifth-year PhD student, Mya Le Thai.

How come we never hear of someone like Sue Smith or Larry Johnson making these discoveries? It's almost always Asians..........