Posted on 08/14/2007 11:13:01 AM PDT by zeugma
Flexible battery is paper-thinLast Updated: 12:01pm BST 14/08/2007
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Paper and nanotechnology combine to create a new kind of battery, reports Roger Highfield What looks to the untrained eye like thick, black paper is a novel flexible battery that could offer new opportunities for tomorrow's gadgets, from self propelling paper planes to smart pockets that can recharge a mobile phone.
Along with its ability to work in temperatures up to 150ºC (300ºF) and down to -70ºC (-100ºF), the battery can be printed like paper, rolled, twisted or folded, and even works with the help of human blood or sweat, so it could power implanted medical devices. The battery's semblance to paper is no accident: more than 90 per cent of the device is made up of cellulose, the same plant cells used in most kinds of paper. "It's essentially a regular piece of paper, but it's made in a very intelligent way," said Prof Robert Linhardt of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, one of the team that outlines the advance in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We have discussed making paper airplanes that can power their own flight," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Or a shirt made from woven paper or cotton (also composed of cellulose) that could charge your cell phone simply by putting it in your pocket." He added that there are other applications of such lightweight batteries, pointing out that the US navy is looking at battery powered ships, and airforce battery powered planes. To create the battery, the paper was infused with carbon nanotubes, so named because they consist of carbon atoms wrapped into tubes that only measure a few nanometres (billionths of a metre) across the mouth, which act as the battery electrodes and allow the storage devices to conduct electricity. Using aluminium foil to pick up the current, the device can provide the long, steady power comparable to a conventional battery, as well as a quick burst of high energy typical of a device called a "supercapacitor." Working with Prof Pulickel Ajayan and Prof Omkaram Nalamasu, the team used ionic liquid, a "liquid salt", as the battery's electrolyte. This lack of water allows the paper energy storage devices to withstand extreme temperatures. The team also printed paper batteries without adding any electrolytes, and demonstrated that naturally occurring electrolytes in human sweat, blood, and urine can be used to activate the battery so it could be used in a pacemaker and for other medical uses. Along with use in small hand-held electronics, the paper batteries' light weight could make them ideal for use in cars, aircraft, and even boats. The paper also could be moulded into different shapes, such as a car door, which the scientists believe could help pave the way towards novel engineering innovations. However, the team has yet to develop a way to inexpensively mass produce the patented devices. The end goal is to print the paper using a roll-to-roll system similar to how newspapers are printed. "When we get this technology down, we'll basically have the ability to print batteries and print supercapacitors," Prof Ajayan said. "We see this as a technology that's just right for the current energy market, as well as the electronics industry, which is always looking for smaller, lighter power sources." |
Combine the above with underwear and you may have something...
Well that might recycle the dinosaur media’s presses.
NY Times Batteries: all the volts that’s fit to print.
“Check out this editorial in today’s paper. It’s a shocker!”
I won't hold my breath until this makes it to market.
It does seem like we’re on the threshold of a power generation sea change.
Very interesting concept.
There are going to be some very interesting devices in the future.
Do not recall who said it, but paraphrasing they said that we will realize the dream of solving our energy problems when we make dramatic leaps in battery technology.
There was an article awhile back about batteries that charge instantaneously. Combine that with this technology, and suddenly fuel cell cars look very attractive.
BTW, they've had batteries like this for a looooooooong time. I've got some surplus radiosondes that come with that type battery. The battery comes sealed in a can. You open it, soak it in water, and voila, instant voltage. No shelf-life worries, just soak and go.
Most car batteries are somewhat similar, i.e., shipped dry, but charged. Dump in the battery acid, and there you are, a charged battery ready to go.
I'm a bit cynical about the perennial "battery breakthrough" announcements. The closest we've come to any kind of serious "breakthrough" is the Lithium Ion battery, which has the slight disadvantage of having a particularly nasty failure mode (turns into a firebomb when overcharged, short-circuited, or, "for no particular reason"), which, in addition to causing major damage due to explosion and fire, has a really nasty electrolyte (some kind of fluoride which I believe can burn right to the bone when it touches skin).
Other than that, we're looking at the incremental increase in Nickel Metal-Hydride batteries, which have come quite a way, and now have some fairly impressive MAH ratings. Unfortunately, it's hard to get them in other than AA and AAA sizes, and, even with their impressive capacity, they are NOT the be-all and end-all that they were heralded as being when first announced.
In particular, they still have some serious drawbacks compared to the humble Nickel-Cadmium battery, which is being phased out due to it containing the Evil Chemical (Cadmium). This PC nonsense is insane. NiCADs are EVIL, and must be REMOVED! from the market, but, LION cells, which have caused LOTS of real damage (and IMO it's only a question of time before one of 'em brings down an airliner), are sold hand over fist, with nary a concern for safety.
The Evil NiCAD battery, while lacking an MAH rating as high as a NiMH battery (although they too have better milliamp-hour ratings than they used to have) has one major benefit over the NiMH -- it can keep its charge a LOT better. NiMH batteries will self-discharge very rapidly -- something like ten percent a day. You can't charge 'em and stick 'em on the shelf. You need to charge them right before you use them, if you want to get that dramatic MAH capacity on the label.
The other putative benefit over NiCD was the supposed lack of "memory effect." This I find particularly cynical marketeering, because not only do newer NiCDs have MUCH less "memory" issues, but, NiMH cells seem to be as bad or worse than the older NiCDs ever were -- and, it seems to me (battery pig that I am :) that in general, they aren't good for nearly as many charge/discharge cycles (compared to the humble NiCD battery).
While I'm griping... :) Is anyone else old enough to remember when Mallory came out with their Duracell, the first Alkaline battery, which really was a dramatic improvement over the classic carbon-zinc "drycell"?
One of the selling points, included in the advertising, was the fact that -- in addition to lasting longer on the shelf, and having much greater output -- they could be recharged?
I bought a set of 'em, and kept on using 'em, and using 'em, and using 'em... When they'd die, I'd recharge 'em, and be good to go, just like having a fresh set.
After a while, they started putting "do not recharge" notices on the label. (At this point, I'm talking about ALL alkalines, not just the duracells.) Gee, go figure. Telling people to throw them away and buy new ones, instead of recharging the old ones over and over? Now why would they say that? :)
A while later, there was a change in the chemistry. Seemed to coincide with the "mercury-free!" nonsense on the labels.
Finally, a real change! Now, if you charge them, they will leak vile goop all over your charger.
Progress!
Feh.
Me either.
Considering battery technology hasn't changed dramatically in a hundred years, maybe we're finally due.
This has GREAT practical joke potential!
“Here, take one of my cards (snicker).”
“Thanks.” (ZAP!) “Ouch!”
“Bwahahaha!!”
I see evil people................
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