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Breakthrough could bring tenfold increase in battery life
Although the autonomy of mobile computing devices has improved in the last decade, the gains are mostly through advancements in microprocessor and display technologies. Batteries themselves have remained largely unchanged in recent years, but a team of engineers at Northwestern University claims to have discovered a breakthrough that could revolutionize the industry.
The researchers have developed an electrode for lithium-ion batteries that increases the capacity and recharge rate by 10 times. If accurate, the innovation could afford smartphones with an all-week battery life instead of a day, and recharge times would be measured in minutes instead of hours. Even after a year of regular use, such a battery would be five times more efficient.
Lithium-ion batteries are charged by a chemical reaction that causes lithium ions to move between the anode and cathode. As energy is used, lithium ions travel from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. This is reversed when recharging. The anode is composed of carbon-based graphene sheets and they can only handle one lithium atom per six carbon atoms.
Scientists have attempted to replace carbon with silicon because it is far more efficient at transferring lithium atoms, but its charging capacity degrades too quickly. Meanwhile, because the graphene sheets inside today's batteries are only one carbon atom thick and comparatively long, the recharging process is hindered. Physorg describes the process as an "ionic traffic jam."
The researchers have drastically improved both qualities by sandwiching clusters of silicon between the graphene sheets. This stabilizes the silicon while allowing the graphene to transfer a larger number of lithium atoms. To improve the recharge rate, the team uses chemical oxidation to create tiny 10-20nm holes in the graphene sheets, giving the lithium ions many shorter paths to travel instead of clumping along the edges.
It's said that the group has focused on improving the anode but it should make further refinements when it begins working on the cathode. The technology is expected to reach consumers within three to five years. A full overview written by researcher Harold H. Kung has been published by Advanced Energy Materials (Volume 1, Issue 6, pages 1079-1084). That release is available through Wiley online library, though it's not free.
**Image via Milos Luzanin/ShutterStock
User Comments: 29
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Quote(Butch) "This is absolutely correct. Big oil will likely buy the patent and we will never see this. I am an engineer in this field and I can tell you I have witnessed this personally on at least 3 occasions. Battery tech will not improve until we are nearly out of oil (and natural gas etc) and then it will be the the oil companies that control this tech and there is nothing to be done about it WITHOUT DRASTIC LEGISLATIVE CHANGES and that will not happen until we are are on the brink of disaster. Sorry folks, keep your chargers handy"
Exactly, at 2011, it is the world economy and the power of Finantial, Service and a pletora of industries that will get hurt if Oil Companies are let behave as they've done until now.
Ie if whole economy sectors together with Microsoft, Intel and the rest of IT firms realize that it is their actual income that gets hurt when this technology supression gets in effect once again, they will act and find a way to stop this outrageous abuse.
Actually when some politics get to realize that their district budgets had been largely severed by such long standing regressive behavior, legislative action would come out.
Nacho
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Doubt we'll see any huge improvements in batteries in 10 years either and remember similar stories to this one going back 8 years (back when the story broke of having terabytes of RAM on consumer PCs).
If those comments are correct from Butch+Guest (and probably are because I've heard the same from a friend who's a drilling engineering) about fuel companies buying those patents to limit competition, we'll see a huge improvement in 40-50 years once oil has just about run out. Then what do you know ...they'll have a monopoly again on the energy market and all of a sudden prices are up to what we're used to with crude oil plus tax, vat, etc.
What a selfish bunch we are on planet Earth, this fuel problem affects us all everyday in everyway.
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MaxFubar said:
I am totally exhillirated! For the life of me, I cannot figure out why on these smartphones techs are more concerned about the bells and whistles on these expensive gadgets, rather that the power supply, which makes the gadget work. But after reading this article, I find a little solace in my minds worrys about the techs these Tech schools are putting out. These batteries on these phones now are less than poorly adequate. I mean, if it were a car, one would not be going very fat at all.
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I am totally exhillirated! For the life of me, I cannot figure out why on these smartphones techs are more concerned about the bells and whistles on these expensive gadgets, rather that the power supply, which makes the gadget work. But after reading this article, I find a little solace in my minds worrys about the techs these Tech schools are putting out. These batteries on these phones now are less than poorly adequate. I mean, if it were a car, one would not be going very fat at all.
I don't agree, I have been going fat for some years.
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