New Structure Being Tested for Improved Battery Capacity
It’s far from being on the marketplace, but Science News is reporting that a battery is being tested with a three-dimensional nano-structure for battery cathodes that allows for dramatically faster charging and discharging without sacrificing energy storage capacity.
Batteries that can store significant energy and release it fast and then recharge quickly are desirable for the up-and-coming electric vehicles. In addition, they are sought after in the medical field for equipment, lasers and in military applications.
The performance of traditional lithium-ion (Li-ion) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries degrades significantly when they are rapidly charged or discharged. Making the active material in the battery a thin film allows for very fast charging and discharging, but reduces the capacity to nearly zero because the active material lacks volume to store energy.
The test design essentially wraps a thin film into three-dimensional structure, achieving both high active volume (high capacity) and large current. Lab tests have demonstrated battery electrodes that can charge or discharge in a few seconds, 10 to 100 times faster than equivalent bulk electrodes, yet can perform normally in existing devices. This kind of performance could lead to phones that charge in seconds or laptops that charge in minutes, as well as high-power lasers and defibrillators that don't need time to power up before or between pulses, according to findings.
Researchers are most optimistic about the potential for utilizing this style of battery in electric vehicles. Currently, battery life and recharging time are major limitations to electrical vehicles, and greatly hinder long-distance trips due to the need for lengthy recharging times. If recharging time was reduced to about five minutes—the typical time for refueling cars at the gas station—people might think differently about electric vehicles.
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