Researchers create ultra-fast charging Li-ion batteries - 20 times faster

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=6579


This is something to look forward for...

 

Do they blow up faster too?

I'll have to read it later, but before I read it I state that it seems that if it charges faster it will discharge faster, just kinda the law of things.

 

Cool stuff; this is an example however of a technology we may never see. Read my post here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5149813&postcount=26

 

Designing batteries is as frustrating as the rocket equation. There is no conspiracy as suggested by the above quote from CHAZ, we are simply butting heads with the second law of thermodynamics. This link is nothing new, we already have batteries that can charge 20x faster than normal Li-Ions, A123 Systems, Valence and Saphion have already demonstrated this capability in commercially available products.

But there is a problem. This extreme power density comes at the price of decreased energy density, your laptop/phone have Li-ion batteries sporting Cobalt Oxide cathodes that are good for ~180Whr/Kg. The low internal impedance (and thus high charge and discharge capability) batteries I mentioned are Li-ion batteries that have cathodes made out of ferrous-phosphate, titanate spinel, and manganese spinel; they are only good for ~100WHr/Kg so while you could charge them in 5min. they would only last 60% as long per charge (they are also more expensive currently), most consumers prefer long life and longer charge times.

There have been several articles in the news during the past year or so that hyped up the possibility of batteries with 10x life etc. etc. the one that garnered the most press was a Stanford researchers claim that he could increase battery life 10x with Si nanowires. He forget to mention that silicon deforms and loses it's conducting structure when it absorbs Li ions and that they had not yet solved this problem (and it is a huge problem, this technology will likely not be realized for decades if ever). Also while large battery companies do frequently buy smaller firms, if that smaller firm has a killer technology it will be incorporated into the products of the larger company not thrown into the round file.

 

What we really need is battery-less laptops.

 

With streaming power from the wall socket? LOL

 

I'd love to see more induction based chargers. imagine a marked region on a table where you can just "drop your devices". then, those faster, but not as long lasting batteries could get used everywhere. battery low? drop the laptop for a minute on the charging-zone, and it will last another hour.

same for the phone. runs a day, charging in minutes.. i'd like that. no wiring needed anymore.

then we would just need to spread such charging zones.


at least till we have wireless power everywhere

 

But that means you always need to be near a charging zone. Better to just have hand-powered generators with 20V DC output jacks that can recharge any battery.

 

hm.. a charching zone at each bar / club / restaurant, besides each gas pump, one at home, one in each buro.

that was the idea

 

Hand-powered generators such as ?

 

I would like to see you make 50 watts of power with your hand for the hour it would take to charge a smallish laptop battery. With your legs it would be easy but would require a generally impractically large set-up.

 

OK, so use a bicycle.

When I travel I bring along a folding solar panel. A 3 square foot panel produces about 20 watts - not enough to operate on, but enough to slowly recharge...