Surge in Battery Power
Nov. 21, 2011
A new experimental lithium-ion battery design can hold 10 times as much charge as a normal lithium-ion battery–and recharge 10 times as fast. The developers, researchers at Northwestern University, said the new design could reach the marketplace in three to five years. Automotive companies and government agencies have invested large sums of money in developing increasingly robust and efficient lithium-ion batteries. According to the developers, a commercial version of the battery could last for an entire week with one 15-minute charge.
Lithium-ion batteries power cell phones, laptop computers, and many other devices. Certain electric vehicles also use lithium-ion batteries. A battery with significantly higher capacity and charging speed would be a boon to many industries.
The new battery’s design centers on a novel design for the battery’s electric-power-conducting electrode. It uses a material called graphene, which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms. Graphene is both the thinnest and the strongest material yet discovered. It also conducts heat and electric current well. The Northwestern researchers sandwiched layers of graphene between layers of silicon to increase the battery’s capabilities.
Additional World Book articles:
- Geim, Andre Konstantin
- Graphite
- Novoselov, Konstantin
- New Currents in Battery Technology (a special report)