Battery News Blog

Lithium Polymer batteries were the next step from the Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) and Nickel Metal Hybrid (NiMH) batteries.While these batteries had served their purpose the developments in personal electronics created a need for lighter,longer lasting batteries.In 2002 the first of the polymer lithium-ion battery arrived.Though it is a secondary market for these batteries remote control and motorcycle hobbyists also jumped at the chance for a lighter,more advanced battery.The old Nickel Cadmium batteries had a flaw in that they developed a 'memory'.

Each time a user charged the batteries they took a little bit smaller charge until they eventually don't take a charge at all.Even if the batteries are fully drained after each charge as recommended there best life expectancy was about six months.So called 'memory' was not a problem with the Lithium Polymer or ion Polymer batteries.This allowed the batteries to last far longer,even years.Mostly these batteries are used in personal electronics.Your cell phone battery might be a slim rectangle with two contacts at one end,in which case it is one of the most common Lithium ion Polymer cells.Properly cared for,a Lithium ion Polymer battery will last for years.

Remote control hobbyists use a different type of the battery that is made up of two or possibly three cells.Hobbyists favor these batteries because they weight one third what and old Nickel Cadmium or nimh batteries.This lesser mass combined with a superior capacity gave the batter nearly three time the life.The batteries have also changed things for custom motorcyclists.The batteries take up far less room that a traditional battery on the motorcycle and weight about a quarter of what a lead acid battery would weigh.These batteries are also more environmentally friendly than traditional lead acid batteries when they do reach the end of their lifespan.The batteries superior charge capabilities make it possible to attempt to start the motorcycle enough times that the starter is no longer working before the battery stops working.

When using a battery you must be very aware of the safety hazards to get the best use of your battery.The batteries build up heat while they are charging and should never filled with a turbo charger or left unattended during charging.If using a trickle charger the batteries require a balancer,which is often built into the charger,to ensure that all cells charge equally and that the battery is at its best performance.It is vital that a damaged battery is never used because there is a risk of explosion.Keeping the battery protected and away from any kind of corrosive or water will help to maintain the life and safety of the battery.

Lighter and holding more charge that its earlier counter parts,the Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hybrid batteries and more environmentally friendly the lead acid auto batteries,lithium-ion battery have changed the way we use our personal electronics, motorcycles and radio control models.Lithium-ion batteries are common in consumer electronics.They are one of the most popular types of rechargeable battery for portable electronics, with one of the best energy densities,no memory effect,and only a slow loss of charge when not in use.Beyond consumer electronics,LIBs are also growing in popularity for military,electric vehicle,and aerospace applications.Research is yielding a stream of improvements to traditional LIB technology,focusing on energy density,durability,cost,and intrinsic safety.

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is working on lithium-air batteries that could help in generating more powerful,lightweight batteries than available currently.Yang Shao-Horn is an MIT associate professor of mechanical engineering.According to him many research groups are trying to improve on lithium-air batteries.But they have difference of opinions about the types of electrode materials to be used.It has to be noted that electrode materials are responsible for electrochemical reactions happening inside these batteries.

Lithium-air batteries,also known as the lithium-oxygen batteries,work on the same principle as the lithium-ion battery.Presently lithium-ion batteries are flooding the market and being used in the portable electronics and are a leading contender for electric vehicles.Lithium-air batteries possess a big advantage over conventional batteries.Their main components don't have the heavy conventional compounds.They have a carbon-based air electrode and with flow of air these air-batteries are quite light hence can be utilized in electronics that themselves can be much lighter.Lithium-air batteries offer three times the energy density than the conventional batteries.They can be easily utilized in electronic devices and hybrid cars.

Renowned companies like IBM and General Motors are sensing the potential lithium-air batteries hold that is why they are investing in major research projects on lithium-air technology.How do lithium-air batteries work?Lithium-air batteries electrochemically couple a lithium anode to oxygen derived from atmosphere.Their biggest advantage is their cathode is a carbon-based air cathode instead of the heavy conventional compounds found in lithium batteries.This culminates in higher energy density because cathode is lighter and oxygen is available in surroundings.

Yang,along with some of the students and visiting professor Hubert Gasteiger are catching up with those electrodes that have gold and platinum working as catalysts.Gold or platinum electrodes exhibit a higher level of activity that naturally leads to higher efficiency.This work may open wider avenues for experimenting with other metals or metallic oxides that are cheaper than gold and platinum.If we study the chemical properties of lithium we can learn that in metallic form,lithium is highly reactive in the presence of even a tiny fraction of water.But this will not cause any safety issue because in current lithium-ion batteries,carbon-based materials are used for the negative electrode.

Shao-Horn explains that the same battery principle can be applied without using metallic lithium.They can choose graphite or some other more stable negative electrode materials leading to a safer system.Doctoral student Yi-Chun Lu who is lead author of the paper,elaborates further.She explains that this team has devised a technique for analysing the activity of different catalysts in the batteries.They can look into a variety of possible materials as catalysts.She says,"Such research could allow us to identify the physical parameters that govern the catalyst activity. Ultimately,we will be able to predict the catalyst behaviours."Now researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough that would help the commercial development of lightweight rechargeable batteries.

Sometimes when you have to do something difficult,partnering is the best thing to do,even with a competitor.Rather than having each company reinvent the wheel and develop its own technology from scratch,car-makers have been making deals with each others,especially for the development of electric vehicles and the related technologies (a good example is how Tesla will supply parts and technologies to Daimler and Toyota (see here,here and here)).Probably using that kind of thinking,Toyota and BMW have decided to join efforts on developing lithium-ion battery technology for electric vehicles,and BMW has thrown in the mix access for Toyota to its diesel engine technology.

Toyota Motor executive vice president Takeshi Uchiyamada (2nd R),accompanied by his senior staffs Yasumori Ihara (2nd L) and Didier Leroy (L),and BMW AG board member Klaus Draeger (R) announce their partnership to share eco-friendly technologies,including the joint development of lithium-ion batteries for next-generation electric cars in Tokyo.Under the deal,the German automaker will also provide diesel engines for Toyota as the Japanese auto giant looks to boost sales in Europe,where more than half of passenger cars are diesel powered.

The two companies agreed on a collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium batteries technologies.Furthermore,they have agreed to identify and discuss other possible collaborative projects.In addition,Toyota Motor Europe (TME),TMC's European subsidiary,and BMW Group have entered into a contract under which BMW Group is to supply 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines to TME starting in 2014.The engines will be installed in certain Toyota-produced vehicles planned for sale in the European market.Through this agreement,Toyota plans to expand its European lineup and sales of fuel-efficient,low CO2-emission diesel-powered vehicles.

The collaboration is described as "mid-to-long term",so don't expect new co-branded batteries just yet,but over time the electric car industry should benefit from the exchange of ideas between two groups of very good engineers.In fact,I'm hoping that more of these types of collaborations will take place.I'd love to see Nissan license some of its technology to others,and collaborate on the next generation,but that might not happen because Carlos Ghosn,Nissan's CEO,likes to play his cards very close to the vest.I understand that all these companies are competitors,but there's so much work to do to develop next-gen technologies and gain mindshare in the general population so that EVs become accepted (in the same way that hybrids went from weird to commonplace over the past decade) that progress can be made faster working together and it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.

Toyota's involvement in electrified motoring is well-documented with their pioneering a production worthy gasoline/electric powertrain called Hybrid Synergy Drive.Highlighted on the Toyota Prius for what is 15 years in Japan and over a decade in the United States, over three million vehicles with Hybrid Synergy Drive were sold in March of 2011.What is interesting is Toyota currently uses the Nickel-Metal Hydride battery pack with Hybrid Synergy Drive.Lithium-ion battery power will debut on the Prius when the plug-in hybrid version of the car arrives this year.With much of the auto industry behind lithium-ion battery power based on its better energy capacity,Toyota's future intentions of is to phase-out ni-mh battery technology.It is unsure if the alliance with BMW will progress quickly enough to net advantages for the next-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

They weigh surprisingly little,yet they back a greater energy wallop than any other batteries of similar size.They are based on ions,charged atomic particles.In the manner of nitro glycerin,although not nearly as explosive,they are sensitive to jarring movement.But they have come,in the past two decades,a long way from the days when their lack of stability meant that they could not be trusted outside of a laboratory.The lithium battery has entered the mainstream,and when treated with caution,do things that no other rechargeable battery can do.

Lightweight lithium metal-based batteries have been the object of research since 1912,but did not achieve commercial status until the 1970s,and like all batteries of that era,were not rechargeable.Because lithium metal is extremely volatile,the lithium metal based batteries had to be abandoned and replaced with lithium ion based batteries before recharging was an option.Sony Corporation int5roduced the first rechargeable lithium ion batteries in the 1991,and they have now become the rechargeable batteries of choice.

The competition,nickel cadmium batteries,has only half the energy density of lithium ion batteries.Nickel batteries are also much more high maintenance than lithium ion batteries,which do not require a full discharge before recharging.And lithium ion batteries,when disposed of,are far less threatening to the environment than nickel ones.The lithium batteries,however,are not without their drawbacks.They should be kept at temperatures below 77 degrees Fahrenheit; for every year in which they are stored at higher temperatures they will lose 20% of their capacity.Even when stored at lower temperatures,they will lose about 5%,but that is much less than other batteries.

If they get excessively hot,they will be ruined.Manufacturers recommend 59 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal storage temperature,but you can safely store lithium ion batteries in the refrigerator and allow them to warm before using them.Another weakness of lithium ion batteries is that they begin to deteriorate as soon as they leave the factory,even when they are in storage.They will last longer if they are used,and should not be stored at more than a 40% charge.

Storing them with too low of a charge,however,will either cause them to die or make them very hazardous when they are being recharged.The best way to handle your lithium ion batteries is to use them.Lithium ion batteries,evening the best of circumstances,have a normal life span of between two and three years.They are,however,a work in progress,and lithium ion battery chargers makers are continually researching improvements to the technology.A new generation of lithium batteries appears at approximately six month intervals,and as time goes on,their life span may very well be considerably extended.

If you own a laptop computer,chances are very very good that it is probably powered by a lithium battery.This battery type has found application in a wide variety of consumer electronics,including PDAs and cell phones.They have gained widespread popularity due to economic and technical reasons,particularly their high charge to weight ratio.Lithium-ion computer batteries also require that protection circuitry be incorporated into the battery pack to monitor the battery charge and to provide safe voltage and current levels,as well as ensuring that the temperature of the battery remains in a safe operating range.

However,the disadvantages associated with lithium-ion batteries include:the possibility that a failed battery pack can ignite under adverse conditions,they are more sensitive to high temperature environments than the other battery technologies in their ability to retain their charge,they may fail if they are completely discharged,and the inherit chemistry of the battery leads to degradation with age as opposed to the stronger correlation between battery failures and charge/discharge cycles of the older battery chemistries.Additionally,lithium-ion batteries have a single cell voltage of 3.6 volts as compared to 1.2 volts per cell of nickel-cadmium batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries have replaced the nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries that were first used to power laptop computers and the nickel-metal hydride (nimh batteries) batteries that superseded the NiCd laptop battery technology.They have dominated today's rechargeable battery market for laptop computers because they are much lighter than the other types of laptop batteries,they retain their charge longer than the other technologies and because they do not suffer from the memory effect phenomenon.A typical lithium-ion battery has two times the energy density of a standard nickel cadmium battery.

Cylindrical lithium?primary battery cells are generally tubular in shape,much like the shape of standard alkaline batteries.Several cells are enclosed in a plastic housing and the individual cells are connected in a manner to provide the proper output voltage and to maximize storage capacity (rated in milliamp-hours).Prismatic shaped lithium-ion cells are also available,but they are much smaller and are typically used in devices such as cell phones where weight and space is a prime consideration.A typical battery will last only 2 to 3 years.This is true even if the battery remains unused so it is important not to purchase a replacement laptop battery until it is ready to be put into service.

There are several things that affect the life of a lithium-ion computer battery.Battery degradation is hastened by heat,so storing the battery in a cool environment will prolong its life.Manufacturers typically recommend a storage temperature of approximately 60°F for the long-term storage of lithium-ion batteries.These batteries, as stated previously,do not retain a memory from partial discharge cycles,so full discharge cycles are not required.In fact,partial cycling of the battery will help extend its life.Lithium-ion batteries do have a limited lifetime like the older battery technologies,but this is relatively independent of their charging cycles and is chiefly related to their age.

Lithium ion batteries were invented as long ago as 1912 by Gilbert N.Lewis,but it was a long time before they were developed enough to be launched on a mass market level.This happened in the early 1990's with Sony pioneering their commercial use.They can be constructed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes,resulting in them being tailored to the available space in the device in which they are to be used.The lithium batteries are also much lighter than other equivalents,due to the nature of the material and the high open circuit voltage compared to other batteries.This low weight makes it ideal in hand held and mobile devices for obvious reasons,and popular in these days of high tech gadgets.

Another major advantage is that they do not suffer from memory effect.This is the condition,whereby other rechargeable batteries,if not fully discharged before recharging,lose their maximum energy capacity over time and thus hold less charge.They also do not have such a drastic self discharge rate as other batteries-just 5% per month,compared with up to 30% per month in other battery types.However,Lithium ion batteries are not perfect,and there are drawbacks.One of these is that their life span depends upon their age-and not the time from which they were charged,or the number of times they have been charged.

They begin to lose capacity gradually from the date of manufacture irrespective of the amount of charging cycles they have.Therefore the manufacturing date is useful to know,especially if there is a big time lapse from manufacture to being used eg due to storage.Some Lithium ion batteries (such as laptop batteries) can lose around 20% of their capacity per year,when stored at normal temperatures.However,when exposed to prolonged higher temperatures,this figure can increase to as much as 35% per year.Another key factor is the charge level-when stored partially charged,these figures can be dramatically reduced.This makes lithium battery unsuitable for certain applications-such as back up batteries.

The battery must never be discharged below a certain threshold,otherwise the battery will be damaged irreversibly.Therefore,the devices that use them have a built in system to shut them down when the charge level meets that minimum threshold.For this reason,Lithium Ion batteries are designed and manufactured specifically for the device they are to power and are not available as generic batteries.Having said that,there are some versions available that have a built in circuit to monitor the minimum charge level and shut the battery down when it reaches that level.These are known as "smart" batteries.

How to prolong the life of your Lithium Ion battery

Charge the battery early and often,unlike other rechargeable batteries.

If you do not intend to use the battery for a long time,charge it to a level of approximately 40% of capacity.

The battery should be kept cool.They will age faster at higher temperatures,so keep as cool as possible when not in use.They can be safely stored in a refrigerator for optimum prevention of aging.(note: they should not be frozen)

If the device you are using is often run from a mains power supply (e...g laptop) and it is possible,remove the battery when using mains power.This prevent the battery from being subjected to high prolonged temperatures which can shorten it's life.

Any steps to reduce the heat that the battery is subjected to will benefit it's lifespan.

When purchasing replacements,try to purchase a primary battery that has the shortest possible time from manufacture to retail.(though it may be difficult to find out this information).

In short Lithium ion batteries are a very versatile battery,ideal in lightweight applications and not subject to memory effect.However,they do degrade at higher temperatures which means they are not a universal battery solution.

Why are Lithium-Ion battery packs popular?Of all the metals,lithium is the lightest.It has the highest electrochemical potential and provides the highest energy density per weight.G.N.Lewis et al pioneered the idea of Li-Ion battery in 1912.However,it was only in the early 1970's,that the world got its first non-rechargeable lithium batteries for commercial use.In modern times,electronic applications feature low supply voltages.This demands fewer cells for every pack of battery.

Due to the fact that it has the highest energy density,the Li-Ion battery has an edge over the normal nickel cadmium battery.Due to improvements incorporated in the active compounds of the electrode,the Li-Ion battery has an electric power density which is almost three times more than that of the nickel cadmium battery.Besides this,the load capacity of lithium battery is also appreciable.It has a flat discharge curve which gives you the chance to use the saved power in a voltage range of your choice.However,you may need higher current flow to get sufficient electrical power at low voltages.Battery packs featuring low cell resistance allow free current flow.

One of the noteworthy qualities of lithium-ion battery packs is that they require low maintenance.Memory is absent and the battery requires no scheduled cycling to extend its life.When you compare them with nimh batteries and Ni-Cd batteries,the self-discharge of Li-Ion battery is less than fifty percent, making it ideal for fuel gauge applications.The Li-Ion battery features high cell voltage and allows manufacturing of battery packs that consist of a single cell only.This simplifies to a great extent the battery design.Several cell phones of today run on such design.

Although the battery pack is safe to use,it requires a protection circuit.However,such a circuit restricts current flow and this is one area where experts need to work more to arrive at a solution.When not in use,Li-Ion batteries tend to age.The solution for this is to store the battery packs in a cool place that has a 40 percent state-of-charge.Storing batteries under such conditions slows down the aging process.When you order bulk battery packs,your consignment comes under regulatory laws and transportation laws.These laws do not apply for batteries ordered for personal use.

It is true that the cost of production of lithium batteries is higher when compared to nickel cadmium ones.Naturally,their selling price is higher too though not too exorbitant to afford.The cost can be brought down if experts replace the scarce metals with something more easily available,and improve the engineering and battery design.When you compare the advantages that lithium batteries offer,the improvement areas seem to be less significant.Besides,improvements are most likely in the near future with the advancement of technology.Users certainly cannot ignore the amazing energy density of the lithium battery packs which paves the way for bigger capacities and stunningly low self-discharge qualities.

Initial scientific tests with the Li-Ion battery started in 1912 with G.N. Lewis however it was not until the early 1970s that the initial non-rechargeable lithium batteries became commercially accessible.Attempts to develop rechargeable lithium batteries followed in the 1980s,but failed due to safety concerns.Lithium is the lightest of all metals,has the greatest electrochemical potential and gives the biggest energy density per weight.Rechargeable batteries utilizing lithium metal anodes (negative electrodes) are capable of supplying both good voltage and exceptional capacity,resulting in an extraordinary high energy density.

After much study on rechargeable lithium batteries during the 1980s,it was discovered that cycling causes adjustments on the lithium electrode.These transformations,which are part of normal wear and tear,decrease the thermal stability,creating potential thermal runaway situations.When this occurs,the cell temperature swiftly approaches the melting point of lithium,resulting in a violent reaction called "venting with flame".A substantial number of rechargeable lithium batteries sent to Japan had to be recalled in 1991 when a battery in a mobile phone created flaming gases and caused burns to a person's face.

There is no memory and no regular cycling is needed to prolong the battery's life.In addition,the self discharge is less than half compared to Ni-Cd and Nickel metal hydride,making the Li-ion well suited for modern day fuel gauge applications.The high cell voltage of Li-ion battery enables the creation of battery packs comprising of only a single cell.Several of today's cellular phones operate on a solitary cell,an advantage that simplifies battery style and design.Supply voltages of electronic apps have been heading down,which in turn calls for less cells for each battery packs.To hold the same power,however,higher currents are necessary.This emphasizes the significance of particularly low cell resistance to enable unrestricted flow of current.

Because of the underlying volatility of lithium metal,in particular throughout charging,exploration moved to a non-metallic lithium battery using lithium ions.Even though slightly reduced in energy density than lithium metal,the lithium-ion is stable,as long as particular safety measures are met when charging and discharging.In 1991,the Sony Corporation commercialized the initial lithium-ion battery.Other producers followed suit.Today,the Lithium-ion battery is the fastest developing and most promising battery chemistry.

The energy density of the lithium ion battery is commonly twice that of the typical nickel cadmium battery.Improvements in electrode active components have the potential of increasing the energy density close to 3 times that of the Nickel cadmium.In addition to good capacity,the load characteristics are fairly good and behave similarly to the Nickel cadmium in terms of discharge attributes (comparable style of discharge profile,but different voltage).The flat discharge curve presents productive utilization of the saved electrical power in a useful voltage range.The Li 18650 battery is a low maintenance battery,an advantage that most other technologies are unable to state.

Lithium batteries are advancing rapidly,and they provide longer use times than nickel and lead based batteries.Their use has been adopted as the standard for most of the spy cameras,and other electronics on the market today.Here are six tips to extend the life of your lithium-ion based electronic device.However,the technology is not mature,and every few months new advances increase the battery life,resulting in longer recording times.On average,you can charge a lithium-ion battery 300 to 500 times before it won't take any more charges.

The typical lithium-ion battery lasts 2-3 years.Eventually oxidation lowers internal resistance,causing it to not be able to deliver the stored energy, even though the battery is charge.Lower current draw applications will add to the life vs.high draw devices with cobalt based Li batteries,like laptops,cameras,and cell phones.The bottom line,be gentle to your lithium-ion batteries.If you excessively charge the battery,with high voltages,and heavy load conditions,it will shorten your battery's life.It's best to charge at a slower rate.Following the tips above will give you several years of use from your lithium-ion powered electrical device.

Here are some things you can do to increase the life of your lithium-based battery:

Laptop computer uses:If you keep the battery in your laptop for everyday use,and power it from the wall socket,unplug the power every few days and let it run off the battery,as a battery at 40% capacity lasts longer than one at 100% capacity.if you don't travel with it,you should remove the laptop computer battery when on fixed power.Store laptop batteries correctly:You can remove the battery from your laptop if you are running it on electricity.In order to maximize the life,store it at 40% capacity in low temperatures.Storing a battery in hot conditions at 100% capacity can shorten the life by 1/2.Keeping it at full capacity,like plugging in your laptop all the time,will give a life of 12-16 months.Ideally,keep the charge level at 40% for stored batteries yields the longest life.

Avoid constant full discharges:Li batteries prefer a partial discharge,over a full discharge.You should not frequently fully discharge the batteries,rather charge the battery more often,if possible,daily to insure a long life.Recalibrate:We suggest a full discharge every 30 charges for batteries with fuel gauges,like laptops and mobile phones to recalibrate the battery.Just let it run until it stops,then recharge.

Keep it cool:The life of the battery depends on the temperature and the state of charge.High temperatures and high charge levels will lead to a short life.At 25C,you have 96% capacity at 40% charge,and 80% at 100% charge.The warmer it gets,and the higher the user charge level,the quicker it will die.Try to keep the temperature down and the ideal storage place is inside the refrigerator at 40% capacity.Avoid buying spares:Unlike wine and cheese,Li 18650 battery do not improve with age.Avoid the temptation to buy spares,unless you use them frequently.Check the manufacture date,and never buy an old battery,even if on sale.

Researchers at Drexel University are developing an electrochemical flow capacitor (EFC) that combines the storage capabilities of batteries with the much longer cycle life and power output of supercapacitors.The team's goal is to improve the stability of the energy grid and ease the integration of renewable energy sources.Renewables such as wind and portable solar power are experiencing an exponential year-by-year growth,but integrating such an intermittent and unpredictable power source into the grid can be problematic as it calls for a highly flexible,cost-effective solution that can store vast amounts of energy and release it quickly whenever needed.

While batteries can store large amounts of energy,they cannot dispense it quickly and they can only survive about one thousand charge-discharge cycles.Conversely,supercapacitors can release energy in quick bursts and last for hundreds of thousands of cycles,but they can't store quite as much energy.Recent advances in both battery and capacitor technology have been working toward a perfect marriage of the two.The EFCs developed at Drexel University are another step in this direction and are aimed at large scale usage.The device consists of a cell connected to two external reservoirs,each containing a mixture of electrolyte liquid and charge-carrying carbon particles.They are now developing new slurry compositions to increase its energy density tenfold which,they believe,would be enough to make this technology practical.

The uncharged slurry is pumped from the reservoir tanks into the flow cell,where the stored energy is transferred to the carbon particles.Once charged,the slurry can be stored in large tanks until the energy is needed,at which time the entire process is reversed.This conceptually simple approach promises to be both scalable and cost-effective: EFCs can survive hundreds of thousands of charge-discharge cycles,their power output is comparatively large-controlled by the size of the electrochemical cell-and their capacity is proportionate to the size of the tanks that contain the carbon battery-electrolyte slur.The researchers still need to overcome some challenges,chief among which is the low energy density of the slurry,which currently requires very large tanks for storage.

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a structural material that can store electrical energy and act like a battery within electrical devices.The team is collaborating with Volvo to develop the material further as car bodywork and a device to store and discharge energy,which could lead to cars that are lighter and more energy efficient.The material was created by weaving carbon battery fibres together into a cloth,putting a layer of glass in between to separate the electrodes,then infusing a resin.

Although targeted at automotive applications,the potential future for the technology could include new types of casing for smartphones and tablets which replace the batteries and allow for much thinner designs."The challenge throughout this project has been to make a material that simultaneously stores electrical energy and gives good mechanical properties.We've now made a very big breakthrough-we've developed a very new material which has both those things at the same time,"commented Dr Emile Greenhalgh,from the department of aeronautics at Imperial.

The advancements that are being made in battery technology are pretty mind boggling.We are seeing devices that are drawing power from just about every source that is imaginable,and now there is battery technology from researchers at Imperial College London that may actually have devices that create their own power.From cell phones to cars and everything in between,there may eventually be nothing more needed that to actually use the device.This incredible new battery technology works because of the material that is being used in the actual construction of the items..Right off the bat,devices such as cell phones,iPods,laptops and anything else that you can think of that would use battery backup power would be able to benefit from this new battery technology.

The reason that the new material is making headlines is because of the fact that it can be integrated into the design of an automobile and would make it lighter and more fuel efficient,but could actually supply power to recharge the battery of an electric car.With the material being able to be strong enough for the construction of a car,there are many other possibilities for its useIn the case of portable devices,the entire outer shell would actually be made from this material and would serve as the charging agent.There would simply never be a need to ever plug the device into a charger again.For cars,areas such as the roof or part of a door panel could have the material integrated into it and the power routed to the battery of the automobile.

Again,electric or hybrid car owners are spared the inconvenience of having to recharge their batteries.Because the material is also super lightweight,it will improve the overall performance of the vehicle as well efficiency of the gas mileage.Because of the lighter weight,the cars would also need fewer lithium battery to power them.With the cost of the batteries being pretty significant,the overall cost of the car would actually come down with new battery technology.The new technology is just that,new,so there is still a lot of work to be done in order get it to be as effective as possible.The developers are still continuing to find ways to make it stronger,lighter,more durable and of course more energy efficient.In addition,they are seeking ways to make the actual production of the materials needed more cost effective so that the consumer can truly reap the benefits of this incredible new battery technology.

Stanford scientists are doing the unbelievable.Who could have thought of ordinary papers as batteries and super capacitors?But Stanford scientists are harnessing nanotechnology to quickly create ultra-lightweight,bendable lithium battery and super capacitors utilizing everyday paper.They have prepared ink with of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires.Silver nanowires are highly conductive storage device.They are coating the sheet of bendable batteries with ink of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires.Yang put forth his opinion,"The most important part of this paper is how a simple thing in daily life-paper-can be used as a substrate to make functional conductive electrodes by a simple process.It's nanotechnology related to daily life,essentially."

Yi Cui is the assistant professor of materials science and engineering.Cui's work is published in the paper "Highly Conductive Paper for Energy Storage Devices."It is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.He states,"Society really needs a low-cost,high-performance energy storage device,such as batteries and simple supercapacitors."What is the difference between battery and capacitor?Batteries and capacitors both store electric charge.But capacitors hold it for a shorter duration than batteries.But,capacitors have an advantage.They can store and discharge electricity much more rapidly than a battery.

Cui says about the nanomaterials,"These nanomaterials are special.They're a one-dimensional structure with very small diameters."The small diameter is quite crucial because it helps the nanomaterial ink to stick strongly to the fibrous paper.This makes the battery and supercapacitor very durable.The paper supercapacitor can bear the 40,000 charge-discharge cycles.It's better than lithium batteries as far as an order of magnitude is concerned. Cui explains that the nanomaterials also make ideal conductors because they move electricity along much more efficiently than ordinary conductors.Bing Hu is a post-doctoral fellow.He put the above theory to practice.He took a small square of ordinary paper and dipped it with an ink.This deposited the nanotubes on the surface of the paper.This paper can then be charged with energy and viola!You are holding this wonder called paper battery.

Peidong Yang is the professor of chemistry at the University of California-Berkeley.He says,"This technology has potential to be commercialized within a short time.I don't think it will be limited to just energy storage devices.This is potentially a very nice,low-cost,flexible electrode for any electrical device."Cui foresees the biggest use of his paper batteries in large-scale storage of electricity on the distribution grid.We all know that surplus electricity generated at night could be stored in these paper batteries and later on utilized during rush or peak hours.Energy of wind and solar farms can also be stored in these paper batteries.

Cui had previously experimented with plastic.He created plastic batteries using nano material.But he concluded that paper is a better option than plastic.Because,a paper battery is more long-lasting than plastic as ink sticks to paper more strongly.You can test the durability of paper batter by crumpling it,folding it or soaking it in acid or base,it's performance will not deteriorate.We all can conclude that paper primary battery will be more flexible than plastic one.By using that flexibility we can manoeuvre the battery in many possible ways.Cui explains,"If I want to paint my wall with a conducting energy storage device.I can use a brush."Cui's invention can be quite beneficial for electric or hybrid cars,because they demand quick transfer of electricity.The paper supercapacitor also enjoys the distinction of high surface-to-volume ratio.It will be advantageous for hybrid cars.

CSIRO is an Australian research organization CSIRO is working in collaboration with Victorian energy distributor SP AusNet.They both are aiming to evaluate the impact and benefits of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the electricity network.They are also trying to figure out how this low emission transport option could be incorporated into our homes and cities in the future.They are opting out for a three-month trial of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).The staff of the energy distributor SP AusNet will use a modified PHEV for their daily commute and other leisurely journeys.

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Phillip Paevere,the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship scientist,is sharing his views,"When not needed,the parked car in the driveway could potentially become a large battery store and energy source for the house,running appliances or storing off-peak or surplus electricity generated from on-site renewable generators,such as solar panels."CSIRO engineers have modified these vehicles so that they can carry a 30Ah ni-mh battery and also a battery charger.The battery charger will allow the vehicle to be charged up directly from the grid or on-site renewables.

SP AusNet spokesperson,Sean Sampson shed some light on the study trial.According to him this project will also permit a thorough analysis of what the electricity demands are likely to be when PHEVs are connected to the network for charging.As per Mr.Sampson,"The introduction of electric vehicles into the mainstream market could have a significant impact on the electricity network.They may also dramatically affect the output at residential and retail outlets and the forecasted growth of peak and base demands."

These adaptations will also enable the researcher to find out how PHEVs could be used as a mobile battery.This mobile battery can be integrated and used at home.The same study trial will also examine the probable impact of extensive use of PHEVs on electricity demand and the network.So the next three months for the staff from Victorian energy distributor SP AusNet are quite crucial.Dr Phillip Paevere tries to explain the process of working,"The PHEVs have been fitted with instruments which will monitor the travel patterns of different users,and the residual battery power left in the car at the end of the day,which could be available for other uses."

It has to be noted that the transport sector of Australia contributes for 14 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions.Naturally,PHEVs will be helpful in lessening these harmful emissions.They will also assist in finding an alternative method to meet peak demand on the electricity grid. How?The answer is simple.By managing and monitoring when PHEVs are recharging from the electricity network,the burden of demand can be shifted.

Additionally,the car battery can be utilized to supply power during peak periods of demand.This will help in dealing with blackouts when there is a network supply interruption.Hopefully all these logical steps will lead towards maintaining the overall stability of the network.The study,evaluation and analysis of the road trial would be the first phase in understanding the potential for using PHEVs in Australian homes.The PHEV technology will also be used in the home energy system of CSIRO's Zero Emission House (AusZEH) project.

We are registering good progress in the field of alternative energy.Scientists and researchers are working tirelessly to come up with newer and better alternatives to fossil fuels.Scientists are also trying to apprehend the future problems related with clean and green fuels,for example,cleaning of windows and solar panels and expanded battery storage capacities for the next electric car.Nature Nanotechnology has just published the New Tel Aviv University research.The research findings deal with a breakthrough in assembling peptides at the nano-scale level that could make these futuristic luxuries come true in the coming years.

Prof. Ehud Gazit in TAU's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology is working with his graduate student Lihi Adler-Abramovich and a team..Adler-Abramovich,a Ph.D.candidate,narrates the journey,"This is beautiful and protean research.It began as an attempt to find a new cure for Alzheimer's disease.To our surprise,it also had implications for electric cars,solar backup power energy and construction."They are taking samples of peptides in the range of 100 nanometers (roughly one-billionth of a meter) and even smaller.They are devising a novel way to manipulate the atoms and molecules of peptides so that they "grow" to remind you of small forests of grass.The specialty of these "peptide forests" is to repel dust and water.So they are creating a perfect self cleaning coating for windows or solar panels.

Why such hue and cry over self cleaning?Because dirt and dust play with the efficiency of the solar panels and gadgetsPeptides are inexpensive like a sweetener in your soda.Prof.Gazit is a force to reckon with in the field of nanotechnology research.He has been working hard for the past six years creating arrays of self-assembling peptides made from proteins.He is working in close association with a group led by Prof.Gil Rosenman of TAU's Faculty of Engineering.They are tackling the problem of new applications for this basic science for the last two years.The team is also taking help of a variety of peptides for developing "self-assembled nano-tubules"in a vacuum under high temperatures.

Nano-tech material can also exhibit the property of a capacitor with extraordinarily high energy density.This will help in surmounting the limitations of the electric cars.This necessary thrust can help in starting an electric car.Climbing a hill or bypassing other cars and trucks on the highway can be achieved with perfect ease with this extended boost.Adler-Abramovich explains,"Our technology may lead to a storage material with a high density.This is important when you need to generate a lot of energy in a short period of time.It could also be incorporated into today's lithium battery."This property can be exploited for providing the existing electric batteries a boost.

These nano-tubules can bear extreme heat and are resistant to water.Adler-Abramovich shares her excitement about the project,"We are not manufacturing the actual material but developing a basic-science technology that could lead to self-cleaning windows and more efficient energy storage devices in just a few years.As scientists,we focus on pure research.Thanks to Prof. Gazit's work on beta amyloid proteins,we were able to develop a technique that enables short peptides to 'self-assemble,forming an entirely new kind of coating which is also a super-capacitor."

Window Cleaner might become a thing of the past?If the current project becomes successful,the sealed outer windows of skyscrapers may never need to be washed again.The TAU lab's material can fend off rainwater,as well as the dust and dirt.The efficiency of solar lithium batteries energy panels could be improved too as a rain shower would pull away any dust that might have accumulated on the panels.It will culminate into saving money on maintenance and cleaning.Most of the solar farms are being established in desert areas so cleaning the panels poses a huge problem.These peptides are simple and inexpensive.They cost you as much as the artificial sweetener aspartame.

When we utilize any gadget or means of comfort we know that these devices consume energy.But the energy is not utilized by devices.Some of the energy is lost in the form of friction or heat.For example when we are exploiting the power of computer battery processor chips,car engines or electric power plants there is a necessity of getting rid of excess heat otherwise the equipments will not perform at their optimal level.Now researchers are thinking about using this waste energy.Peter Hagelstein is the co-writer of this concept and an associate professor of electrical engineering at MIT.His paper was published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Applied Physics.

They are gunning for a realistic technology that could come to achieving the theoretical limits for the efficiency of such conversion.Theory postulates that such energy conversion can never go over a precise value called the Carnot Limit.Carnot Limit was established in 19th-century.It is a formula for determining the utmost efficiency that any machine can achieve in converting heat into work.But the fact is in practice we have only achieved about one-tenth of that limit.Hagelstein working in close association with Yan Kucherov carried out experiments by going for a different technology.They have achieved the enviable efficiency as high as 40 percent of the Carnot Limit.Moreover,their statistics exhibit that this new kind of system could ultimately reach as much as 90 percent of that ceiling.

If this wasted energy is cleverly harnessed we might double the use of cell phones talk time without plugging them again and again for recharging.The same could be the case with our laptops;we don't have to recharge them frequently and their wear and tear could be reduced too. The overworked and overloaded poor backup power battery plants can shell out more power if their wasted heat energy can be utilized.Hagelstein is of the view that current solid-state devices that utilize excessive heat and convert it into electricity are not very efficient.He is working with his graduate student Dennis Wu as part of his doctoral thesis to find out a practically dependable heat energy converter that doesn't carry forward its predecessor's disadvantages.

Hagelstein,Wu and others didn't try to improve upon existing devices.They started afresh without any past baggage.They make use of a very simple system in which power was generated by a single quantum-dot device.That device is a type of semiconductor in which the electrons and holes are very securely restricted in all three dimensions.So they tried to understand all the features of the device.This helped them in understanding better all the aspect of such machine.Hagelstein says that he doesn't merely want to convert heat into energy but he wants to achieve this by getting lots of energy in return.He also admits that current technology is available to harness heat power,but with a catch.It is known as high-throughput power.It converts heat from a less efficient system and you get more energy.But this is larger and more expensive system.According to Hagelstein "It's a tradeoff.

You either get high efficiency or high throughput."But the team found that using their new system,it would be possible to get both at once.Hagelstein and his team studied a recent paper published by MIT professor Gang Chen carefully.They talked about lessening the gaps between hot surface and the conversion device.They suggested this arrangement as very crucial for improving the output.Gang Chen claimed that heat transfer could take place between very closely spaced surfaces at a rate that is orders of magnitude higher than predicted by theory.The new report admits going a step further that portable solar power heat can not only be transferred,but converted into electricity so that it can be harnessed.

At the same time Hagelstein's work would give the required push and an additional tenfold or greater improvement is possible.DiMatteo presents his stats and says that worldwide,when we consume fuel or a powerhouse generates electricity nearly 60 percent of all the energy is wasted.This waste is generally in the form of heat.60% is substantial amount.DiMatteo is now hopeful that this technology could "make it possible to reclaim a significant fraction of that wasted energy."Hagelstein is of the opinion,"There's a gold mine in waste heat,if you could convert it.A lot of heat is generated to go places,and a lot is lost.If you could recover that,your transportation technology is going to work better."

Many people are not aware of the fact that not only is Edison credited with having invented the telegraph and light bulb in the early 20th century,but he also designed an electric car battery.The very same technology has returned as a 21st century power charging source.The most modern version of the Edison battery may be charged fully in approximately just 2 minutes.The energy load can be transmitted in under 30 seconds which is about 1,000 times more quickly as compared to the original.However,existing batteries can hold only enough power for one flashlight.

The Nissan Motor Corporation is on a roll and it is determined to bring to the market the right kinds of vehicles that the consumers are clamoring for.And this Asian car maker is going to be working with the NEC Corporation on this.Together,they would be developing lithium-ion batteries and they would also be producing them later on.The lithium-ion battery that the two great companies are going to create already have a bright future ahead of them.The companies did mention that they are going to use them on hybrid vehicles as well as on other forms of electric vehicles.

A report has also mentioned the fact that the collaboration between Nissan and NEC has been created so that they could join forces and be a strong challenger to other companies like the Toyota Motor Corporation who is working with the Matsushita Electric Industrial Company.Nissan is currently the third largest automobile manufacturer in Japan as per sales and it is working on making sure that it is going to be one of the greenest car makers and companies in the industry.They already have a program which they are calling the "Nissan Green Program 2010" and this one has been announced to the public just last December.

Of course,Nissan and NEC are not only looking at the present but they are seeing well into the future.The companies are now saying that they are aiming at creating a breakthrough technology to make the auto industry even greener.If they are able to create a groundbreaking car battery,they also promise to make sure that it is available in the market and would be available for use in most vehicles.Ryan Thomas is a native of Denver,Colorado.He grew up in a family of car afficionados.He now resides in Detroit where he owns a service shop and works part time as a consultant for a local automotive magazine.Success could easily occur for the new car battery after the electric and hybrid cars are more fully embraced.It is surmised that the U.S. military could find these batteries useful for instances where soldiers require a more efficient and effective power source for their equipment.

With this program,Nissan says that they are going to work on lessening down the amount of emissions in the atmosphere through engine technologies as well as vehicle technologies.And experts in the industry are saying that Nissan is probably going to use such developments and technologies in vehicles like gasoline electrics,plug-ins,100% electric vehicles,and those that are based and running on ethanol.Of course,it also does seem that with the use of Nissan suspension bushing,the performance of their vehicles would still be topnotch.

The first nickel iron battery was released by Edison in the 1900s as a less expensive alternative to traditional lead acid batteries with better reliability and longer life.The battery was first used in electric cars in around 1920.However,it did became a useful backup source in the mining and railroad industries up until around the mid-20th century.The nickel iron batteries of today usually work by storing electricity that is derived from wind turbines and solar panels.The newest Stanford car battery has an increased charging speed.However,scientists want to enhance its ability to hold a charge over a longer time period,since the current decay is equivalent to what is experienced with lithium batteries.

Hybrid vehicles have been famous ever since Toyota released the Prius in the United States.Currently,the demand for hybrid electric vehicles is staggering that one could see in the sales figures posted by Toyota that the Prius is one of their fastest growing models in terms of sales.Hybrid electric vehicles are equipped with a small engine,most commonly powered by gasoline,and an electric motor.The electric motor helps the engine generate power to drive the vehicle.The presence of an electric motor allows the engine to shut off during low speed driving or while decelerating.

When a vehicle is stationary,instead of idling,the engine shuts down and the batteries are recharged.Currently,hybrid vehicles use nickel metal hydride batteries which are commonly referred to as Ni-MH.These batteries are widely used because of its durability.But a more powerful and lighter rechargeable battery is already being considered by car makers to replace the nimh batteries that are currently used.

A reduction in the production cost of hybrid vehicles will make the price of the eco-friendly vehicles much closer to gasoline engine equipped vehicles.Watanabe believes that the sale of hybrid vehicles will reach one million a year by the early part of the next decade.This assumption is believable since environment awareness is now widespread.Prospective car buyers look at a car's fuel-efficiency more than anything.This demand for hybrid vehicles and the subsequent increase of hybrid vehicles on the roads will greatly impact the reduction of greenhouse gases.

One of the car makers which have expressed their interest in the development of Lithium-ion batteries to power their hybrid vehicles is Toyota.One advantage of Li-ion batteries is that they can be formed into any shape which makes them fit the particular device,or an electric motor in the case of hybrid cars,that they need to supply power to.They are also lighter-this means that with the use of lithium battery packs,hybrid vehicles will weigh less.This will then translate to less power needed to drive the vehicle.The less power is needed,the less fuel is consumed,therefore,the use of Li-ion batteries will also increase the fuel-efficiency of a car although indirectly.

While hybrid technology cannot put a stop to global warming the way an EBC brake rotor and pads does to stop a car,the mentioned technology will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.Toyota aims to sell more and more hybrid cars in the future.This shows that the company is serious in its effort to combat the ill effects of greenhouse gas emission to the environment.It has been reported in Japan,the home of Toyota,that the company is planning to offer a hybrid version of any model which sells more than 100,000 units every year.

Recently,Katsuaki Watanabe,the Toyota CEO,announced that the car maker from the Orient will be developing Li-ion batteries which will be used on their third-generation hybrid vehicles.Toyota announced that vehicles equipped with Li 18650 battery will be appearing on showrooms in the late part of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009.The Li-ion batteries which will be developed by Toyota will be far more powerful than the Ni-MH batteries used today.Watanabe said that they are aiming to cut down in half the size of the batteries and the cost of production of hybrid vehicles.