Superior cathodes for lithium ion batteries

Lithium ion batteries have proven problematic for widespread distribution, because they require expensive and sometimes toxic materials. Zhumabay Bakenov and Izumi Taniguchi at Tokyo Tech’s Department of Chemical Engineering are among the scientists tackling this problem. Much of their research has focused on so-called ‘olivine’ structured phosphates, which could be used to build cathodes that are not only low-cost and non-toxic, but also have high energy densities, and are stable under thermal, electrical or chemical changes. Bakenov and Taniguchi have gone one step further by including carbon when preparing their olivine samples, thereby creating a composite material. The carbon improves the electrical contact between nanoparticles, and prevents the particles from agglomerating into larger chunks which can adversely affect performance. Recently, the researchers created cathodes from a composite of lithium manganese phosphate with carbon. On placing the cathodes in a battery, they recorded a high discharge capacity, and the samples remained stable at voltages up to 4.9 V and temperatures up to 50 °C.

Source: http://www.titech.ac.jp/bulletin/topics.html

MIT electric car charges in 10 minutes

The catch here: that quick charge needs 350 kW of power, enough to bring residential power systems to their knees. Charging stations capable of 356 Volts and 1000 amps would need to be built along highways to make this work. And the battery is quite expensive: $80K!

Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/07/mit-electric-ca.php

Lithium-sulfur batteries -- triple the power of lithium-ion

A research team from the University of Waterloo has synthesized a prototype of a lithium-sulphur rechargeable battery that, thanks to its peculiar nanoscale structure, can store three times the power of a conventional lithium-ion battery in the same volume while being significantly lighter and potentially cheaper to manufacture.

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Air Battery

Researchers at the University of St Andrews, with associates at Strathclyde and Newcastle, have developed a new type of air-fueled battery that could provide up to 10 times the energy storage of existing designs, paving the way for a new generation of electric cars and portable devices.

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Virus Battery

MIT researchers have used a genetically modified virus to assemble materials for an energy-efficient battery, which they say could be used in hybrid cars.

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Spin Battery

Researchers at the University of Miami and at the Universities of Tokyo and Tohoku, Japan, have been able to prove the existence of a "spin battery," a battery that is "charged" by applying a large magnetic field to nano-magnets in a device called a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ).

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MIT's batteries fully recharge in seconds

MIT engineers have developed a type of high-speed tunnel for transporting electrical energy through lithium iron phosphate, a well-known battery material. The discovery may yield lithium ion batteries that fully discharge and recharge in seconds, rather than hours, making batteries lighter, more powerful, and finally suitable for the all-electric vehicle that can be recharged in the same amount of time it takes to refuel the tank today.

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MIT

Batteries Charge In 10 Seconds

Developed by Gerbrand Ceder, a professor of materials science at MIT, it could be particularly useful where rapid power bursts are needed, such as for hybrid cars, but also for portable electronic devices. In testing, batteries incorporating the electrodes discharged in just 10 seconds.

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Solar Batteries

Designer and inventor extraordinaire Knut Karlsen recently unveiled an inspired approach to portable power that can’t be beat for its elegant simplicity: a prototype battery capable of charging itself when exposed to sunshine. His slick set of SunCat C-cells are wrapped in flexible photovoltaic panels and will slowly recharge when left to bask in the sun.

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Printed Battery

The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) battery was made with zinc and manganese.

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SSC's Ultimate Aero EV (Electric Vehicle)

A 500 bhp EV is planned for late 2009 and a 1000 bhp 4WD EV is also under consideration. Now here’s the kicker – the press statement reads: “The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging.”

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SSC

Super Battery Technology Locks Up Energy "Behind Bars"

New battery breakthrough leverages nanotechnology and microstructures. The nanotubes are a hybrid consisting of a carbon nanotube core and a metal oxide outer coating.

Pulickel Ajayan, the Rice University Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and leader of the team, states, "It's a nice bit of nanoscale engineering. Although the combination of these materials has been studied as a composite electrode by several research groups, it's the coaxial cable design of these materials that offers improved performance as electrodes for lithium batteries."

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World's smallest fuel cell

Because the device is so small - just 3 mm by 3 mm by 1 mm - surface tension, not gravity, controls the flow of water through the system. This means that the cell operates even if moved and rotated - perfect for life inside a pocket gadget.

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M2M

Motion 2 Move's technology, a physics-level breakthrough, dramatically increases the amount of power that can be generated from kinetic energy. The power is produced by using motion-produced electromagnetic fields that are harvested, converted to electrical energy and stored for use in a variety of scalable applications. The application possibilities span handheld, mobile devices to larger power requirements, such as hybrid vehicles and power systems for industrial use.

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