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batteries posts

PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 at 11:22AM

It's rare if a month flies by without some random university or DIYer proclaiming that the next major jump in battery technology is just over the horizon, and yet, here we are -- in the year 2009 -- still buying overpriced AA cells from Duracell and Energizer that deplete far too quickly given the technology available. Heck, even those standard rechargeable cells have seen their performance degrade hastily in our experiences, and we've been longing for a rechargeable cell that was actually worth its salt for a long, long time. Frankly, we passed off the PowerGenix NiZn battery as just another slice of vaporware when it was first uncovered in late 2008, but after they went on sale this summer, we decided to really put a set through the paces. Click on to find out how we feel about 'em after months and months of hardcore usage.

Continue reading PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying

Fluidic Energy promises better, cheaper metal-air batteries, wins DoE grant

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 5th 2009 at 6:05PM

It's not the only company working on metal-air batteries, but Scottsdale, Arizona-based Fluidic Energy may be in a better position to deliver on its promises than most, as it's just managed to snag a $5.13 million research grant from the US Department of Energy to further develop the "breakthrough" technology. While that word's thrown around quite a bit these, in the case, it may actually live up to the hype, considering that breakthrough in question would be a battery that's able to deliver eleven times the energy density of the best lithium-ion batteries for less than one-third of the cost. The key to that, it seems, is the battery's use of an ionic liquid as its electrolyte, which is described as a "wonder fluid" since it's able to last significantly longer than other fluids because drying out isn't a problem, and because it brings with it a significant boost in energy density. Of course, the company still apparently doesn't have an actual battery to back up its claims just yet, and it's not making any promises about when it might deliver one either.

Tesla Roadster keeps on rollin', goes 313 miles on single charge

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 31st 2009 at 3:47AM

What could be a better feeling than beating a world record? Beating your own world record. The Tesla Roadster has put an extra exclamation mark on its world-conquering single-charge antics by raising the bar from 241 miles back in April to an even more impressive 313 this week. As you can see in that homemade "world record" sign above, that's 501 kilometers in metric terms, or pretty much the exact distance between Paris and Amsterdam. The Global Green Challenge in Australia -- where this feat was achieved -- allows only production battery-powered vehicles to compete, meaning that the new record is down to driver skill on the part of one Mr. Simon Hackett, and not some newfound techno mojo. Kinda makes those long recharge times seem like less of a burden, no?

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries promise a lot, we'll see if they deliver in 2010

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 30th 2009 at 6:58AM

Is there any other field of technology that promises as many revolutionary innovations as battery makers do yet delivers so few? We've heard of battery life being made four times, eight times, even twelve times better... and seen pretty much none of it pan out in any sort of meaningful way. Zinc-air batteries are also nothing new, but now some whizkids up in Norway have figured out how to make them rechargeable and set up an entire company, ReVolt, for their commercialization. With more than double the energy density of regular Lithium-Ion batteries, safer operation, lower cost of production, and environmentally friendlier ingredients, ReVolt's tech sounds as sweet as anything, but we'd advise waiting for the pudding-based proof before getting excited. Plans are for small hearing aid and cellphone batteries to show up in 2010, and if all goes well there, larger cells for electric vehicles could also follow. Sure.

[Via PhysOrg]

Lenovo issues battery "service and warranty extension" for six ThinkPad models

by Laura June posted Aug 14th 2009 at 10:32AM

Lenovo's issued a recall for the batteries on six of its ThinkPad models. The batteries are apparently causing a range of problems, including bringing up the error messages "irreparable damage" and "battery cannot be charged," and causing overall short capacity batteries, or those than cannot be charged or experience massive drops on the fuel gauge quickly. The recalled models are the R60, R61, T60, T61, X60, and the X61, and Lenovo's got a free diagnostic tool on its website that you can use to check and see if your model is one of those affected. While there's no word on how many users have been affected, If you are one of the unlucky, the company is offering free replacements.

Update: A representative for Lenovo has contacted us and let us know that the company has not, in fact, issued a recall for the batteries associated with the models listed. "This is a service extension program to provide (bonus 12-month) coverage above and beyond the normal warranty to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Recalls tend to imply a safety issue, which is not the case here, as you noted in your article."

[Via SlashGear]

New Sony lithium ion batteries promise 4x the capacity, 99% recharge in 30 minutes

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 11th 2009 at 3:38PM

Sony's certainly had its share of battery problems but, like most battery-makers, it's also doing its part to try to improve things, and it's now announced a new lithium-ion battery that should not only be more stable, but last significantly longer than traditional batteries as well. That's apparently possible in part due to its use of an olivine-type lithium iron phosphate for the cathode material, which should help boost the battery's overall lifespan to four times that of conventional lithium ion batteries, not to mention provide an 80% capacity retention after 2,000 charge-discharge cycles and, perhaps most impressively, a promised 99% recharge in just 30 minutes. According to Sony, the batteries are especially well suited for use in power tools (where they'll first show up), but it does say they'll also eventually be "expanded to a wide range of other mobile electronic devices."

[Via Sony Insider]

Eberhard's RFMC rapid charger for Tesla Roadster now up for order

by Laura June posted Aug 6th 2009 at 3:37PM

If you're one of the lucky few who own a Tesla Roadster, this will certainly be of interest to you. And, for the rest of us -- well, let's indulge ourselves in a bit of vicarious living for a moment, shall we? Eberhard's just made its rapid charger -- the Roadster Foundry Mobile Connector (or RFMC) -- available to order. The RFMC comes with adapters that will allow charging at 12, 16, 24, 32 or 40 amps, and a fully depleted battery will charge overnight when charging at 40 amps. All you need to do (owning a Roadster is the hardest part, no doubt) to get the newer, faster charger is send the standard MC120 charger the car came with, plus $960 to EV components, wait for the new RFMC to show up, then go back to your normal life -- you know, sitting on a desolate beach in your insane car watching the sun go down.

[Via Autoblog Green]

Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 5th 2009 at 5:17PM

It hasn't been much of a secret that the US government was planning to dole out a couple of billion in battery-related grants to automakers this week, but we only got the details on who gets what today when Vice President Joe Biden made the big announcement himself in Detroit. As you might expect, the big three automakers all got a sizable chunk of the $2.4 billion up for grabs, with GM snagging $240 million for three separate grants, Ford getting $92.7 million (part of which will fund an electric-drive-parts facility in Michigan), and Chrysler receiving $70 million to develop and deploy advanced plug-in hybrid pickups and minivans. The single biggest winner, however, is Johnson Controls Inc., which got close to $300 million to produce battery parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Chrysler partner A123 Systems Inc. was the next highest with $249.1 million, while EnerDel got $118.5 million that it'll use for its Indianapolis plant that produces lithium-ion cells and battery packs.

[Image courtesy Wood TV8]

Tiny, printable batteries promise to change the face of obnoxious greeting cards forever

by Laura June posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 4:10PM

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz led by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Baumann have unveiled tiny, printable batteries that they hope to put into production for pennies apiece. The new battery prototype is primarily composed of a zinc anode and a manganese cathode that can be screen printed and covered with a non-printed template cover. Each mercury-free battery weighs less than one gram, and can individually produce about 1.5 volts of electricity. By placing several batteries side by side, however, up to 6 volts can be generated. The institute has already produced these little power houses in the lab, and hopes to see them into production by the end of the year. The batteries have a relatively short lifespan, making them suitable for applications such as powering greeting cards. All we can say is that this battery would have made the card we got two years ago that sang "Word Up" much, much awesomer.

[Via Physorg]

Waterproof lithium metal-air batteries could revolutionize portable power

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 27th 2009 at 5:41AM

We've already seen some zinc-air batteries hit the market, and now it sounds like lithium-based cells will be the next type to use air as a cathode. The only problem? Those of you who were awake in 10th grade chemistry might remember that exposing lithium metal to water causes it to explode -- which is why a company called PolyPlus has partnered with the government to develop a unique waterproof lithium metal-air battery that keeps the boom-boom in but lets the buzzy-buzz out. The coating allows lithium ions to seep out while preventing water from getting in, and because the membrane protects the cell, the battery won't discharge in storage. If that sounds a little pie-in-the-sky, well, it is -- PolyPlus founder Steven Visco called lithium metal "the holy-grail battery material." Us, we're a little more skeptical, but we're loving the sounds of prototypes that deliver the juice of current laptop batteries at one-fifth the weight -- hook us up, boys.

More scientific black magic promises to double Li-ion battery capacity

by Darren Murph posted May 30th 2009 at 11:52PM

Go on and file this one away in the folder of "awesome things that could, but won't ever happen." As the brilliant minds around the world figure out how to solve vicious diseases, move motorcars with peanut oil and send engineers to fix a telescope in outer space, we still can't buy a pack of AA cells that last longer than a month or two in our favorite toy. Some call it a limit of physics, some deem it a conspiracy. Whatever the case, we've no doubt whatsoever that a new silicon-containing carbon material -- designed by Dow Corning Toray to double the capacity of existing Li-ion batteries -- won't ever have a real impact in our lives. Of course, it's not like any consumer would actually benefit from having a netbook battery good for 16 hours, nor would wedding photographers enjoy being able to shoot 1,000 indoor shots without cracking the battery door open on their SB-600. No -- that's just absurd. C'mon Dow, prove us wrong here.

HP recalls another 15,000 laptop batteries, this time in China

by Donald Melanson posted May 26th 2009 at 4:32PM

HP just recalled a hefty 70,000 laptop batteries earlier this month, but it looks like it still has a few more fires to put out, and it's now recalled another 15,000 batteries sold in China. No reports of any actual "flames / fire" this time around but, as with countless other recalls, the batteries are apparently prone to overheating, and can indeed pose a pesky fire hazard. Word of specific models affected is also a bit hard to come by at the moment, but the batteries were apparently used in laptops manufactured between late 2007 and early 2008, and include models sold under both the HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario brands. If that sounds like your laptop, you can get in touch with HP China for a free replacement battery.

MIT's quick charging batteries could revolutionize the world, maybe

by Darren Murph posted Mar 12th 2009 at 9:36AM

Okay, so maybe the headline is a tad on the sensational side, but seriously, this has sensational written all over it. A team of brilliant MIT engineers have conjured up a beltway of sorts that allows for "rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material," something that could usher in smaller and lighter cells that could recharge in moments versus hours. There's even talk that this technology could be adapted for use in automobiles, and honestly, it doesn't take an electrical engineer to understand how rapid charge / discharge batteries could "induce lifestyle changes." Hey, laptop battery makers -- could you guys look into getting these ready to go in machines by CES 2010? That'd be swell, thanks.

[Via BBC, thanks Simon]

Wrist Band Portable Battery charges your phone, electrifies your look

by Laura June posted Jan 19th 2009 at 7:39PM

There are plenty of terrible portable chargers out there, but the "Wrist Band Portable Battery" sure isn't one of them. The name pretty much tells the whole tale -- it's a wrist band packed with a lithium-ion battery (that supposedly gets about five hours of juicing time) for charging numberless portable devices. It comes with 7 different adapters, and the totally awesomely-styled band itself has a set of LEDs which indicate the battery life remaining. It'll cost you about $25 to get one of your own and prove once and for all that no, punk is not dead. Check out a few more pics after the break.

Continue reading Wrist Band Portable Battery charges your phone, electrifies your look

Nokia admits some N73 batteries have put on a little weight

by Laura June posted Jan 10th 2009 at 7:21AM

Nokia's fessed up to the fact that "a limited number" BP-6M batteries used in the N73 have, over time, swollen up -- apparently in some cases to about three-times their original size. The worst of these cases have resulted in handsets with a battery cover that won't close at the back -- rendering the phone totally not cool. It's a fairly common lithium-ion battery occurence after a few years, but don't worry -- it's not dangerous, just annoying. Look at this way: at least the batteries aren't exploding.