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The Navy built rechargeable batteries that won't explode on you
The Navy, the airline industry and Samsung all have a major problem with lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, they tend to catch fire more than most people would like. But that could change soon thanks to a new breakthrough from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) that allows for safe, rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries with a similar performance to Li-ion cells, but without all the flames.
Lithium-ion creator helped develop a better battery technology
At 94 years old, John B. Goodenough isn't done changing the landscape of battery technology. The University of Texas at Austin professor who's widely credited for the invention of lithium-ion batteries has developed a better alternative. Goodenough, Cockrell School senior research fellow Maria Helena Braga and their team have created a low-cost solid state battery that's safer than lithium-ion. It stores thrice as much energy, which means more miles for electric vehicles in between charges. When you do need to charge, it can be done minutes instead of hours. Plus, it can withstand a greater number of charge and discharge cycles.
Tiny 'supercapacitors' could make batteries live longer
Scientists in Canada and France have created a micro-supercapacitor with the same energy density of a modern lithium-ion battery that could potentially last forever. Supercapacitors have long been eyed by scientists and industry leaders like Elon Musk as a replacement for batteries, since they can be recharged nearly infinitely without a loss of capacity. The research does have a "small" catch, though. The capacitor's porous cathode is just a few square millimeters in size, because it's built out of exotic materials like gold and ruthenium oxyde. If it can be scaled up, however, it may lead to capacitors with the same energy density as existing batteries, much lower charging times and longer lifespans.
Texas Instruments brings fast charging, extended life to Li-ion batteries
Yesterday Texas Instruments introduced a couple of new chipsets (fuel gauge an charger ICs) designed to improve the charging speed and life expectancy of single-cell Li-ion batteries. The technology, called MaxLife, is expected to provide an improvement of up to 30 percent in battery service life and faster charging times. Cell impedance is carefully monitored by the fuel gauge chip while the charger IC uses a model of battery degradation to charge the cell in the most effective way. Both chips are connected via an I2C bus to form an autonomous battery management system which, according to the company, is safer and more thermally efficient than existing solutions. The two chipsets (2.5A and 4.5A) are now available along with a development kit, so it's only a matter of time until this technology lands into handsets and other devices that use single-cell Li-ion batteries. Check out the details after the break.
USC battery wields silicon nanowires to hold triple the energy, charge in 10 minutes
There's no shortage of attempts to build a better battery, usually with a few caveats. USC may have ticked all the right checkboxes with its latest discovery, however. Its use of porous, flexible silicon nanowires for the anodes in a lithium-ion battery delivers the high capacity, fast recharging and low costs that come with silicon, but without the fragility of earlier attempts relying on simpler silicon plates. In practice, the battery could deliver the best of all worlds. Triple the capacity of today's batteries? Full recharges in 10 minutes? More than 2,000 charging cycles? Check. It all sounds a bit fantastical, but USC does see real-world use on the horizon. Researchers estimate that there should be products with silicon-equipped lithium-ion packs inside of two to three years, which isn't long to wait if the invention saves us from constantly hunting for the nearest wall outlet.
Researchers create algorithms that could help lithium-ion batteries charge two times faster
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have devised new algorithms that could cut lithium-ion battery charge times in half, help cells run more efficiently and potentially cut production costs by 25 percent. Rather than tracking battery behavior and health with the traditional technique of monitoring current and voltage, the team's mathematical models estimate where lithium ions are within cells for more precise data. With the added insight, the team can more accurately gauge battery longevity and control charging efficiency. The group was awarded $415,000 from the Department of Energy's ARPA-E research arm to further develop the algorithm and accompanying tech with automotive firm Bosch and battery manufacturer Cobasys, which both received the remainder of a $4 million grant. Wondering if the solution will ever find its way out of the lab? According to co-lead researcher Scott Moura, it'll see practical use: "This technology is going into products that people will actually use." Update: UC San Diego reached out to let us know that they were awarded $415,000 (not $460,000 as previously noted) out of a grant totaling $4 million (not $9.6 million), split between Bosch and Cobasys. We've updated the post and the press release below to reflect the correct figures.
Georgia Tech develops self-charging battery that marches to the owner's beat
One of the last times we saw the concept of a self-recharging battery, it was part of a high-minded Nokia patent whose ideas still haven't seen the light of day. Researchers at Georgia Tech are more inclined to put theory into practice. Starting from a regular lithium-ion coin battery, the team has replaced the usual divider between electrodes with a polyvinylidene difluoride film whose piezoelectric nature produces a charging action inside that gap through just a little pressure, with no outside voltage required to make the magic happen. The developers have even thumbed their noses at skeptics by very literally walking the walk -- slipping the test battery under a shoe sole gives it a proper dose of energy with every footstep. At this stage, the challenge mostly involves ramping up the maximum power through upgrades such as more squeezable piezoelectrics. Georgia Tech hasn't progressed so far as to have production plans in mind; it's nonetheless close enough that we could see future forms of wearable computing that rarely need an electrical pick-me-up.
Porsche 918 Spyder caught on tape at the Nürburgring, bank accounts shiver (video)
Started saving up for your $845,000 purchase next fall yet? Yeah, neither have we. But we're at least considering it once again -- albeit not for very long -- thanks to a sneaky videographer that caught the dapper Porsche 918 Spyder winding around the turns of the Nürburgring in Germany. Packing a V8 with two electric motors, the super car can hit 60MPH in a hair over three seconds and touts a fuel efficiency of 78MPG. Don't worry, though, you have until sometime late next year to get your stacks lined up to park one in your driveway.
Porsche 918 Spyder prototype returns to the road with polished black and white shell
It may not be the first time Porsche's 918 plug-in hybrid has had a chance to flex its 770 horse power for the camera, but when we last saw the pricey insanely expensive speed demon strut its stuff on record, it certainly didn't look like this. The freakish prototype has emerged as a beautiful, high-performance vision of efficiency, blasting its way past 100 kilometers of terrain for every three liters of petrol (78 miles/gallon). The $845,000 machine pairs a combustion engine with electric motors to achieve that consumption rating, and sports a carbon-fiber reinforced-plastic monocoque (self-supporting) shell, rear-axle steering and that unique upward-venting exhausted system that you may have noticed in the shot above. The 918 Spyder is slated for its initial production run beginning in September of 2013, with the first models making their way to US customers late next year. It's time to start saving -- just a few thousand blog posts to go.%Gallery-155513%
New iPad battery has 70% more capacity
With 4G LTE connectivity, a Retina display, and a powerful Apple A5X system-on-a-chip under the hood, the new iPad needs a lot of power. According to a post at ZDNet, the source of all that energy is a whopping 11,666 mAh battery -- 70% greater capacity than the battery in the iPad 2. What's amazing about this news is that Apple increased the battery capacity without drastically increasing either the size or the weight of the batteries. As ZDNet notes, this "suggests that Apple has managed to increase significantly the power density of the Li-ion cells that it uses." If that's true, it means that the next-generation iPhone (no way am I going to refer to it as the iPhone 5 after what Apple pulled on Wednesday...) could presumably have much better battery life than the iPhone 4S with little or no increase in weight or size, assuming that the device uses the same Retina display and adds 4G LTE. Hats off to Apple's battery labs and to the manufacturers of this nice little power plant. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see the little gray slabs of energy in iFixit's upcoming iPad (Early 2012) teardown.
Fisker Karma recall is official, 239 cars will need their battery packs swapped
The folks at Fisker are probably more excited to see the calendar roll over than anyone, as a tumultuous 2011 comes to an end with another setback for the Karma. A battery issue previously thought to affect around 50 cars will actually result in the recall of 239. GigaOM points out an NHTSA notice confirming a problem with the positioning of hose clamps on the high-voltage Li-Ion batteries. It could result in said hoses leaking coolant into the battery creating the risk of an electrical short-circuit (still not seeing how this is a bad thing) and fire (oh), which the company will resolve by replacing the batteries. The recall probably covers everyone out there rolling like Walden Schmidt, since the CEO announced December 21st that 225 cars had been shipped and its factory was producing 25 cars per day. Still, assuming the ~$96k price tag isn't an issue, would you really let a little thing like potentially bursting into flames keep you away from such a sleek, smooth handling luxury sedan that puts 657hp of hybrid power at your disposal? Neither would we.
Researchers use graphene and tin sandwich to make better battery electrodes
Graphene, that microscopic chicken wire made of carbon atoms, has a great many theoretical uses. Among these is to improve Lithium-ion battery technologies, and the big brains at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a graphene and tin composite material for use in battery electrodes. When it's baked at 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius) the tin turns into nanopillars that widen the gap between the graphene layers. The greater volume of tin provided by these tiny towers improves electrode performance (read: faster charging), and the flexibility of the graphene prevents electrode degradation. Naturally, current prototypes can only maintain capacity over 30 charge cycles -- as opposed to the hundreds required for commercial applications -- so some serious improvement has to happen before we see it strut its stuff in any phones or EVs. This leaves us, once again, extolling the virtues of graphene, but lamenting its exclusively academic application.
Stanford researchers create transparent battery, dream of a see-through iPhone (video)
We've had about all of the transparent displays we can handle. Besides, what good is a screen you can see through if the electronics behind it are as opaque as ever? Thankfully, the fine folks at Stanford are working hard to move us towards a future filled with invisible gadgets. Yi Cui and Yuan Yang led a team that have created a lithium-ion battery that appears transparent. In actuality, the cells are composed of a very fine mesh of electrodes, approximately 35-microns wide, that are small enough to appear invisible to the naked eye. The resulting power packs are cheap and flexible but, currently, can only store about half as much energy as a traditional Li-ion battery. Cui has a particular destination in mind for creation, as he told the college paper, "I want to talk to Steve Jobs about this. I want a transparent iPhone!" Check out the video after the break.
Orphiro's electric motorcycle: like a Harley, just not obnoxiously loud
It's certainly not the first electric motorcycle to (quietly) crisscross our desks, but the self-titled Orphiro is surely one of the classiest. Designed over in Holland as a wide-body alternative to petrol-guzzling hawgs, this eco-friendly two-wheeler relies on Li-ion batteries and a motor that pushes a grand total of 72 volts. The top speed of 75 miles-per-hour probably wouldn't rile up the crowd in Sturgis, but cruising for 60 solid miles without using a drop of gas just might. If all goes well, we should see the first commercial version hit the pavement this September, but ominously, there's no mention of price. Something tells us it'll fall squarely in the "if you have to ask..." category.
SEI creates new porous Aluminum-Celmet, makes rechargeable batteries last longer
Quick: What costs hundreds of dollars and dies after four hours? If your answer included anything portable and tech-based -- you guessed right. In fact, most of our magical and exciting gadgetry has less-than-stellar means of holding a charge, but a recent breakthrough by Sumitomo Electric Industries could change all that. Employing the same process used to create Celmet (a NiMH component), researchers at the R&D company managed to coax aluminum into being a bit more receptive. The resulting Aluminum-Celmet has a whopping 98 percent porosity rate, leaving the Li-ion gate wide-open for a flood of electrical juice. And unlike its nickel-based brother, this piece de porous non-resistance has a steep corrosive threshold that could soon help power a line of high-capacity, small form rechargeable batteries. Production is already underway at Osaka Works, with SEI hoping to speed adoption of these franken-batts into our mass consuming mitts. Technical-jargony PR release after the break.
Porsche opens 918 Spyder plug-in supercar pre-orders, $845,000 gets you a ticket to ride
It isn't quite as hot as the 918 RSR, but it is at least street legal. Or, will be, anyway. It's the 918 Spyder, one of the hottest hybrids we've ever seen, and Porsche has now opened the doors for those who want to order them. $845,000 gets you a car with a mid-mounted V8 putting down "at least" 500HP. That's paired with two electric motors, one front and one rear, which provide an additional 218 horsepower and AWD handling to boot. Unlike the RSR these motors will be powered by a Li-ion battery pack that will offer 16 miles of purely electric range when charged for about seven hours on a standard 110 outlet. More impressively, this carbon-fiber convertible will get to 60MPH in 3.1 seconds (matching the 911 Turbo S we played with last month) yet deliver 78MPG. That's not quite up to the levels Volvo's promising for its V60 plug-in diesel, but we're thinking this bad boy might be a little more fun to drive. What won't be fun is the wait: the 918 isn't expected to start shipping until the end of 2013. That gives you plenty of time to build your dream garage -- and practice your pronunciation of "Doppelkupplung."
American Prius V to get old-school batteries, Japanese version to get fancy Li-ion ones
We'd rather see a more interesting Prius before we see a bigger one, but it's the bigger one that comes first. The taller Prius V that was unveiled in Detroit is said to begin hitting Japanese showrooms next month, priced at ¥3 million (about $37,000) and packing an all-new Li-ion battery in the floor. This is different than the nickel metal hydride pack found in the current Prius, a smaller and lighter design that leaves room for a third row of seats. When the car hits the US, though, we'll get a bigger set of cells like the one in the current Prius, meaning the American version won't have those seats in the back. Irritating? A little, but the version we'll be getting will also be available in Japan, where it will sell for almost $10,000 less than the Li-ion version. For ten grand in savings we'd probably skip the rear seats too.
Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique
Some might think a ten-hour Macbook battery mighty fine, but we're happy to say that Cupertino's not quite satisfied. AppleInsider spotted a pair of Apple patent applications detailing a improved way of juicing up those lithium-polymer cells, which should greatly increase the number of recharge cycles they can endure -- or, optionally, allow Apple to use denser batteries that last longer on a charge. We'll break it down for you: the graph in the upper-left shows how Li-ion batteries currently charge, first very rapidly (constant current, increasing voltage) and then more slowly (constant voltage, decreasing current) to top the cells off. What Apple's proposing is the multi-step method depicted on the right, where current and voltage trade off, to charge the battery while being far less harsh on the physical chemistry of the electrodes inside. As you can see in the bottom graph, the multi-step CC-CV cells lose much less of their potential after 300 recharge cycles, but that's not all Apple's cooking up -- the company figures that it can increase the thickness of the electrodes to improve battery life (by as much as 28Wh/L, according to one chart) without negative effect thanks to the softer charge. Sure, we'd rather have plant-eating graphene supercapcitors, but this sounds like a plan for now.
Li-Ion Motors Inizio electric supercar stops by Detroit
We already showed you a quick tour of two of the three Automotive X-Prize winners. Wondering where the third was? Hanging out in the booth of its creator, Li-Ion motors, looking green and decidedly outclassed by the second car that company is showing off. It's the Inizio, a proper supercar of the electric variety, the base model hitting 60 from a standstill in four seconds and topping out at 130 -- perhaps not Ferrari-busting but surely more than enough to get your license taken away. If that's not enough there will be multiple models with different power levels and carbon fiber construction, with the higher-end dropping that 0 - 60 time to 3.4 seconds and boosting the top speed to 200. We spent some time chatting with Li-Ion Motors Project Manager Paul Daigrepont about the design of the car, most interesting being the transmission. It's a custom-made four-speed unit that, interestingly, has no clutch. It's directly driven by the motor, shifting via paddles with the ECU dropping the torque on the motor momentarily to unload the gears, allowing an upshift to happen. At a stop the motor simply stops spinning and, if you want reverse, the car engages first gear and runs backwards! The company is accepting orders, starting at $139,000, a price that makes the Leaf feel like even more of a bargain. %Gallery-113979%
Silicon nanoscoops to combine Li-ion's energy with supercapacitor power, make your electric car go vroom
Look, we don't know much about "science." We know it's a controversial subject, and we always try to steer clear of that sort of hot-button-issue stuff. Still, "science" can do some good in the world, you know, now and then. Some "scientists" at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have happened upon a "strain-graded carbon-aluminum-silicon nan oscoop anode" (whatever that means) that basically combines the advantages of long-lasting Lithium-ion with a supercapacitor's rapid fire oomph -- a common theme, but undoubtedly a noble one. Specifically, Li-ion's superb (and ever-improving) Wh/kg and supercapacitor's great W/kg. Now, don't ask us how -- again, "science" -- but the upshot should be faster charging and better performing electric cars, that can still manage a good amount of mileage. Hopefully we get more spectacular exploding laptops as a side bonus.
