A true breakthrough in battery technology!

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Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
It's been almost 2 years. Where are my LiIon superbatteries? :(
 

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
1,417
0
0
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
Originally posted by: Eli
It's been almost 2 years. Where are my LiIon superbatteries? :(
The patents have been purchased and placed in a vault alongside the patent to the car that runs on water.
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
Damn, I was about to get excited about this...and then I see the date.

Sounds like the ChangingWorldTechnology company that could turn "Anything into oil" a few years ago....then boom....nothing after the report.
 

Xylitol

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2005
6,617
0
76
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: RaistlinZ
I would love to see a bidding war between Energizer and Duracell for a license to use this technology. Hopefully these batteries can be produced at a reasonable cost to the consumer.

I'd rather see it licensed to both so that there isn't a monopoly on superbatteries.

i agree
 

alyarb

Platinum Member
Jan 25, 2009
2,425
0
76
yeah i remember reading this article when it was published. back in december of 2007.
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
81
Wasn't there a cure for cancer back in 05' too?


From wiki:

Since this is only an anode advancement, an equivalent cathode advancement would be needed to get the full energy storage density improvements; however, lightening the anode alone would, according to the team, lead to "several" times better energy density.

Commercialization is expected to take approximately five years[1], with the batteries costing similar or less per watt hour than conventional lithium-ion. The next milestone, lifecycle testing, should be completed, and the team expects to get at least a thousand cycles out of the battery. These batteries could create revolutionary improvements in mobile electronics and electric vehicles.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanowire_battery
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: trOver
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.

That sucks. So basically, the silicon nanotechnology improves the lifecycle, but not to the point of commercial viability?
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
81
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: trOver
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.

That sucks. So basically, the silicon nanotechnology improves the lifecycle, but not to the point of commercial viability?

Sounds like the life span of the batteries suck.
 

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
1,417
0
0
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: trOver
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.

That sucks. So basically, the silicon nanotechnology improves the lifecycle, but not to the point of commercial viability?

The silicon increases the electrical capacity of the cell, because of the large surface area the nano-tubes offer and the fact that silicon is a great material for accepting many lithium ions, allowing them to "flow" from the active material and be used. However, the silicon is not very stable, and after a few cycles (<100) it degrades and loses its ability hold the ions.
 

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
1,417
0
0
Originally posted by: Regs
Wasn't there a cure for cancer back in 05' too?


From wiki:

Since this is only an anode advancement, an equivalent cathode advancement would be needed to get the full energy storage density improvements; however, lightening the anode alone would, according to the team, lead to "several" times better energy density.

Commercialization is expected to take approximately five years[1], with the batteries costing similar or less per watt hour than conventional lithium-ion. The next milestone, lifecycle testing, should be completed, and the team expects to get at least a thousand cycles out of the battery. These batteries could create revolutionary improvements in mobile electronics and electric vehicles.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanowire_battery

This is exactly right. Current research is all focused on the anode side of the cell, so once they figure it out they will move onto the cathode, where the real improvements can be made. One step at a time though.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: trOver
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: trOver
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.

That sucks. So basically, the silicon nanotechnology improves the lifecycle, but not to the point of commercial viability?

The silicon increases the electrical capacity of the cell, because of the large surface area the nano-tubes offer and the fact that silicon is a great material for accepting many lithium ions, allowing them to "flow" from the active material and be used. However, the silicon is not very stable, and after a few cycles (<100) it degrades and loses its ability hold the ions.

Yeah. What I was getting at is that...

In the original article, it says that silicon technology has been explored for use in batteries before, the problem being that the structures were so large that they were quickly broken up by the expansion and contraction as the cell was cycled. They hoped that the nanotechnology would alleviate this problem, but that doesn't appear to be the case? At least to the extent they were hoping...
 

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
1,417
0
0
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: trOver
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: trOver
I recently did an internship at Northwestern University in the chemical engineering department, and we worked on some of these "new" batteries, including using the silicon technology. While the batteries do have an enormous capacity increase (on the anode side of the cell only, mind you), the problem with commercializing these batteries is the cycle life. Cycling degredation occurs at <100 cycles with these bad boys, hince the fact they arn't on the market yet. For your cellphone and laptop, your going to be needing 1000 or so cycles. (assuming you use it everyday for a couple years)

I'd be happy to give more information if anyone has questions.

That sucks. So basically, the silicon nanotechnology improves the lifecycle, but not to the point of commercial viability?

The silicon increases the electrical capacity of the cell, because of the large surface area the nano-tubes offer and the fact that silicon is a great material for accepting many lithium ions, allowing them to "flow" from the active material and be used. However, the silicon is not very stable, and after a few cycles (<100) it degrades and loses its ability hold the ions.

Yeah. What I was getting at is that...

In the original article, it says that silicon technology has been explored for use in batteries before, the problem being that the structures were so large that they were broken up by the expansion and contraction quickly as the cell was cycled. They hoped that the nanotechnology would alleviate this problem, but that doesn't appear to be the case? At least to the extent they were hoping...

Correct. I haven't read that particular article, I'm just going off the research and experiences I had in the lab, but the general idea is the same.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Hmm.. Fascinating.

I would love to be on the cutting edge of battery technology. What discipline is that, exactly? ChemE, you say? Hm...
 

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
1,417
0
0
Originally posted by: Eli
Hmm.. Fascinating.

I would love to be on the cutting edge of battery technology. What discipline is that, exactly? ChemE, you say? Hm...

It is mostly chemical engineering... the place where I did my research was called the "catalyst center" if that helps...
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
Sounds like the batteries last just as long?
If the current battery lasts for 10hrs/cycle with a lifespan of 1000 cycles, then the battery has a total of 10,000hrs of operating life.
Now the battery lasts for 100hrs/cycle but with a lifespan of only 100 cycles, the battery still has 10,000hrs. What's the problem?

Option B is still vastly superior to A.
 

mjrpes3

Golden Member
Oct 2, 2004
1,876
1
0
Originally posted by: jjsole
Sony is rumored to have already found a way to overheat them.

Yikes... only took a year and a half to get to the punchline.