Batteries & Energy Storage
New invention could improve smartphone battery life
September 15, 2011 7:55 am | News | CommentsA new University of Michigan-developed "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi-enabled mobile devices could extend battery life by as much as 54% for users on the busiest networks. The new power management approach is called E-MiLi, which stands for Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening.
Crash-safe battery protection for electric cars
September 14, 2011 10:31 am | News | CommentsEveryone is talking about electric drives, and the scientists from Fraunhofer are also working on them. Engineers have replaced a battery box for lithium-ion batteries with a light-weight component. Not only does the housing save weight and sustain no damage in an accident, for the first time ever, it can also be mass-produced.
New materials engineering labs see early success
September 13, 2011 9:28 am | by Angela Hardin | News | CommentsAfter only a few months of work, a small group of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has successfully scaled up the production of a new molecule that protects advanced lithium-ion batteries from thermal overcharge.
Polymer batteries for next-generation electronics
September 9, 2011 9:52 am | News | CommentsUniversity of Leeds scientists have invented a new type of polymer gel that can be used to manufacture cheaper lithium batteries without compromising performance. The technology has been licensed to the American company Polystor Energy Corporation, which is conducting trials to commercialize cells for portable consumer electronics.
Seaweed polymer may improve electrodes in lithium-ion batteries
September 9, 2011 4:42 am | News | CommentsBy looking to Mother Nature for solutions, researchers have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that could not only boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used in manufacturing the components.
New material possible boon for lithium-ion batteries
September 8, 2011 10:22 am | News | CommentsBatteries could get a boost from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovery that increases power, energy density, and safety while dramatically reducing charge time. The Oak Ridge team found that titanium dioxide creates a highly desirable material that increases surface area and features a fast charge-discharge capability for lithium-ion batteries.
Iron veins: The secret of promising new hydrogen storage material
September 6, 2011 5:09 am | by Chad Boutin, NIST | News | CommentsWith a nod to biology, scientists at NIST have a new approach to the problem of safely storing hydrogen in future fuel-cell-powered cars. Their idea: molecular scale "veins" of iron permeating grains of magnesium like a network of capillaries. The iron veins may transform magnesium from a promising candidate for hydrogen storage into a real-world winner.
Dow Kokam, ORNL sign agreement to boost battery performance
August 25, 2011 7:47 am | News | CommentsDow Kokam and the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working together to enhance the Michigan-based company's capabilities to develop and commercialize advanced lithium ion batteries.
Ford and Toyota to collaborate on new hybrid system
August 22, 2011 12:11 pm | News | CommentsTwo of the world’s top automakers have teamed up as equal partners to develop a hybrid drive system for rear-wheel-drive light trucks and SUVs.They will independently integrate the new hybrid system in their future vehicles separately.
Long-awaited battery innovation
August 14, 2011 8:00 pm | Award WinnersLead-acid batteries are still the first choice for starting engines. A123 Systems Inc. hopes to a replace this old technology with its lighter, longer-lasting lithium-ion-based Nanophosphate Engine Start Battery.
The true nature of batteries
August 14, 2011 8:00 pm | Award WinnersA battery test invention from Idaho National Laboratory called the Impedance Measurement Box (IMB) provides two key but previously ignored metrics regarding battery performance: pulse resistance and power capability.
A systematic way to find battery materials
August 12, 2011 3:47 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsLithium-ion batteries have become a leading energy source, and researchers are actively seeking ways to nudge their performance toward ever-higher levels. New analysis by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Los Angeles has revealed why one widely used compound works particularly well as the material for one of these batteries' two electrodes.
Rice scientists build battery in a nanowire
July 29, 2011 8:04 am | News | CommentsThe world at large runs on lithium ion batteries. New research at Rice University shows that tiny worlds may soon do the same. The researchers have packed an entire lithium ion energy storage device into a single nanowire. They believe their creation could be valuable as a rechargeable power source for new generations of nanoelectronics.
mPhase completes second battery prototype for automotive use
July 27, 2011 1:02 pm | News | CommentsWorking together with a European automobile manufacturer, mPhase has produced a refined product with increased functionality over prior examples and a 20% reduction in size, using MEMS processing and microfluidics technologies.
A graphene sandwich for better batteries
July 27, 2011 11:40 am | News | CommentsLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers have built a high-capacity energy storage device for lithium ion batteries by constructing a unique nanoscale sandwich of graphene and tin. The device is engineered to improve electrochemical cycling of the battery, which reduces charging time and allows repeated recharging without degrading battery performance.
Transparent batteries closer to reality
July 26, 2011 5:55 am | News | CommentsStanford University researchers have invented a transparent lithium-ion battery that is also highly flexible. It is comparable in cost to regular batteries on the market today, with great potential for applications in consumer electronics.
Improving batteries' energy storage
July 25, 2011 4:45 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsMassachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have found a way to improve the energy density of a type of battery known as lithium-air (or lithium-oxygen) batteries, producing a device that could potentially pack several times more energy per pound than the lithium-ion batteries that now dominate the market for rechargeable devices in everything from cellphones to cars.
Showa Denko to expand production capabilities for LIB materials
July 20, 2011 9:52 am | News | CommentsShowa Denko K.K. (SDK) has decided to expand its production capacities for materials used in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (LIBs), namely, artificial-graphite-based anode material (SCMG), additive in anodes and cathodes (VGCF), and aluminum laminated films for packaging.
Graphite plus water may equal great energy storage
July 15, 2011 8:46 am | News | CommentsAccording to new research from a university in Australia, the combination of two ordinary materials – graphite and water – could produce energy storage systems that perform on par with lithium ion batteries, but recharge in a matter of seconds and have an almost indefinite lifespan.
Diagnosing advanced batteries for a longer life
July 14, 2011 5:31 am | News | CommentsImagine a battery that truly does keep on going and going—and not for just a few years, but close to decades. At Argonne National Laboratory, materials scientist Daniel Abraham works to do just that for lithium-ion batteries.
Sandia's Battery Abuse Testing Lab undergoing renovation
July 13, 2011 9:04 am | News | CommentsSandia National Laboratories' Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory is undergoing a major renovation so Sandia researchers can test larger batteries for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
A new way to store the sun's heat
July 13, 2011 4:35 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsA novel application of carbon nanotubes, developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers, shows promise as an innovative approach to storing solar energy for use whenever it’s needed.
Lux Research ranks energy storage suppliers for electric vehicles
July 12, 2011 8:15 am | News | CommentsThe hype around electric vehicles has fueled interest in energy storage technologies, and has attracted an increasing number of competitors to an already crowded market. Soon, it will be impossible for all of these companies to survive, making strong partnerships a necessity. In its latest report, Lux Research ranks technology developers in both lithium (Li)-ion batteries and supercapacitors on the Lux Innovation Grid to help determine which will make the strongest potential partners as the electric vehicle market matures.
Nanocrystal transformers
July 11, 2011 5:07 am | News | CommentsUsing the TEAM 0.5 microscope, Berkeley Lab researchers recorded the first direct observation of structural transformations within a single nanocrystal of copper sulfide. The results break new ground for the design of novel materials that will serve next-generation energy storage batteries and solar energy harvesting devices.
A new way to power up small electronic devices
July 7, 2011 4:18 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Georgia Tech have discovered a way to capture and harness energy transmitted by such sources as radio and television transmitters, cell phone networks, and satellite communications systems. By collecting this extra ambient energy from the air, the engineeres have found a way to provide power for their printed wireless sensors.
