New Technologies in Batteries

Developing new batteries that are longer lasting is hard work because there are no new elements being discovered. The earth can only give us so many elements. The first battery running on a dry cell was developed in the year 1866, and ever since that day, we have been trying tirelessly to improve it.

Change in the Air

Technology has evolved at an exponential pace. Now we are able to understand the interactions that happen between two chemicals. This technology or ability was not available to Georges LeClanche’ the man who developed batteries.

The Challenge

The challenge with the passage of time has changed, there is no longer a need for a battery that is longer lasting, and instead there is need for one that is compatible with the standards of environmental protection.
Chemicals and electrolytes used in the creation of batteries are hazardous when present in large concentrations and hence need to be recycled once they have been used. It is down to these limitations of battery usage that researchers have been working to try and solve these challenges. Now they are on a verge of some ground breaking breakthroughs.

Development and a Bright Future

Researchers in Ireland have only recently claimed to have been successful in the development of battery of lithium ion that makes use of germanium nanowire anode to double its life and capacity. This means that for a typical battery that has charge cycles of 500, this battery will have 1000 charge cycles, in addition to that the researchers have also claimed its eco friendly ability and affordability. Now think of having a phone or a laptop that you can charge for the sometime and enjoy twice as much lifespan? Sounds pretty cool eh?
Let’s widen the landscape and increase the scope to a much larger field. Now imagine a battery system that is able to power your entire house and the whole of your neighborhood. This is not fiction anymore; a company in working in the Silicon Valley is working to develop a battery of vanadium redox that they claim could last forever. The characteristic of Vanadium to conduct both negative and positive charges helps it stay away from degradation like other normal batteries.
While it is true that the battery isn’t as efficient as a lithium battery, and that it would be considerably larger in size, but its ability to give everlasting power when used with solar or wind turbines can help you effectively go off the grid.
To complete the run of technological delights, a company is Israel in working to create battery that uses organic nano crystal technology. This would not only allow the battery to be completely charged in less than 30 seconds, it also makes it cheap and environmentally friendly one.

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