Batteries: News, Information and Reviews
Surface tension isn't a very powerful force, but it matters for small things -- water bugs, paint, and, it turns out, nanowires.
Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT
Batteries might gain a boost in power capacity as a result of a new finding. Researchers found that using carbon nanotubes for one of the battery's electrodes produced a significant increase -- up to tenfold -- in the amount of power it could deliver from a given weight of material, compared to a conventional lithium-ion battery. Such electrodes might find applications in small portable devices, and with further research might also lead to improved batteries for larger, more power-hungry applications.
Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EDT
Scientists are making discoveries on the thermodynamic properties of transition metal oxides such as insulators and superconductors.
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT
If battery-making is an art, then University at Buffalo scientist Esther Takeuchi is among its most prolific masters, with more than 140 US patents, all in energy storage. Takeuchi developed the battery that made possible the first implantable cardiac defibrillators, a feat that was recognized last fall with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama. Millions of heart patients worldwide have benefited from the implantable cardiac defibrillators powered by Takeuchi's silver vanadium oxide battery. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, she is developing new cathode materials for improved implantable cardiac defibrillator batteries.
Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:00:00 EDT
Students driving an electric supercar are attempting to be the first to drive an all-electric vehicle around the M25 twice on one battery charge, in the lead-up to the team's attempt to cross the Americas in July this year and break a world record.
Fri, 28 May 2010 17:00:00 EDT
Scientists have developed a simple, accurate way of "seeing" chemistry in action inside a lithium-ion battery.
Mon, 17 May 2010 17:00:00 EDT
Researchers have developed a unique new technique for integrating high performance micro-sized supercapacitors into a variety of portable electronic devices through common microfabrication techniques. Featuring high power densities and rapid-fire cycle times, these new supercapacitors have the potential to substantially boost the performance and longevity of portable electric energy storage devices.
Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EDT
Battery systems, chargers, wheel hub motors -- in the cars of the future, what will the components look like, and how will they interact with each other? Researchers are engineering the parts for electric vehicles and testing them on "Frecc0," their demonstration vehicle.
Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT
GE and Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) are collaborating on research that could help to optimize charging and discharging of high-performance batteries. Initial studies focus on a rechargeable sodium/iron chloride battery designed to power hybrid locomotives. Two instruments at TUM's research neutron source reveal the distribution of chemical substances within the battery during various states of charge. Researchers plan to extend this approach to real-time analysis of charging and discharging cycles, with even greater precision.
Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT
A new high-performance anode structure based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials could significantly improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries used in a wide range of applications from hybrid vehicles to portable electronics.
Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:00:00 EDT
Researchers have made significant progress on a technology that could lead to batteries with up to three times the energy density of any battery that currently exists.
Sun, 04 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EDT
Neither sun, nor mud, nor atypically warm March weather in northern Michigan could keep three hardy entries from completing the Endurance Run at the 2010 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge.
Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown phenomenon that can cause powerful waves of energy to shoot through minuscule wires known as carbon nanotubes. The discovery could lead to a new way of producing electricity, the researchers say.
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST
Engineers have manufactured new energy storage devices out of paper and cloth, with a range of potential applications. Their research also has shown that using silicon nanowires to replace carbon anodes in lithium ion batteries can significantly improve their performance.
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST
Think of it as the end of cars' slacker days: no more sitting idle for hours in parking lots or garages racking up payments, but instead earning their keep by helping store power for the electricity grid.
Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST
The surface area and conductivity of a lattice-like Nanonet coated with silicon particles proves to be a high-performing anode material for Lithium-ion batteries, researchers report.
Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST