New Li-Ion Batteries Charge 70 Percent in 2 Minutes, Last for 20 Years

[n2doc]

A team of researchers in Singapore have developed a next generation lithium-ion battery that can recharge a battery to 70-percent in just two minutes. That means it would charge an entire electric car in just 15 minutes. And here's the kicker: it lasts over 20 years.

Normally, it's safe to be skeptical about new battery technology, but there's something rather hopeful about this breakthrough. The new battery isn't altogether new. It's actually just an improvement upon existing lithium-ion technology.

The key comes in the form of nanostructures. Instead of the traditional graphite used to create the lithium-ion battery's anode, this new technology uses a cheap titanium dioxide gel, the same kind of material used in sunscreen to absorb UV rays. The scientists found away to turn the compound into nanostructures that speed up the charging process. And speed it up they do. This simple innovation makes lithium-ion batteries charge 20-times faster and last 20-times longer.

"With our nanotechnology, electric cars would be able to increase their range dramatically with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars," Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong of Nanyang Technological University said in a release. Just imagine what it could do for your smartphone.

more

http://gizmodo.com/new-li-ion-batteries-charge-70-percent-in-2-minutes-la-1645721894

[caraher]

1. In a weird way, I wonder whether limited electric range for cars isn't a good thing

One problem with long range without refueling is that it encourages people to drive too long between breaks. A 150 mile range means a forced break every two hours or so in highway driving. That might yield some real safety benefits!

Still, I hope this pans out...better battery technology is important!

[happyslug]

2. Much hype but the problem is the details

First, existing lithium (and other batteries) can hold a charge for 20 years if NOT USED. Thus the 20 year period is mostly meaningless.

Second, the main problem with batteries today is the INPUT charging not the batteries themselves. i.e. How long is takes to charge is set by the Amp and Voltage in the CHARGER not what the Battery can take. If you are charging from home with a 110 volt system, that will take a lot longer then a 1000 volt system.

Thus the current problem is NOT the battery being able to charge quickly, but chargers being able to charge batteries that quickly. If the battery needs, for example, 10,000 watts of power, it can be charged within a minutes with a 110 volt system if that same system can produce 100 amps.

The Chevrolet VOlt uses a battery of 16 kW-h or 16,000 watts. 110 volt system that produces 100 amps can charge it is 16 minutes. The problem is household circuits top out at 20 amps not 100, thus you have to increase that charging time by a factor of five do to the limitation of the charging system. You can increase the Amp or the Voltage to reduce time but then Ohm's law kicks in (Amps equal volts/Ohms). Thus it is better to increase BOTH Amps and Voltage to get around Ohm's law.

20 amp 120 volt system has a resistance of 20=120/ohms or 6 ohms. If you increase the Amps to 100 and keep 120 volt system, resistance increase to 10 ohms. This is the main restrictions on electrical cars today, the time period it takes to charge GIVEN the limitations of existing electrical systems. The main restrictions is the ability to CHARGE NOT the ability of the battery to be Charged.

Side Note: This gave me an opportunity to review basic electricity. In the above I use Voltage not WATT, Watts are more important. Voltage is a measurement of Electrical Potential NOT power. As a general rule the higher the Voltage the more power CAN be transmitted, but Watt measure the actual power being transmitted or used (thus a 60 Watt Light bulb uses less power then a 100 Watt Light Bulb even if both are on a 110 Volt system).

Watt is the unit of POWER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt

Amps are the measurement of power over a set time period
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampere

Ohms are measurement of resistance, and thus HOW thick the wire has to be:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law

Amps Equal Volts/Ohms

AND

Watts Equal Volts times Amps (Watts = Volts x Amps).

http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/tools/volts-watts-amps-converter


Power of the current equals Potential (Measured in Volts) divided by Resistance (measured in Ohm) or Amps = Volts/Ohms

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

One volt is defined as the difference in electric potential between two points of a conducting wire when an electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power between those points.