Power Storage

Switching from Batteries to Portable Power Generation

Philip Proefrock

Our needs for portable power keep growing. Electrical and electronic devices are great, and the features and functionality they provide continues to expand. But none of these devices are worth anything without the power to make them work.

In addition to some of the other new battery technologies we've recently featured, there are some portable power generation methods. First, nano-engines could generate electricity efficiently from small amounts of fuel. And second, small fuel cells can producing power from hydrogen gas. Both of these use some kind of fuel (hydrogen, alcohol, or hydrocarbon in liquid or gas form) to run the system and generate electric power.

The miniature engine is the project of a group of researchers at MIT. They recently announced that they have fabricated all the components necessary to produce micro scale gas-turbine engine that could provide 10 times longer life than a comparable weight of batteries (storage per kilogram.)

Creating these micro-turbines uses the same etching technology used to create computer chips. While the individual components have been developed, the next step is to get all of the components working together to demonstrate the abilities and effectiveness of the device.

Simultaneously, development is continuing on micro fuel cells as another promising avenue of development. Like larger scale fuel cells being developed for automotive use, these systems produce electricity directly when fuel is supplied to a catalyst. There are already some fuel-cell projects in the works, including cell phone chargers, and portable lights.

The move from power storage to power generation could be a powerful shift for portable electronics as well as for the automotive industry. Creating fuel-powered electric cars might seem like a step backward, but not when the fuel is hydrogen, and the power per kilogram is so very high.

via: BoingBoing

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300 Watt-Hours per Kilogram!

Hank Green

Lithium ion batteries are great. They've taken us miles beyond traditional non-rechargeable batteries. But, and you might have heard about this, they sometimes explode. They're also reaching the limit of their capacity per kilogram. One hundred fifty watt-hours per kilogram is a great number for a Li-Ion battery, but in the tech world, everything needs to double every few years, and if we're not going to do it with Li-ion batteries, we need to find something new.

And thin film batteries are certainly something new. The batteries are actually composed of flat layers of pure lithium electrodes and an electrolyte bonded to a glassy surface. The batteries never lose charge, can withstand extremes of heat and cold, can charge quickly and discharge slowly or quickly an infinite number of times, can pack a ton of power into a small space, and will not explode in your lap if you dent them.

Increasing the power to kilogram ratio is extremely important, not just in mobile computing, but also for electric driving, where the weight of batteries is a huge problem. Lighter electric batteries means less electricity is needed to power the car, and so the car can go further, faster, and weigh less.

Thin film batteries are, of course, currently far to expensive for retail. But if Silicon Valley has taught us anything, it's that a technology in demand never stays expensive for too long.

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Plastic Battery: Instant Recharge

Hank Green

Bateries are electrochemical cells that have an ion gradient between two chemical compounds. Capacitors are two pieces of metal placed very close to one another so that a charge can store up between them. Capacitors charge and discharge extremely quickly. Batteries are slow to re-charge, if they re-charge at all, but can discharge slowly and under control. Capacitors can hold a large amount of power per square inch, batteries cannot. Capacitors are usually made of environmentally benign substances, batteries usually are not.

By combining the quick-charge and large storage capability of a capacitor, with the slow controlled discharge of a battery, we could have an entirely new class of battery that is much more environmentally sound. That's what researchers at Brown University say they've done.

It's no simple matter, I won't try to explain it (head to physorg, or Brown.edu for more info,) but I can explain the effect it would have on consumer electronics. Smaller batteries, extremely rapid charge time, and, get this, it's flexible and about the thickness of an overhead transparency. No more poisonous power packs that occasionally explode. No more overnight charging and "CRAP I forgot to charge my cell phone!" moments.

There are some obstacles still to overcome, the capatery holds less and less charge each time it is re-charged. But it's a new technology, and there will be hundreds of solutions to each problem they encounter. I expect one to be in my ultra-slim phone within the decade.

Via Physorg

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Intventor of LEDs Wins Millenium Prize

Hank Green

The Millennium Prize is given out every two years and is, basically, technology's equivalent of the Nobel. Professor Shuji Nakamura was awarded the 1m euro prize for his invention of white, blue, and green LEDs as well has his invention of the blue laser diode. LEDs, if you haven't been paying attention, promise to provide a low-cost, highly efficient and non-toxic alternative to Edison's light bulb.

Eschewing traditional Japanese modesty, Nakamura said, "I hope the award of this prize will help people to understand that this invention makes it possible to improve quality of life for many millions of people." He refers here to the ability of blue LEDs to sterilize water efficiently and also to solar powered lighting initiatives to which he has pledged to donate part of his award money.

As an example of how big a deal LEDs (and Nakamura's works) are, the only other Millennium prize ever was given to Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the Internet.

Via Hugg and BBC News

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Switching from Batteries to Portable Power Generation

300 Watt-Hours per Kilogram!

Plastic Battery: Instant Recharge

Intventor of LEDs Wins Millenium Prize

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