Greener batteries: Li-ion cells could charge up in mere seconds

By Jacqueline Emigh | Published March 12, 2009, 12:17 PM

Like most people, you're probably tired of waiting hours for your cell phone batteries to recharge. But now, researchers have discovered new technology that reportedly not only charges up batteries in seconds, but enables the batteries to hold their charge well.

In an article published yesterday in the prestigious journal Nature, Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder of MIT report they have figured out a way to get lithium ion batteries -- essentially the same type of battery used in products from mobile phones to hybrid automobiles -- to release and take up lithium ion molecules in under nine seconds.

In studying the chemical properties of lithium ion phosphate, a compound found in the cathode material of some commercial batteries, the two MIT scientists theorized that the compound could be made to do a faster job of moving from the cathode to the electrolyte. That's because the chemical structure of the compound creates the right size tunnels for the lithium to move through, the researchers explained.

Kang and Ceder turned to an approach that had been tried earlier with other battery materials, such as nickel oxide. The MIT scientists first coated the cathode with a thin layer of glass -- in this case, made of lithium phosphate -- and then determined that the coated phosphate could charge and discharge lithium ions practically instantaneously.

Lithium, moreover, is able to store more energy for less weight than nickel oxide, and it also holds its charge longer. Although cell phone owners might have reason to rejoice, too, the new technology is regarded by scientists as particularly important for hybrid vehicles, which need to recharge their batteries in the few seconds' time it takes for the driver to put on the vehicle's brakes.

Comments

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I just hope this isn't another one of those things we hear about, then never hear about again. I won't hold my breath.

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This would open a world of choices... I want an electrical car with this technlogy!
One more time, the MIT scientists can be billonaries! Make it FAST please! I do not want more oil companies take my money....

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I still hold by my own personal analysis of:

This technology will be wonderful for (relatively) low drain devices such as laptops etc. However, for a car, this is all but useless as it'll still take far longer to charge than a normal petrol car takes to fill up.

The only plausible alternative currently available is Hydrogen in my opinion as it doesn't inconvenience users. New ways of Hydrogen extraction that don't involve massive usage of electricity are slowly being discovered, and I feel this is what will drive consumers away from Petrol, and not towards electric.

The old adage of "a device should be higher quality than its predecessor, or should reduce the time taken to fulfil a task" is important when designing new things. Electric cars do neither.

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Ahh, the now very old and tired "Saved By Technology" theme rears its hedonistic head yet once again. When the sun goes out, who's gonna change the bulb?

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I partially disagree with both of you. Explosion engines are pathetic. A engine which use 20% of the energy it burns is ridiculous, and surprise! That is what we are using (best: 25% efficiency on Diesel).
We need to develop better engines. Hydrogen is better than electrical, but there are several problems still not solved to use it.
Electrical cars can be developed NOW, and greener power solutions are possible, around the world there is NO need to burn oil to get it (it can be extracted from wind/sea/earth/sun). All technologies have pro/cons, but almost any of the available choices are better than keep burning oil. Which (by the way) is needed for many other industrial processes and will scarce soon.

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Yeah, you'd have to change the infastructure of the electric grid for electric cars to take work in this economy. More nuclear power plants, and less coal, but its not going to please the bobble heads in Washington. If you've kept up with the times, the new administration plans to put a tough tax on "unclean" coal.

Its funny how we havent heard really anything lately about alternatives until now. It seems we forget so quickly that gas was 135 a barrell. I think it will double that this year, and we'll be right back where we started.

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Foxfyre, I ussualy agree with your points, but not this time.
There is nothing you can change in CURRENT inefficient engines, the technology is flawed. We are using 200 years car technology and we need to change it. Of course development is needed to overcome issues from new technologies (some major).
I really think oil companies are the problem, they have too much money and interests in doing what they do and stopping other advances. And seems nobody (including you) think that we need oil to multiple industrial processes, including all kind of plastics!
Nuclear is a good technology, but (there is always a but) there is no current way to recycle nuclear waste, which last thousands of years (with luck).
I suggest you to see Zeitgeist addendum movie (free online) if you still did not. There is a good explanation about how the world can provide other sources of energy (among other things).
There is work to do before moving to alternative technologies. Explosion engines = really *bad* technology with 200 years development.
It is all about development, and interests... By the way, I am not a hippie ecologist

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http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/

So whats wrong with this? Yes, you need sources of Electricity to create the Hydrogen, but at least the car its self is very efficient... Baby steps ppl... nothing can be changed overnight

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