Will smartphones finally run more than a day, then?
While advancements in mobile technology have reached new highs in the past decade, the one key component that hasn't improved as fast is the battery. In order to change this, US-based SolidEnergy has devised a new battery that provides double the charge compared to normal Lithium ion batteries of the same size. The company has employed a new Lithium metal technology to achieve this. This allows the battery to hold twice as many ions. These ions are particles that hold the battery’s charge.
Qichao Hu, CEO of SolidEnergy, who co-invented the battery at MIT, said, “With two-times the energy density, we can make a battery half the size, but that still lasts the same amount of time, as a lithium ion battery. Or we can make a battery the same size as a lithium ion battery, but now it will last twice as long”
The new battery designed by SolidEnergy uses a very thin high-energy lithium metal-foil as the anode, which can hold more ions compared to regular graphite-based phone batteries. The company has also changed the composition of the electrolyte. This makes the volatile lithium metal batteries rechargeable and easier to recharge. The company is also using a non-flammable liquid in the new batteries, and claims that they're safer compared to the Li-ion batteries, which can explode if punctured and comes in contact with oxygen.
SolidEnergy has plans to bring the new battery technology to smartphones and wearables by early 2017 and to electric cars by 2018. However, So far none of OEMs have confirmed about using the said technology. The company however has confirmed that drones powered by its batteries will be announced later this year in November.
Besides this, more battery technologies are on the horizon
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Hardik Singh
Light at the top, this odd looking creature lives under the heavy medication of video games. View Full Profile
