Solar cells merged with a liquid battery
28 September, 2016US researchers have been seeking a solution to a fundamental limitation of solar cells: the dark of the night.
Tesla’s batteries have reached their limit — here’s how they could go further
13 September, 2016 by Vivek Nair, Lancaster UniversityTesla boss Elon Musk has admitted that the current design and chemistry of the Tesla battery means this is quite close to the theoretical limits that it can achieve. From here it will become exponentially harder to increase the amount of energy a battery of the same size can store. So where could Tesla and other electric vehicle manufacturers go next?
Manufacturing fault prompts recall of 50,000 smartphones
07 September, 2016Samsung Australia is voluntarily recalling 51,060 Galaxy Note7 smartphones after a manufacturing fault was discovered in the phones' battery cells. Some phones are reported to have burst into flames while plugged in to charge.
Silicon-tin anode to improve lithium-ion batteries
18 August, 2016US researchers have created a silicon-tin nanocomposite anode that will improve the charge capacity and stability of lithium-ion batteries.
X-ray microscope technique lets scientists see inside lithium batteries
15 August, 2016Researchers have developed an X-ray microscopy technique that will help scientists see what's happening inside lithium-ion battery particles as they charge and discharge. Being able to see what's going on will help scientists better understand how the batteries work, and how to make them better.
Tiny 'transient' lithium-ion battery dissolves in water
10 August, 2016The latest development to come out of research into 'transient electronics' is a self-destructing lithium-ion battery capable of delivering 2.5 V and then dissolving within 30 minutes when dropped in water. It can power a desktop calculator for about 15 minutes.
Silicon-air battery achieves 1100 hours' running time
08 August, 2016For the first time ever, scientists have achieved more than 1100 hours' running time — that's almost 46 days — with a silicon-air battery. This type of battery is being heralded as a cost-effective alternative to current energy storage technology.
A simple way to optimise rechargeable batteries
26 July, 2016Swiss researchers have developed a simple and cost-effective procedure for enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries — and all it required was changing the battery's anode structure.
Vitamin-powered batteries store intermittent power
22 July, 2016We all know B vitamins are good for an energy boost, but, inspired by vitamin B2, Harvard researchers have discovered a new way to store energy: they've found a whole new class of high-performing organic molecules that enable large batteries to store electricity from energy sources like solar and wind power that can be intermittent.
World's tiniest wind farm: bacteria could create power sources for microscopic devices
13 July, 2016How's this for a new source of power? Scientists have shown that the movement of bacteria could be harnessed to create microscopic 'wind farms' to power tiny devices.
Charge and battery control sensors and solutions
23 June, 2016 by Jon GabayThis article looks at embedded sensors as part of an integrated solution for optimising and protecting battery-based designs. Both stand-alone and peripheral topologies will be discussed using specific parts as examples.
Salt baths boost electric car batteries
14 June, 2016Australian scientists have demonstrated that pretreating a battery's lithium metal electrodes with an electrolyte salt solution extends the battery life and increases performance and safety.
Longer lasting lithium-air batteries
31 May, 2016Dr Kyeongjae Cho has discovered new catalyst materials for lithium-air batteries that jumpstart efforts at expanding battery capacity. His team's research could open the door to phone and car batteries that last five times longer than current ones.
How to measure electric car batteries
12 April, 2016To better estimate the state of charge in lithium iron phosphate batteries, researchers have developed an algorithm that can separately measure the charging and discharging states of the battery.
Manufacturing microbatteries with organic electrode materials
07 April, 2016With the rising popularity of smaller electronic devices, smaller energy storage systems are needed. Researchers have demonstrated the fabrication of electrochemically active organic lithium electrode thin films, which help make microbatteries more efficient than before.
