After a sandwich and drilling process of new lithium ion battery, its storage capacity and speed than the original charge have increased 10-fold
Over the years, the battery has been the weak link in most consumer electronics. Smart phones, for example, although the technology with each passing day, the phone has can watch high-definition video, but can not see how long it will charge. Notebook PCs fitted with a dual-core, able to perform multiple tasks with ease, but as long as the full run hours, the internal battery will run out. We have experienced such embarrassment – waiting for important calls when the phone but no electricity; favorite songs is about to begin, iPod\\ s light is extinguished; doom went cafe, only to laptop charging. Thanks to a group of U.S. scientists have made breakthroughs, such as embarrassment will be less and less.
Focus on the source, clever use of sandwich
The research team from Northwestern University in Chicago, is the lead researcher of Chicago professor of chemical and biological engineering at Harold. Dr. Kung (Harold Kung). Dr. Kung and his colleagues announced that the battery by adding new material, they have let the battery charge storage capacity and higher speed. The recent \"Advanced Energy Materials\" (Advanced Energy Materials) magazine\\ s introduction of this innovative, write to Dr. Kung, who in the text for a detailed description of the new technology.
The study focused on lithium-ion battery. Most on the market today can charge devices are powered by lithium-ion battery, the current technical terms, it has two major flaws: First, the limited power supply, the second is charging slowly. Right now there are more and more consumers are using smart phones and tablet PCs for data-intensive operations, such as watching movies, playing games, Internet browsing, and more. Therefore, the battery performance will naturally become the focus of attention.
In order to improve power efficiency, manufacturers have their products on the move from the brain, for example, has just completed iPhone4S Apple software update to address the problem of excessive consumption; recent invention of the E-MiLi technology can prevent the phone Sleep mode, the search signal, thereby extending battery life; advent of a new silicon chip can double the efficiency of the processor, so that the device does not run out of battery in the premise of complete intensive operations; mobile phone manufacturers even developed a transparent solar screen film, so the smart phone charging in the sun.
More creative starting point is to improve the efficiency of electricity equipment; and Dr. Kung, who\\ s goal is to enhance the performance of the battery itself, from source to solve the problem of electricity shortage.
As the name suggests, contains an internal lithium-ion battery is lithium ion battery. Each piece of lithium-ion battery cathode are installed several layers called \"graphene\" materials, graphene is layer upon layer of carbon atoms, lithium ion is located between the carbon layers, when charging the battery or power, they from a carbon-carbon layer to another layer. Charge is sent to the lithium-ion battery cathode process, when all have arrived in the positive ion, battery is full. Put into use in the device when the lithium-ion batteries had begun to move to the negative, when they all arrived in the negative, the power will come running out.
Dr. Kung and his colleagues aim to increase the energy density of lithium-ion battery; In other words, how batteries store more energy, and how quickly the energy deposited out. They decided to change the internal structure of the battery positive start.
Lithium-ion battery inside the battery storage capacity is determined by the number of lithium ion. Graphene formed by the conventional lithium-ion batteries, every six carbon atoms can accommodate a lithium atom. In order to increase storage capacity, scientists have tried to replace the carbon with silicon; larger than the carbon capacity of silicon, each silicon atom can accommodate a four lithium atoms, so more good rechargeable batteries, but silicon also has its shortcomings, is in charge when the expansion and contraction, fragmentation occurs, so that the rapid loss of battery power.
To solve this dilemma, Dr. Kung and his colleagues think of the \"sandwich\" approach: they will be small silicon clusters sandwiched between two graphene middle. In the charge and discharge process, graphene and silicon clusters with expansion, contraction, but not so broken. As a result, not only to maintain stable form of silicon, the shuttle in the lithium-ion batteries to the greatest number. Dr. Kung told reporters: \"This is a long way to be the gathering of two, both with increased energy density of silicon, and silicon with the sandwich technique to reduce power losses caused by stretching.\"
Thus, the storage capacity of the problem can be satisfactorily resolved, then, how to make it charge faster? Over the years, lithium-ion battery charging efficiency has been constrained by the form of graphene: the battery in the graphene sheets are very thin, only one atom thick, compared to his size becomes very big. Charging, the lithium ion to be around in front of the graphene sheets in order to place it first moved out to the edge of graphene sheets, and then back to the middle of two graphene remain, this process takes a long, consuming weeks Zhang, leading to the edge of graphene sheets, with \\ traffic congestion. \"
For this reason, researchers naturally thought of ways to ease the traffic – has decided the time is lithium-ion rechargeable graphene layers in between speed, then why not open up a few shortcuts to these ions it? The use of chemical oxidation process, they drilled in graphene sheets hundreds of millions of small holes, each hole diameter in 10 to 20 nm. As a result, lithium-ion battery can more freely walk through the charging rate also increased.
After a sandwich and drilling process of lithium-ion battery, its storage capacity and speed to charge 10 times the original.
Drawback is limited, promising
Although the new technology of lithium ion batteries to fill the existing gaps, but it itself is not perfect – in charge 150 times, it\\ s storage capacity and the charging rate will dip. However, Dr. Kung shortcomings that limited fundamental, he said: \"Even after more than a year and 150 the use of the charge, the new battery on the market still higher than the efficiency of existing lithium-ion battery 5 times higher.\"
Since the papers published after the publication of the results, Dr. Kung has been busy reacting to venture firms and invitations. The industry can not wait to commercialize the results of the new battery into mass production. Scientists participated in the study that the new technology is not yet mature, production is now too early. They pointed out that the work completed to date has focused on the improvement of the battery cathode – also battery powered, the current into the battery which pole is now needed to continue to study the negative current flow, to further improve battery performance. Dr. Kung believes that if goes well, new products are expected in three to five years into the mall.
Once put into the market, it would be our daily lives be affected? The first is to make sure a variety of electronic products more durable, more efficient electricity to charge up. Future of smart phones as long as 15 minutes, sufficient power, but also continued to use a week\\ s time.
On the other hand, even if the battery is reduced to the size of the current 1 / 10, its performance can be maintained. Seen iPad or smart phones as long as the battery, the battery will understand hindering the miniaturization of electronic products, an important factor. Once the promotion of new technology, many products are expected to significantly reduce the volume, in time, laptop computers and hearing aids no longer need to carry heavy batteries which horizontal.
However, Dr. Kung is also brewing in the mind of a greater ideal. He hoped that this new type of rechargeable battery to its greater capacity, shorter charge time innovative electric drive car technology.
\"If you do not have electric drive cars ran every 60 miles (96.5 km) on one charge, but can series ran 600 km, then the electric car will be easy to use than it is now a lot of you do not fully charged at home again on the road, As long as gas stations pause in the middle, a 15-minute electric charge on the line. If you can do this, consumer acceptance of electric vehicles will reduce the resistance. \"
He also noted that high-quality battery electric vehicles can not only promote, but also solar and wind power generated by renewable resources such store. This will reduce human dependence on fossil fuels in reducing atmospheric carbon emissions, reduce dependence on imported oil.
\"With the easy way to store electricity, our power generation can be more dependent on those renewable resources.\" He such a prospect.