How about a flexible, transparent battery?
There is some interesting work going at Waseda University in Japan. A few months ago there was news of a genetically engineered blood protein that could split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Now researchers there have developed a flexible, transparent battery. Hiroyuki Nishide, Hiroaki Konishi and Takeo Suga have created 200 namometer thick polymer film coated with Nitroxide radical groups.
The radicals hold the charge and can evidently be charged in one minute, although it's unknown how much energy that includes. They also claim it can go over 1,000 charge cycles, surpassing one of the main drawbacks of lithium ion batteries. There's no word yet on how well this scales up or what kind of energy density and power is available, but it's definitely something to watch for in the future.
[Source: Gizmag via Engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Lee Harkness 2:23PM (3/24/2007)
"There's no word yet on..."
uh-huh. So get back to us when you actually have some news, ok? Or, at least a link where we can get real information.
Reply
Rick 2:44PM (3/24/2007)
Personally, I appreciate the update. This is being researched for solar hydrogen production here and also I Australia:
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage2269.html
There are some Australians who believe solar hydrogen production is only a few years away. I haven't seen an update lately but this article caught my eye a few years ago:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040825094820.htm
Reply
Chris M 7:05PM (3/24/2007)
Rick, I hate to disillusion you, but if this prototype battery is cheap enough, reliable enough, and with high enough energy density it will be used INSTEAD of bulky inefficient hydrogen.
Commercial "solar hydrogen" production won't happen unless electricity from solar H2 & fuel cells get cheaper than electricity from photovoltaics - that is unlikely any time soon.
Reply
Howard Lee Harkness 10:37PM (3/24/2007)
Chris, your observation is dead on. The major problem the proponents of hydrogen will have is somehow keeping the public from discovering that there are already alternatives that are safer, cheaper, and greener than hydrogen -- that don't even require the invention of new technologies, buildup of new infrastructures, or repeal of those pesky laws of physics and chemistry.
The information that I was able to dig up on this new battery technology was that it was capable of very high charge and discharge rates, but did not have the energy storage capacity per unit weight of LiON.
However, if it turns out to be cheap enough, it could be good enough for several applications.
For instance, it might be suitable for use in a diesel/electric hybrid. It would only need to have enough storage to allow the diesel to run at a constant RPM and load, maximizing its efficiency and longevity.
A really inexpensive battery could be the energy storage mechanism of choice in applications where energy/weight is relatively unimportant compared to price and durability, like your home PV array.
With its very large discharge rate, it could also replace the lead-acid battery used in todays ICE autos.
Lots of other uses for an inexpensive high-current battery come to mind, too. From UPS systems to those wind-up flashlights that were so popular last Christmas.
Reply
Rick 8:56PM (3/25/2007)
Chris M,
Disillusion me? Not in the slightest. But for your information, fuel cell vehicles are NOT the only use for hydrogen out there. Imagine a bigger world than you currently understand...
Reply
Rick 9:08PM (3/25/2007)
Chris M,
Disillusion me? Not in the slightest. But for your information, fuel cell vehicles are NOT the only use for hydrogen out there. Imagine a bigger world than you currently understand...
Reply