NASA developing nanobattery
Battery technology has come a long way. Lead acid was the best that we had for a good long while, which is why it sees use in nearly every automobile sold in the world. Now, we have the nickel based battery chemistries and the newest lithium based batteries which are expected to allow the final leap into truly relevant all electric cars. This is all great news to anybody who is concerned with the use of fossil fuels for transportation. But, as more and more power is required to give the performance that we all expect, batteries must continue to get smaller and lighter.
You can't really go smaller than the nanoscale batteries that NASA is working on. NASA is using the iron-containing protein ferritin, which can carry either a positive or negative charge, and layering them in opposing charges. The more layers are added the more power the battery will produce. Smart guys, those NASA folk!
[Source: New Scientist Tech via Engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Silvia 2:47PM (7/03/2008)
I am truely amazed! In observing how much damaged could be done to earth by using the current source of energy on vehicles, I came to thinking on batteries to replace it. Currently, there is some already doing it with lithium batteries. However, I am sure someone else can find somthing smaller for that purpose. Today, I decide to research a little into my imagination, and I came out with Plasmon.
This is the main reason I ended up in this site. I do not know anything more than the basic electronic stuff. Well, at least someone else is already thinking about it.
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AES 7:34PM (7/18/2007)
This would be better described as a capacitor, I think, than as a battery. The ferritin sounds like it's being used as an ultra-high surface area plate - one positive, one negative, like the patent says.
The patent doesn't mention what would be used as a dielectric, however.
As someone who works in the biotech field, I've always been amazed why people haven't turned to this stuff sooner.
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Fabio 2:15AM (7/19/2007)
Am I wrong, or this thing that would be better descripted as a capacitor can't be recharged, once it's given away all of its charge?
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Don 9:04PM (7/19/2007)
Let's hope the nanobatteries are more reliable than the Space Shuttle's thermal underbelly.
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