The Future Of Batteries
In the last few years the design and power of laptop computers has accelerated forwards massively, however for many of the latest models battery life is still an area which is letting design progression down significantly.
Although perhaps ten year’s away from mass distribution, it is thought that batteries for mobile devices could in the future be produced using technology created last year by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) . A new type of battery created by the MIT scientist’s promises up to three times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries and is also lighter. With inlet and outlet oxygen pipes the lithium-air batteries use carbon-based electrodes which interact with air flows – making the cell much lighter than their counterparts lithium-ion batteries which operate using a carbon anode and a metal oxide-based cathode. It is estimated that a lithium-air battery can achieve an output of 1800 watts per kg compared to about 120 to 350 watts per kg in lithium-ion batteries meaning gadgets using the battery could be made even smaller and lighter.
Although some laptop batteries already have battery life of over 20 hours, as we go forwards and the use of laptops and other mobile gadgets increases, the pressure to make the batteries powering them lighter and more efficient is rising dramatically. With this being such a hugely important area of technological research, big names including IBM are known to be investing heavily in study in this area. Exploratory areas are in no way limited to working with lithium-air batteries however. Other current research fields include the exploration of other materials such as flexible aluminium-polymer laminates.
Whoever manages to perfect lithium-air battery technology, or an efficient alternative for the widespread mobile gadget market, will undoubtedly reap significant financial rewards and it will certainly be interesting to follow the journey of such batteries into the hands of demanding gadget-loving consumers.
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