Nanoscoop Promises Better Li-ion Batteries For Laptop Computers, Mobile Phones

Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers present a material

dubbed nanoscoopbecause its shape resembles a cone with a scoop of ice cream on topwhich could enable the next generation of high-power rechargeable Li-ion batteries for electric automobiles, as well as batteries for laptop computers, mobile phones and other portable devices.

The researchers, led by Nikhil Koratkar, showed a nanoscoop electrode charging and discharging at a rate 40 to 60 times faster for over 100 continuous charge/discharge cycles, compared to conventional battery anodes with comparable energy density. Thus, it holds potential for the design and realisation of high-power, high-capacity Li-ion rechargeable batteries.

"Charging my laptop or cell phone in a few minutes, rather than an hour, sounds pretty good to me," said Koratkar, a professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer. "By using our nanoscoops as the anode architecture for Li-ion rechargeable batteries, this is a very real prospect. Moreover, this technology could potentially be ramped up to suit the demanding needs of batteries for electric automobiles."

Batteries for all-electric vehicles must deliver high power densities in addition to high energy densities, Koatkar said. These vehicles today use supercapacitors to perform power-intensive functions, such as starting the vehicle and rapid acceleration, in conjunction with conventional batteries that deliver high energy density for normal cruise driving and other operations. Koratkar said the invention of nanoscoops may enable these two separate systems to be combined into a single, more efficient battery unit.Results of the study were detailed in the paper "Functionally Strain-Graded Nanoscoops for High Power Li-Ion Battery Anodes," published by the journal Nano Letters.

Withstanding stress

The anode structure of a Li-ion battery physically grows and shrinks as the battery charges or discharges. When charging, the addition of Li ions increases the volume of the anode, while discharging has the opposite effect. These volume changes result in a buildup of stress in the anode. Too great a stress that builds up too quickly, as in the case of a battery charging or discharging at high speeds, can cause the battery to fail prematurely. This is why most batteries in today's portable electronic devices like cell phones and laptops charge very slowlythe slow charge rate is intentional and designed to protect the battery from stress-induced damage.

The Rensselaer team's nanoscoop, however, was engineered to withstand this buildup of stress. Made from a carbon nanorod base topped with a thin layer of nanoscale aluminium and a "scoop" of nanoscale silicon, the structures are flexible and able to quickly accept and discharge Li ions at extremely fast rates without sustaining significant damage. The segmented structure of the nanoscoop allows the strain to be gradually transferred from the C base to the Al layer, and finally to the Si scoop. This natural strain gradation provides for a less abrupt transition in stress across the material interfaces, leading to improved structural integrity of the electrode.

by: batterylaptoppower

POST COMMENT

Options In Printing Your Own Custom Labels get rid of security inspector 2010 - Stop This malware Corrupting Your Computer Now No credit check computers: - Execute your dream computer Desktop Throw Away! Recommend Cost-effective Large-screen Laptop - Notebook, Desktop-it Industry The Most Simple and Smallest USB Coffee Cup in the World Computer Based Training: Review of Computer Training Courses Online How Computers Have Changed Desk Design And Its Industry Custom Sticker Printing - Top Reasons To Make Custom Stickers Check Disk Won't Uninstall – Top Solution on How to Remove Check Disk Easily and Completely Computer Components And Home Video Editing Software Programs Prepress To Expand In Three Areas Of Technological Innovation Mainly - Prepress, Printing - Silk Prince2 - Training Programs to Improve the Human Resource of Your Company Low Cost High High Quality Replacement Laptop Batteries From China