Researchers at Stanford University have announced the creation of a new aluminium battery that can be fully charged in one minute.
Besides being able to offer an unbelievable charging time, it’s also a safe alternative to the widespread conventional lithium-ion and alkaline batteries.
Stanford chemistry professor Dai Hongjie has stated – ” We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames. Our new battery won’t catch fire, even if you drill through it.”
At its current state the battery prototype can’t be used in anything important – it can only produce 2 volts, far less that what an ordinary 3.6V lithium-ion battery can pump. The aluminium cells can only carry about 40 watts of electricity/kg whereas if you are to compare it to a lithium’s 100-206 watts of electricity/kg, it stands rather low in rankings.
We are fairly sure that aluminium batteries are contenders on the market, and they will soon get a place in our everyday devices. And why wouldn’t they? They cost a fraction of an lithium-ion battery, they can be recharged super fast, and they don’t explode in your pocket.
Aluminium batteries have come a long way. The first models cracked under the pressure after only 100 recharge cycles; now it can withstand up to 7,500 recharge cycles without losing its capacity – that’s 7.5 times more than the average lithium-ion battery.
The major problem, that we hope researchers at Stanford University can successfully tackle, is the one regarding cathode material. Nobody wants a 2 volt battery that can’t power anything – “Improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density.Otherwise, our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It’s quite exciting.” – has stated Dai Hongjie in a Stanford press release.
We are witnessing an industrial revolution – and I thought that 3D printers will be the next big thing. Just think of how this new prototype battery can change our lives. Laptops that can last up to days, and not hours, no more camping near a power outlet for a few hours to recharge your phone, research can be done in regards to electric cars, and prolonging their mileage, hospitals that won’t need to rely on generators in case of a power-outage – and so many more uses.
It’s awesome to live in the future.
