SolidEnergy Systems: New high-capacity, lithium-ion batteries will soon be available and could give twice the life of Appliances you, according to MIT.
The batteries produced by MIT and SolidEnergy Systems differ from conventional lithium-ion batteries as they use a lithium metal sheet instead of graphite as anode material.
Since the metal sheet can hold more ions, it can achieve even higher energy density, which could translate into longer life in wearables, telephones, cars, and unmanned aircraft.
"With two φορές την πυκνότητα ενέργειας, μπορούμε να κάνουμε μια μπαταρία μισή στο μέγεθος, αλλά που εξακολουθεί να διαρκεί το ίδιο χρονικό διάστημα, όπως μια μπαταρία ιόντων λιθίου. Ή μπορούμε να κάνουμε μια μπαταρία στο ίδιο μέγεθος με μια μπαταρία ιόντων λιθίου, αλλά θα διαρκέσει διπλάσιο χρόνο," αναφέρει ο Qichao Hu, Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος της SolidEnergy, μέσω του MIT News.
According to Hu, the first SolidEnergy battery will be for drones and will be available this November. SolidEnergy also plans to release smartphone and wearables batteries at the beginning of 2017, while for electric cars from 2018.
Hu co-invented the battery while completing his postdoctoral studies at MIT. With this particular battery he won several awards and created it company in 2012. SolidEnergy has since raised $16,5 million from two rounds of funding. The first came after Hu demonstrated the battery ($12 million last year).
In the show, Hu presented a prototype of a battery that had half the battery size of the iPhone 6, but with a capacity of 2.0 amp hours, compared to 1.8 amperes arriving at the iPhone 6 battery.
Hu has managed to use a thin sheet of metal to reduce the size of the battery and has created a non-flammable and non-volatile battery that can operate safely at higher temperatures.
Normally, lithium metal batteries only operate up to 80 ° C. Hu managed to overcome this limitation by coating the foil into a thin, solid electrolyte that does not require heating to work. A non-flammable liquid electrolyte and a mechanism that stops any unwanted reaction of lithium metal complements the safety frame.
"Συνδυάζοντας τη στερεή επίστρωση και του νέου υψηλής απόδοσης ιοντικού υγρού έχουμε την βάση για την τεχνολογία της" αναφέρει ο Hu.
