Although Li-ion batteries still dominate, scientists are constantly looking for more efficient alternatives. The new prototypes can withstand, for example, 7 discharge-charge cycles, have up to eight times higher energy density than Li-ion batteries and can charge a phone in 500 seconds. However, they suffer from other shortcomings that make mass production impossible.
Scientists agreed that Li-ion batteries are reaching their peak and should no longer be the dominant energy source. Since their inception, researchers have therefore been looking for alternative sources of energy to replace them. "Inventing and creating alternative energy sources is the easy part. However, most of them are not suitable for mass production. Prototypes suffer from various shortcomings that prevent their mass use. For example, they can overheat and explode with frequent use or require a constant supply of light beams,” explained Radim Tlapák from the online store BatteryShop.cz, which offers a wide range of high-quality batteries for mobile devices.
An aluminum-graphite battery is close to the ideal
Smartphone charged in 60 seconds. That's exactly what Stanford University scientists promise if they successfully complete the development of an aluminum-graphite battery. According to the developers, it will never overheat and there is no risk of it spontaneously combusting. In addition, the materials from which the battery is made are cheap and durable. Another advantage is the ability to repeat the discharge-charge process up to 7 times. However, the problem lies in the performance. Current prototypes can only generate half the energy needed to charge a smartphone.
When physics, biology and chemistry come together
Bacteria are all around us, and for free. Dutch scientists therefore decided to use them for charging. They placed bacteria in the battery, which are able to obtain a large amount of free electrons from a special mixture and thus produce energy. However, the performance of the bacterial battery is not sufficient and, according to estimates, it must be increased up to twenty-five times. In addition, it only lasts 15 charging cycles and can handle a maximum of 8 hours of operation. Nevertheless, scientists see a future in the bacterial battery and plan to use it especially in wastewater treatment plants. Such a battery is capable of powering the operation and, in addition, of breaking down organic substances in the water and thereby cleaning it.
Nanowires are ideal, but expensive
According to scientists, the future belongs to nanotechnology. Therefore, they try to use these principles when developing new types of batteries. The so-called nanowires are excellent conductors and can store significant amounts of electrical energy. They are very thin, but at the same time fragile, which is a disadvantage. It wears out quite easily with frequent use and lasts only a few charging cycles. Californian scientists coated the nanowires with manganese dioxide and a special polymer, thanks to which they achieved an increase in battery life. "However, even a prototype battery using nanowires faces a problem in mass production. The costs are huge, so we won't see them on store shelves for some time,” explains Radim Tlapák from the BatteryShop.cz e-shop with various types of batteries.
Electric cars will also wait for the revolution
Scientists from the University of Cambridge revealed last year that they are working on developing a battery that would revolutionize electric transport. The metal is the anode and the surrounding air is the cathode. The developers hoped for a longer range of electric cars and a longer endurance of electric devices. The battery has up to 8 times higher energy density than the Li-ion battery, which increases the range of electric cars up to 1 kilometers. This type of battery is supposed to be lighter and last longer than the classic Li-ion. However, the problem lies in the fact that during operation the battery takes away the material of the aluminum plates, which soon requires their replacement. As a result, this type of battery is more powerful, but not ecological and inefficient.
About the e-shop BatteryShop.cz
The company BatteryShop.cz has long-term experience in trading on the Internet, we have been dedicated to it since 1998. It specializes exclusively in the sale of batteries. All employees have extensive experience with products from the field of computer electronics. Business partners are companies from Asia and the USA. All sold batteries meet strict European standards and have all the certificates required for sale in the countries of the European Union. The high quality of online store services is confirmed by 100% customer ratings on the Heureka.cz portal.
The BatteryShop.cz online store is operated by NTB CZ, which is also the owner and exclusive seller of batteries of the T6 power brand. It is also the official importer of iGo brand products to the Czech Republic.
