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Batteries

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ECOGIZMO

New solar storage solution could be the key to home-brewed electricity

By Darren Quick

22:28 November 4, 2009 PST

The system developed by Professor Nocera to store energy gathered from solar panels could ...

Reports of new developments in the area of solar power are an almost daily event here at Gizmag. The main focus of research seems to be on improving the efficiency of solar cells, but others are working at developing an inexpensive method of locally storing the energy generated by solar systems. Because society relies on a continuous energy supply and solar energy is diurnal, storage systems are integral to what some see as an inevitable move towards the era of “personalized solar energy”, in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Cell batteries could power nano devices

By Gizmag Team

22:38 October 26, 2009 PDT

Two artificial cells that can act as a tiny battery
 (Credit: NIST)

Synthetic cells that act as a battery could one day be used to power nanotech devices. Scientists from Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created a very simple cell model in order to study the way certain real cells generate electric voltages. In the process they produced a minute working battery that converts chemical energy into electrical energy at an efficiency of about 10 per cent - a figure that's high enough to make cell batteries a practical alternative as a nano power source. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Venom introduces world's first carbon neutral alkaline battery

By Jude Garvey

04:07 October 22, 2009 PDT

Venom Eco Alkaline batteries are the world's first certified carbon neutral batteries

A new range of batteries from Venom is free of mercury, cadmium and lead, and has been certified carbon neutral by Carbonfund.org. The Eco Alkaline batteries were certified carbon neutral after a detailed product life-cycle assessment of carbon emissions. As part of a carbon neutral project, Venom is supporting the Return to Forest Project which is helping to reforest Nicaragua's Pacific coast. Read More

ELECTRONICS

4x, 8x, huh? How much power do Lithium batteries actually have?

By Dave Weinstein

21:36 October 18, 2009 PDT

Energizer 4X and 8X Lithium batteries

These days, if you go looking for batteries you're likely to find a range of products with some fairly bold claims on their packaging. Standard AA alkaline batteries are the least expensive and have been around for decades, but now there's a bunch of other choices for single use batteries that are marketed as better choices for "digital" devices than the "copper top" or store branded staples we've used for years. Among the newest of these is Energizer's Advanced Lithium and Ultimate Lithium single use batteries. Read More

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

Is there something in the hair? The tale of a solar cell made with human hair

By Paul Ridden

11:37 October 15, 2009 PDT

A close up of the solar cell created by the Trinity team - the dark hair can clearly be se...

Debate is good. Debate is healthy. Debate is currently raging after an article recently appeared on the UK's Daily Mail website announcing a revolutionary solar cell that's made using human hair. A group of teenage students from Nepal claim to have replaced expensive doped silicon used in conventional solar panels with cheap and readily available human hair to produce a cell capable of generating 9V (18W) of electricity. Curiosity got the better of Gizmag's Paul Ridden, who contacted one of the team to find out more. Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

EVs to get improved mileage from redox flow batteries

By Jeff Salton

20:41 October 13, 2009 PDT

The test vehicle into which researchers are integrating a redox flow battery

German researchers say a new type of electric vehicle battery that runs on electrolyte fluid can be recharged as easily as refilling a petrol tank. When the redox flow rechargeable batteries are low, the discharged electrolyte fluid can simply be exchanged at the gas station for recharged fluid. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Silicon nanotubes could increase li-ion battery capacity 10X

By Darren Quick

00:21 September 25, 2009 PDT

Silicon nanotubes after ultrasonic treatment - inset is an expanded image of a single nano...

In news that could greatly extend the range of electric cars, researchers have shown that replacing the conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanotubes can produce a battery that can store ten times more charge. The researchers developed a silicon anode that, aside from extending the range of electric cars, could also make gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles more efficient by allowing them to run in electric mode for longer periods. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Adding graphene could mean cheaper Lithium-ion batteries

By Darren Quick

01:01 September 23, 2009 PDT

Graphene - the one-atom thick wonder material made up of a honeycomb lattice of carbon ato...

It’s not only integrated circuits that look set to benefit from the use of graphene, the one-atom thick wonder material made up of a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms. Researchers have discovered that adding graphene to titanium dioxide for use as electrodes in batteries improves performance over standard titanium oxide by a factor of three. This could pave the way for inexpensive titanium dioxide to replace the expensive, rare-earth metals or fire-prone carbon-based materials used in today's lithium-ion batteries. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Self-healing electronics using carbon nanotube-filled microcapsules

By Darren Quick

21:02 September 17, 2009 PDT

Microcapsules filled with carbon nanotubes could be used to repair electronic circuits 
 (...

Dropping an electrical device such as a mobile phone or laptop can prompt a few anxious moments as you rush to see whether your beloved device has survived the fall. Now researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are working to make such incidents a little less distressing - they're developing a self-healing first-aid kit for electrical systems that could stop circuits failing and lead to safer, longer lasting batteries. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Algae used to create a quick-charge, lightweight battery

By Dario Borghino

16:21 September 13, 2009 PDT

The battery is produced by coating the algae with a thin layer of polypyrrole 
 (Images: G...

Algae blooms are unpleasant and unpredictable phenomena that arise quickly and strike seas and oceans, often causing serious problems to local ecosystems. But, in an effort to try and find a use for such algae, a research team from Uppsala University, Sweden, has recently managed to design a record-breaking "green" lightweight battery that is incredibly easy to produce and might just even out the environmental consequences of these blooms. Read More

ECOGIZMO

New solar battery technology offers household power at 2.5c per kWh

By Jeff Salton

00:14 September 2, 2009 PDT

One of the smaller prototypes of the Ceramatec NaSICON solar batteries (Photo: Ceramatec)

As part of man's ongoing quest to extract the greatest benefits from solar power, Salt Lake City-based company Ceramatec, the R&D arm of CoorsTek, has made what it believes to be a massive breakthrough in batteries for storing energy harnessed from the sun. The company is making impressive inroads on the prototype of a deep storage battery, the size of a small refrigerator, that safely operates at room temperature, consists of everyday materials, and can output household power at 2.5c per kWh. What’s more, Ceramatec says it will be cheap to purchase. Read More

ELECTRONICS

An enduring feat - Panasonic EVOLTA batteries set second Guinness World Record

By Mick Webb

23:08 August 16, 2009 PDT

Panasonic EVOLTA batteries record - the longest distance covered by a battery-operated rem...

Panasonic has put its EVOLTA line of alkaline batteries to the test and set a Guinness World Record for the second time. Its little “bot that could”, named 'Mr Evolta', has successfully completed the "24 Hours of Le Mans” endurance challenge powered on two AA EVOLTA batteries, giving Panasonic boasting rights to “the longest distance covered by a battery-operated remote–controlled model car”. Read More

ELECTRONICS

New Sony rechargeable battery charges faster and lasts longer

By Darren Quick

01:51 August 12, 2009 PDT

Sony's new rechargeable batteries that use Olivine-type Lithium Iron Phosphate as the cath...

We cover our fair share of battery technology breakthroughs here at Gizmag, from lithium-sulfur batteries to NanoEnergy batteries. But it’s less often that we get to report on new and improved batteries actually hitting the market. So it was nice to learn that Sony has launched a new type of rechargeable Li-ion battery that promises an extended life span more than four times that of existing Li-ion batteries and can be charged to 99 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes - approximately half the charge time of Sony’s current Li-ion battery line up. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Going Green: Renewable energy on the move

By Paul Lester

20:23 August 10, 2009 PDT

The Solio H1000 hybrid is perhaps the most versatile solar charger on the market

Learning more about consumption levels and investing in a standby-saver or two to cut down on waste energy is a great way to start becoming more green in the home, but there are also ways to utilize renewable energy when you're out and about. Read More

URBAN TRANSPORT

PedalPower+ charges cyclists' phones, GPS, iPods

By Jeff Salton

21:52 August 9, 2009 PDT

The heart of the PedalPower+ system, the V4 charging unit mounted on the handlebars

In bygone days, a bicycle dynamo struggled to generate enough energy to power a weak headlight for the lonely cyclist riding home on a dark night. Back then it was the only electronic application that a cyclist needed because dynamos were first invented when riders still made calls from public telephone booths or stopped to read a map for directions. But a new bicycle dynamo system called PedalPower+ can help recharge the arsenal of battery-powered accessories modern cyclists’ rely on for communications, navigation and entertainment - on the fly. Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

Obama bets US$2.4 billion on battery-electric vehicles

By Loz Blain

03:29 August 7, 2009 PDT

The Chevy Volt - a flagship American electric car that's sure to benefit from Obama's reco...

Awesome news: battery technology is about to get a US$2.4 billion-dollar kick in the pants. US President Barack Obama has announced the single largest funds injection into battery development and electric/hybrid vehicle technology the world has ever seen. Obama's hope is that this huge chunk of stimulus funds will be enough to knock down the biggest wall standing between electric vehicles and the mainstream: the fact that current batteries are still too expensive, take too long to charge, and don't hold enough energy. If the move succeeds, it could put America right at the front of the electric car revolution - but at the least, it could help the next generation of iPhones last more than a day between charges. Read More

AERO GIZMO

World’s first commercial fuel cell Unmanned Aerial System

By Gizmag Team

06:32 August 6, 2009 PDT

World’s first commercial fuel cell Unmanned Aerial System

The world’s first long endurance, commercial hydrogen fuel cell powered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) will be showcased at AUVSI in Washington on August 11. Developed by BlueBird Aero Systems, “Boomerang” is a electric powered 9kg UAS which can fly for over nine hours using a high performance hydrogen-electric power system from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. Named AEROPAK, the self-contained 2kg fuel cell power system from Horizon can deliver 900Wh, at the same time as significantly increasing flight endurance, minimizing acoustic signature and reducing overall size of the UAS. Read More

GOOD THINKING

From AAA to D: the one-size-fits-all rechargeable battery concept

By Michael Mulcahy

16:52 August 3, 2009 PDT

With one squeeze, the AtoD Battery will give you 1.5V of power to substitute for any sized...

People think deeply about everything, even batteries. Comedian Demetri Martin, for example, decided the reason there’s no B-Battery is because it’d sound like you had a stutter asking for one. A group of Korean designers, on the other hand, has decided what the world really needs is a rechargeable nickel hydroxide battery that, thanks to a memory foam casing, can squeeze down to fit any size from AAA to D. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Printable batteries to make light work of embedded electronics

By Dario Borghino

18:44 July 6, 2009 PDT

Inexpensive printable batteries (Photo: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft)

The main problems with today's battery technology is that, despite gradual advancements in recent years, cells are still too big, heavy and expensive, making them impractical for the many applications in which weight or price play an essential role. Researchers at the Fraunhofer research facility in Germany, however, have taken a radically different approach towards the building process and have developed an incredibly light, thin and inexpensive battery that could - if such a thing is possible - end up bringing even more electronics into our everyday life. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Energi To Go range promises portable power for almost any gadget

By Mick Webb

17:45 July 5, 2009 PDT

The USB powered DSLR battery charger

Energizer has teamed with XPAL Power for its new “Energi To Go” range and hardly a niche has been left uncatered for, with a portable iPhone shaped charger, solar powered units and even a USB powered charger that connects directly to DSLR batteries. Read More

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

THINERGY battery packs a little power in a littler package

By Alan Brandon

01:27 July 1, 2009 PDT

The THINERGY Micro-Energy Cell is available in sizes as small as 0.5in (12.7mm) square

The new line of THINERGY Micro-Energy Cells from Infinite Power Solutions Inc (IPS) could soon be powering small devices such as autonomous wireless sensors, powered smart cards, active RFID applications, and implantable medical devices. The manufacturer says these tiny, rechargeable, thin-film batteries combine the energy density of traditional batteries with the high discharge current of supercapacitors. With some models measuring just 0.5 inches square (12.7mm) and less than 0.01 inches thick (0.17mm), IPS claims these are the most powerful batteries for their size. Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

Mazda3 iStop puts engine in pause mode

By Jeff Salton

23:24 June 30, 2009 PDT

The new Mazda3 incorporates fuel-saving technology for drivers who face the daily grind of...

One of the bug bears of driving in city traffic – apart from the time delays – is the often deplorable fuel consumption of stop-start driving. To help overcome this, the new Mazda3 2.0 Sport comes with iStop technology which pauses the engine (rather than stopping it), which the company says delivers increased fuel economy while reducing CO2 emissions. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Sony announces eco-friendly mercury-free batteries

By Mick Webb

05:49 June 16, 2009 PDT

An environmentally friendly step in the right direction - Sony's mercury-free batteries.

It’s no secret that mercury is a dirty word in environmental circles, and more of the big guns of electronics are starting to take note. Apple's MacBook Pro now features a mercury-free backlight display, and Fuji has released its eco-friendly EnviroMax batteries. This week Sony has strengthened its enviro-credibility by announcing a line of mercury-free alkaline button batteries. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Lithium-sulfur batteries could store triple the power of lithium-ion

By Dario Borghino

06:11 June 10, 2009 PDT

Structure of the lithium-sulfur batteries at the nanoscale level (Credit: Dr. Linda Nazar,...

A Canadian research team led by Dr. Linda Nazar has synthesized a prototype of a lithium-sulphur rechargeable battery that, thanks to its peculiar nanoscale structure, can store three times the power of a conventional lithium-ion battery in the same volume while being significantly lighter and potentially cheaper to manufacture. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Air-fueled battery boosts capacity tenfold

By Darren Quick

22:52 May 20, 2009 PDT

Oxygen drawn from the air reacts within the porous carbon to release the electrical charge...

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the preferred power storage technology for the vast majority of portable devices, such as cell phones, laptop computers and MP3 players. They have also made their way into electric cars, but even with recent developments making them more effective, storage capacity continues to remain a problem. Now researchers at the University of St Andrews, with associates at Strathclyde and Newcastle, have developed a new type of air-fueled battery that could provide up to 10 times the energy storage of existing designs, paving the way for a new generation of electric cars and portable devices. Read More

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