Nanotube Batteries to Recharge in Seconds

Working with mobile devices as I have been, I've noticed newer ones have smaller batteries which charge much more quickly than in the past. Batteries that used to take 3 - 4 hours (or more) to charge now charge in 1 hour or so. If scientists have their way, that time may shorten to seconds.

Researchers are working on new batteries that are based on capacitors, which charge much faster and last longer than normal batteries, which use chemical reactions.

The problem is that storage capacity is proportional to the surface area of the battery's electrodes, so even today's most powerful capacitors hold 25 times less energy than similarly sized standard chemical batteries.

The researchers solved this by covering the electrodes with millions of tiny filaments called nanotubes. Each nanotube is 30,000 times thinner than a human hair. Similar to how a thick, fuzzy bath towel soaks up more water than a thin, flat bed sheet, the nanotube filaments increase the surface area of the electrodes and allow the capacitor to store more energy. Source: ScienCentral

Since the new batteries would use capacitors instead of chemical reactions, they would not degrade as they were charged / discharged. They could potentially be recharged several hundred thousand times ... though you most likely will have moved onto the 10th generation iPod or new Nokia phone by then. Researchers hope these will enter the market in the next 5 years.

Tags: Mobile, Technology, Science, Battery