The lithium-air (Li-air) battery works by using the cells inside to create voltage from the availability of oxygen molecules (O2). This is the positive electrode. The oxygen molecules (O2) then react with the positively charged lithium ions, forming lithium peroxide (Li2O2) and in doing so, generating electrical energy. Electrons are removed from the electrode. This […]
Molten salt batteries contain two electrodes, the cathode and the anode, usually made from nickel and aluminium. Salt is solid when at room temperature, but heating it to 180 C turns the salt to a liquid. This is known as a molten state. When the salt is molten, charged particles (ions) in the liquid can […]
Below you will find a transcript of a debate between two scientists – Alessandro Volta and Luigi Galvani – on the nature of electricity. It is a facinating look at early electrochemical batteries. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did when we found it. ____ Good day (evening), ladies and gentlemen: Welcome […]
Still using batteries for your camera? If you’ve noticed your camera’s battery power not lasting quite as long as it used to, that’s not a surprise. Rechargeable batteries tend to lose their ability to hold a full charge as they age and are re-used. Losing digital camera battery power is a frustrating problem to have, […]
Your next laptop could have a continuous power battery that lasts for 30 years without a single recharge thanks to work being funded by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The breakthrough betavoltaic power cells are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the energy source. As the radioactive material decays it emits beta particles […]
The wireless revolution lead to an increase in use of PDAs, MP3s, MP4s, Laptops, Smart phones, DVD players and other portable devices. This increased the need for smart and high capacity portable batteries. Old portable batteries however, were not typical in design. First, high performance portable devices require an electrical current. There are two kinds […]
Do you know what you do with your old batteries if you need to dispose of them? Also, batteries wear down or lose their effectiveness and must be replaced. Batteries are usually used in laptops, digital cameras, mobile phones, video cameras, cordless power tools, toys and remote controls. And all AA, AAA, 9 volt batteries […]
The work of Yi Cui, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, has garnered a great deal of interest, especially with his paper “High Performance Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors” that has become the second most cited paper in the ACS journal Nano Letters over the past 10 years. A few years […]
History of Stationary Batteries Stationary batteries were previously almost always lead acid. Size and weight is of lesser concern. The limited cycle count does not pose a major problem because the batteries are seldom deep discharged. Large stationary systems were mostly mature flooded systems that provide a reliable and economical service, but they needed regular […]
It seems as if batteries for consumer products are benefiting the most from technological advancements, and that industrial batteries are being left behind. While this may appear so on the outside, we must examine the constraints under which industrial batteries are designed to operate. Consumer batteries are made for long runtimes, whereas the main objective […]
