Researchers demonstrate lithium cells that can power up in seconds

[Blue Velvet]

Two researchers have developed battery cells that can charge up in less time than it takes to read the first two sentences of this article. The work could eventually produce ultra-fast power packs for everything from laptop computers to electric vehicles.

Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge have found a way to get a common lithium compound to release and take up lithium ions in a matter of seconds. The compound, which is already used in the electrodes of some commercial lithium-ion batteries, might lead to laptop batteries capable of charging themselves in about a minute. The work appears in Nature this week

That seemed to be the case for lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), a material that is used in the cathode of a small number of commercial batteries. But when Ceder and Kang did some calculations, they saw that the compound could theoretically do much better. Its crystal structure creates "perfectly sized tunnels for lithium to move through", says Ceder. "We saw that we could reach ridiculously fast charging rates."

So why hadn't anyone seen this speedy charging in practice? Ceder and Kang theorize that the lithium ions were having trouble finding their way to the crystal structure's express tunnels. The authors helped the ions by coating the surface of the cathode with a thin layer of lithium phosphate glass, which is known to be an excellent lithium conductor. Testing their newly-coated cathode, they found that they could charge and discharge it in as little as 9 seconds.

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090311/full/news.2009.156.html

I know nuffink about chemistry, but this sounds promising.

 

[iBlue]

That's awesome. I wonder if the battery will lose life rapidly with those quick charge-ups. Either way that is promising news.

 

[joepunk]

Battery that 'charges in seconds'

From the BBC

A new manufacturing method for lithium-ion batteries could lead to smaller, lighter batteries that can be charged in just seconds.
Batteries that discharge just as quickly would be useful for electric and hybrid cars, where a quick jolt of charge is needed for acceleration.
The approach only requires simple changes to the production process of a well-known material.
The new research is reported in the scientific journal Nature.

Sweet and how Ionic

 

[drewsof07]

Charging time doesn't seem to be what's crippling Li-Ion batteries now, but the length their charge powers a device. That's where the emphasis needs to be, in perfecting the technology and making more power efficient devices.

There was something about a new silver battery technology research that may be implemented to greatly lengthen the discharge time.

 

[Thanatoast]

Charging time doesn't seem to be what's crippling Li-Ion batteries now, but the length their charge powers a device. That's where the emphasis needs to be, in perfecting the technology and making more power efficient devices.

Not really. If I can go only 100 miles, but can charge in 10 seconds, that's a trade off I'd be willing to make. Heck, might even make long car trips more pleasant than sitting for 300 miles straight through...

 

[drewsof07]

Not really. If I can go only 100 miles, but can charge in 10 seconds, that's a trade off I'd be willing to make. Heck, might even make long car trips more pleasant than sitting for 300 miles straight through...

How long does it take to refill with fuel? 5 minutes tops. Something similar to that timeframe would be more than acceptable to me. (Hours would not be my cup of tea)
If they implemented a "fast charge" with the current "brake to charge" technology it would be perfect, unless you drove all interstates