You’re rushing home with only have 5 minutes before you have to leave for the next event, fearing that your phone is not going to last the night. While you try to get as much juice as you can out of a 5 minute charge, it’s simply not enough. Even with all of the improvements that have been made to our batteries over the years, we are still looking for something better. With that said, it appears that Stanford might have stumbled upon something great that could change the above stated problem forever.
According to Stanford News, Stanford University scientists have invented a battery that could possibly do away with lithium ion and alkaline batteries. Hongjie Dai, a professor at Stanford, states:
We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames. Our new battery won’t catch fire, even if you drill through it.
In our study, we have videos showing that you can drill through the aluminum battery pouch, and it will continue working for a while longer without catching fire. But lithium batteries can go off in an unpredictable manner – in the air, the car or in your pocket. Besides safety, we have achieved major breakthroughs in aluminum battery performance.
Safety is a major selling point for these aluminum batteries. No one wants their phone to catch fire while they are geeking out on Clash of Clans. While it’s unlikely that people will purposely drill through their batteries, there are still safety concerns when it comes to lithium-ion batteries. Many of us have heard the horror stories of batteries catching fire or blowing up while charging. For example, in 2014, Japan Airlines Co Ltd temporarily grounded a Boeing 787 Dreamliners after white smoke started appearing from a leaking lithium-ion battery.
Performance is another great feature of these new batteries. The aluminum batteries that Stanford scientists invented withstood more than 7,500 cycles without loss of capacity. Typical lithium-ion batteries start losing capacity after 1,000 cycles. In addition, the aluminum prototype can charge in one minute. That’s right, one minute
From what I can see, the aluminum battery that Stanford scientists created are safer, last longer, and charge faster. Just think, if we could get a full charge in 60 seconds, our lives would be changed forever; even if that charge only lasted 1/2 the day.
We are still likely years away from seeing aluminum batteries hit the market, but we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. What are your thoughts? Do you think we will see batteries that can receive a full charge in 60 seconds in the next 2-3 years? Let us know your predictions in the comment section below.