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Microbatteries Built on a Bed of Nails

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the all-charged-up dept.

nadamsieee writes "The good folks at IEEE Spectrum have a news brief about a newly invented method of creating microbatteries using an electrode that looks like a bed of nails. The method was created by a team led by Prof. Marc Madou of UC Irvine. IEEE Spectrum notes that 'according to the researchers, a battery using such an electrode can generate 78 percent more power than a stacked-plate microbattery of the same volume.'"

9 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. I don't believe them... by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...they're a bunch of fakirs.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. This is the same tech in all modern batteries. by rebeka+thomas · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is the same tech in all modern batteries. Increase surface area and you get more reaction. No different to heatsinks, it's been known for years.

    Nothing to see here, Move along.

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    RST
    1. Re:This is the same tech in all modern batteries. by sindas · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Nothing to see here, Move along.
      Nothing to see here? We understand the science behind the idea, but until now no one has made this tech. (at least not in this way)... Whats with the current trend of /.ers that are spewing randomly that every piece of news here sucks? maybe its just the people here that are so critical of the news that suck? why dont you submit some better news if this isnt good enough?
    2. Re:This is the same tech in all modern batteries. by robslimo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      True, but this is an example of using the latest (of what may hopefully become mainstream) manufacturing technology to take the concept of 'maximizing the surface area' to the next level, increasing the storage density and reaction area proportionally.

      However, I suspect that traditional issues such as buildup of non-reactive material will affect this tech just as badly or worse than the existing technology. Time will tell.

  3. High output, but is it rechargeable? by goneutt · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This looks like a high tech version of the ancient carbon cell battery. I would hope that this design can be made rechargeable, I wouldn't want to replace a battery made with a super expensive nanotube component, EVER. And no, I'm not thinking MP3 player, I'm thinking sensors that you don't want to have to visit regulary.

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  4. Interesting, but by GigsVT · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd sell a body part to be able to get a "battery" that was somwhere between a capacitor and battery in features. Supercapacitors are getting closer, but even 10F is no where near a small battery in capacity.

    I'm working on a hybrid vehicle, and finding a way to make good use of the regenerative braking power is a real challenge. Lead acids can only take a charge so fast, usually less than 0.1 of the power available during braking, unless you completely oversize the battery banks.

    I want something with a very low charge impedance that can basically lock the shaft of the motor/generator, if need be.. completely eliminating friction brakes.

    This would have bigger applications... Imagine charging your laptop in 10 minutes, then running for 6 hours.

    So these advances in power density and discharge impedance are good, but tangential to what I think will be the real killer app, a super low charging impedance battery.

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  5. Renewable naysayer energy by Jeremi · · Score: 4, Funny

    If only we had a way to harness the energy generated by the spontaneous knee-jerk naysaying of Slashdot posters, our energy needs would be met forever.

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    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  6. No free lunch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You get amp-hours based on the quantity of reactants that you have. What these guys have created is a way to discharge a small battery more quickly.

    OK so sometimes you do need a battery with a low internal resistance. Trying to use this for something like a hearing aid wouldn't help very much. If you could make a smaller battery, then it wouldn't last as long.

  7. goes with the turf by zogger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think it's the nature of high IQ nerdom. You tend to think the "other guy" is an idiot, because a lot of times they are. Makes you pretty egocentric I guess, even when the other guy is SMARTER than you or has pulled off something impressive.. Hecktapay when you got a large room fulla them...in meat space or cyberspace... ....had a sales job once, selling a new and improved technical product. Doesn't matter what it was now, what I noticed though was when I was selling to joe blow, it was normal,questions answers, sold some, sometimes didn't, but it was a normal deal. When I tried to sell to engineers they argued constantly about it, said they could do it cheaper/better/faster and yada yada yada. It was an automatic reaction they had, just the way their minds worked. Didn't matter to them, it is hard coded DNA or something. I would ask them why they didn't do it then (zero of them had ever made anything like it), and why did they bother making an appointment, especially when they knew the ballpark figures up front. they would just sputter then, pretty funny. Serious PITA sometimes. Ya, it was bad salesmanship on my part, didn't care, I made enough sales and was raking in the dough at the time. It was argumentive debate sport for me with them guys, nerd to nerd...

    No, I don't like sales.. don't do it anymore....I did sell a few units to engineers, but I studiously avoided them after the first few times.