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Google Battles For Better Batteries
An anonymous reader writes: The Wall Street Journal reports that Google's X research lab has joined the quest for better batteries. The company has at least 20 projects that depend on batteries, from Google Glass to self-driving cars and drones. Thus, it makes sense for them to try developing new battery technology. "At Google, Dr. Bhardwaj's group is trying to advance current lithium-ion technology and the cutting-edge solid-state batteries for consumer devices. ... In a February presentation to an industry conference, Dr. Bhardwaj described how solid-state, thin-film batteries could be used in smartphones and other mobile devices that are thinner, bendable, wearable and even implantable in the human body. ... For the contact lens, the technology is safer because it doesn't use flammable electrolyte liquid, Dr. Bhardwaj's presentation explained."
Betty bought a bitty battery
But the bitty battery Betty bought was bogus
So Betty backed a better bitty battery
More research into this area is always welcome. Still would like to see more research into replicating full biospheres.
It's obvious that better batteries would be a very good thing. Everybody knows this. There's no need to search for reasons to develop better batteries.
Thus, it makes sense for them to try developing new battery technology
it makes sense for everyone to try to develop a better battery. societies are trying to and wants to switch from chemical power generation to solar generation which currently has the issue of needing costly batteries. if nothing else, it's a growth market.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
A breakthrough is certain!
Ever since the advent of mobile devices that run on batteries we have been fighting with how to design them so they provide ample life, good life, and reasonable charge times. Not only those requirements but in the rechargeable arena they also had to be safe. Not always, has this been the case with lithium Ion batteries.
Plenty of manufactures for laptops and even some phones have recalled batteries. I myself had a couple laptop batteries that swelled up on one corner. But I have seen far more advancements in hardware using battery power more efficiently, then batteries becoming better. We certainly have seen battery designs become more aggressive in working with capacity vs size. Very thin laptops like a Macbook Air have pushed battery designs beyond the brick style. Phones, requiring more and more capacity are now becoming much of the phones bulk these days. Obviously Tesla would want to find capacity and reduce bulk at the same time. The brick wall has always been finding materials that hold a charge, are relatively inexpensive, and durable and safe. So far, this has been moving at a snails pace.
"I have astigmatism in my eye, do you have the same problem? Yeah, it's when your eye goes screwy. My Optometrist said it was from years of doing stand-up comedy staring into the lights. Said he could fix it with laser surgery. I said what are you going to do, he said: 'I'm going to shine this light in your eyes."
that a fully charged car battery is a bomb? Or will we have to have some nut job terrorist drive a truck full of these up to a building and short them to understand that? Energy is energy and high voltage, high current shorts are explosions capable of creating expanding plasmas at thousands of degrees. I roughly calculated once that the energy equivalent of the gasoline in my gas tank was 240 sticks of dynamite. Should we expect it to be any different for batteries? Tell me why not.
E Proelio Veritas.
When I see the battery lifetime of my old Nokia phone, or recent iPhones, I notice the obvious problem is Android. I am lucky if my Nexus 4 isn't drained empty after 24 hours. Google can achieve "better batteries" (at least for their phones) by developing a new OS.
Surely she sells sea shore shells.
They should be investing into the new nuclear reactors, (thorium, etc) along with stationary batteries for large corps and utilities . This is where the west is NOT investing into.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Bonaparte built batteries for better battles!
I'm going to go lie down now, that was bad.
Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
I breathed a bit of relief that this wasn't another "battery breakthrough" story.
For the last 4-5 years it seems every popular news outlet is excited to announce battery breakthroughs. But for every breakthrough for instant charging for example they don't explain that the battery is 100x larger in size or 100x heavier or whatever. And similarly, when the battery holds 100x the energy, they don't explain the other downsides that impact its practical application. I mean, a capacitor "charges" quickly (and can discharge quickly), but with a number of trade-offs.
I don't know how to get folks to write a more nuanced story - this may just be because the sensational gets the headlines and clicks (even if not as accurate).
Batteries did get a whole lot better in the past decade. It's just that we do so much more with them that the drain on them more then matches the capacity gain we got. Don't blame the battery manufacturer, blame the public who wants 7" screens and oct core 4 Ghz processors on their phones.
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
in tiny amounts per battery, well encapsulated in diamond. Electric transmission by induction.