New technologies could vastly improve powering for mobile devices.

Batteries will be improving mobile device energy storage soon. These battery improvements will significantly increase the use of and operating life of a wide range of mobile devices.

The "Dominion Energy Advisor," a publication put out by one of the country’s leading energy companies, recently published an article, "Charging Ahead: Advances in Battery Technology," that is excerpted below (reprinted with permission):

In our increasingly mobile society, advanced energy storage is more important than ever. Batteries are used for plug-in vehicles, consumer electronics, renewable energy storage, back-up power, implantable medical devices, and a host of commercial and industrial applications. There is great demand for batteries that are smaller, last longer, and are more powerful....

Researchers are experimenting with adding silicon to the anode side of batteries. A typical battery consists of three parts: the cathode (positive), anode (negative), and an electrolyte, which is a liquid material that allows ions to move from the negative end to the positive end; a process that continues until the stored charge is exhausted. This has the potential to increase the storage capacity of a lithium-ion battery by a factor of 10 and reduce the amount of time it takes for recharging. Unfortunately, silicon has difficulty holding its structure during a battery's charging and discharging cycles. This degradation causes capacity fade, which limits a battery’s ability to hold a charge. One way to overcome this problem is to bond the silicon with another material.

A group of chemists at Boston College have successfully increased storage capacity and reduced capacity fade using a silicon-coated titanium material. While [this work is] still in development, researchers believe that these developments have the potential to expand future battery applications.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have successfully improved the performance of small lithium-ion batteries. By changing the surface structure of the lithium iron phosphate battery material, the researchers increased the power rate to be comparable to supercapacitors. Such battery materials may enable smaller, lighter batteries in cell phones, and other small devices.... (National Nanotechnology Institute (NNI). Battery Materials for Ultra-fast Charging and Discharging. 2009.)

Other breakthroughs are challenging the very nature of traditional battery materials. Recent advances have lead to razor thin batteries made from organic compounds. The organic radical battery (ORB) developed by NEC Corporation, uses an organic radical polymer to produce energy. The polymer (a type of plastic) forms a gel state, allowing the battery to be very thin and flexible, like a sheet of paper. The ORB is also environmentally friendly, using non-toxic organic materials instead of the potentially hazardous metals commonly used in conventional batteries.

Advances in nanotechnology...may enable batteries to increase power and storage capacity, while vastly reducing size and weight. By using carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires, scientists at Stanford University have designed an ink that will turn paper into bendable batteries and supercapacitors. The charge and discharge cycles are thought to be significantly greater than lithium-ion batteries, giving them a much longer potential lifespan. The high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanomaterials allows for a quick transfer of electricity. Uses range from industrial energy storage to hybrid vehicles. (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). "Breakthrough in Battery Science". Energy Matters. Spring, 2010).

Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology NanoPower Research Labs are exploring the possibility of using single-wall carbon nanotubes in the anode and cathode side of batteries. The carbon nanotubes might replace materials such as graphite and carbon black, commonly used in conventional lithium-ion batteries. The potential advantages of this approach include increased capacity, increased depth of discharge, and an increased temperature operating range....

Scientists are developing a different type of battery known as lithium-air, which is designed to store much larger amounts of energy. The lithium-air battery is similar in structure to the lithium-ion battery, but includes a porous cathode that supplies oxygen. The lithium-air battery has the potential for energy storage five to ten times greater than conventional batteries. Scientific and engineering challenges remain in developing the technology, however, and it could be a number of years before actual commercialization.

A new hybrid battery technology combines the energy storage capacity of batteries with the nearly endless life cycle of supercapacitors to create a powerful new energy storage device. Supercapacitors store energy by physically separating positive and negative charges--unlike the chemical reaction used by batteries. Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the national science agency of Australia, have developed the UltraBattery, which merges a supercapacitor with a traditional lead-acid battery. Tests have shown that the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is four times longer and produces 50% more power than conventional battery systems. The UltraBattery has potential applications in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and as energy storage for renewable energy systems--such as solar and wind power.

The all-electron battery is a novel device that promises to present an entirely new class of energy storage technology. Under development at Stanford University, the device stores energy by moving electrons rather than ions--as in conventional battery technology. The all-electron battery also uses an advanced architecture that has the potential for very high energy density and a longer lifetime than conventional batteries. (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The All-Electron Battery--A Quantum Leap Forward in Energy Storage. U.S. Department of Energy. 2010.

This article previously appeared in the Dominion Business Energy Advisor newsletter, and is used with permission.