This article discussed the progress researchers
are making in developing essentially "wireless electricity" for
batteries and other devices that require charging. This holds huge potentials
for the world of IT in improving the way batteries are manufactured; these
newer batteries are supposedly 10x more powerful than traditional lithium
batteries. The article discusses the progress on these batteries by talking
about a new "fluffy carbon electrode" that researchers were able to
study and harness. Scientists at Cambridge University are currently
researching the air batteries, and they say the technology still needs another
10 years before it is perfected. The reasoning behind this is mostly because of
the questionable outcomes of the batteries by environmentalist-minded people.
One concern is that the batteries will be unstable and dangerous. Furthermore,
even if the batteries are stable, they will perform poorly or give out less
charge than traditional wire chargers.
The upsides of this technology are
very obvious though; convenience of use and ability to charge multiple objects
faster add to the advancement towards wireless-technology. Another use these
batteries are aimed to do is to help power cars. The larger purpose of this
technology is to be used as a form of energy that could help improve or even
replace the need for fuel. I think that this energy seems very promising, and
makes me start to think just how far away “the future” really could be. If
these batteries end up working as intended, a whole new doorway to new
technologies could be possible. I think this idea is something worth keeping an
eye on over the next few years as this science progresses.
Right now, the biggest problems the
researchers face is the instability of the batteries (resulting in an explosion
if improperly balanced), and the impurities of the air – the batteries require pure oxygen, something that is harder to
find than one may think in today’s world.
Sayer,
Peter. “Fluffy carbon electrodes bring lithium-air batteries closer to reality.”
Computerworld. http://www.computerworld.com/article/2999898/emerging-technology/fluffy-carbon-electrodes-bring-lithium-air-batteries-closer-to-reality.html.
Last accessed: November 1, 2015.
If these futuristic batteries were to be able to power cars, then they can be the means to a break from fuel and our dependence on foreign countries, e.g., Saudi Arabia. However, when these batteries are developed, will it be able to immediately power electric cars? Although possible, this will likely take a very long time and an even longer time to implement. It would then be necessary to install many charging stations throughout the country, which would be a long and expensive process, similar to the transition into the electric car stage now with cars companies such as Tesla. If these batteries then were to be used for our cars, then we would likely not be able to provide sufficient enough energy to continually power them. We would then need to build more energy providing plants to help supply all the energy that would be needed, which would also be a long and expensive process. In the end though, although costly, I believe that using these batteries would become a potent alternative to fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteI think what stands out in this article is the addition of the "fluffy carbon electrode" made of graphene. Graphene is the newest "super material" that scientist have been praising for its incredible multiplicity of properties. Graphene is said to be the ever 2-dimensional material, meaning that it is only one atom thick, while at the same time being 207x as strong as steel; additionally, lithium-coated graphene has shown to have superconducting properties. With an energy density comparable to gasoline, lithium-air batteries, may be used for much more than just cars, anything gas powered will be replaceable. It is an understandable concern that we don't produce enough electricity to supply a new generation of li-air cars, but I think the gasoline saved from not having to pump it into gas cars, will be used to produce the electricity required to run a fleet of electric cars. Finally, li-air batteries have been shown to be rechargeable over 2000 times, if this technology is brought to the mainstream it may end up creating a lack of demand because of the efficiency of the battery; consumers would be able to wait years and maybe even decades before buying a new battery.
ReplyDeleteI really like the topic that you chose for your blog, it was interesting and innovative. With that said, I think you could have done more with it. I wish you talked more about the specifics of it, how powerful of a charge it would be, how far can a device be from the battery to charge, answers to questions like that. A little bit more research on the information for the readers could have gone a long way. This seems really cool when the technology is applied to charging cars. I have heard about concepts for Audi's upcoming all electric vehicle that will be able to park itself over a charging dock, and the energy will transfer through the space beneath the car from the charging battery to the car. This technology sounds a lot like the "wireless electricity" that you are talking about. I am excited to see this technology in the future but can understand the risks when you are dealing with unstable forces. Hopefully we can find a clean, reliable way to produce with technology sooner than the 10 year estimate.
ReplyDelete