Super fast rechargable batteries

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

This a exciting.  Researchers found a way to make a variant of common lithium batteries that can recharge or discharge in seconds.

While at first this seems to fit in the cool, but not life changing categories, it's a potential game changer for electric cars.  Running out of power after 40 miles isn't such a big deal if it only takes 5 minutes at a gas station to recharge again.

[lugaru]

I still giggle when I recharge my camera batteries in 10 minutes, this is just crazy. I guess all the more reason for me to hold out for an electric car. I'm 29 and have never OWNED one, although back in Mexico I used to drive a lot for a buisness. Maybe once it is electrical and not super expensive I will get one, for now Zipcar is enough.

[Epimethee]

For reference: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/03/lithium-breakthrough-could-charge-batteries-in-10-seconds.ars

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Sorry about that.  I completely forget to put up the link.

For the record, you won't really see ten seconds.  While it could be done, it would require a tremendous amount of power that would melt all but the heaviest connections.

A couple of minutes, one the other hand, is far more likely.

[zuludelta]

Nice. The lack of residential infrastructure to support the amount of power these things can draw will limit their practicality and recharge time-savings over traditional rechargeable batteries, though (at least initially). The fastest commercial off-the-shelf rechargeable batteries I've used so far are the Rayovac Hybrid Lithium AAA and AA batteries, which allegedly fully recharge in 15 minutes if used with their proprietary charger (I've never really tested their claim, though, just assumed it was true).

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

As I said, the biggest use will be for more heavy duty appliances, like electric cars.  Being able to stop and fully recharge an electric car in just a few minutes effectively removes their main disadvantage.  That would still involved stopping a bit too often for a long trip, but further advancement in battery capacity should remedy that.

Regardless of what the conspiracy theorists might say, the main reason electric cars aren't in heavy use is they just aren't practical for all but a few--but this could change that.

[Uncle Yuan]

Regardless of what the conspiracy theorists might say, the main reason electric cars aren't in heavy use is they just aren't practical for all but a few--but this could change that.

They may not be desirable to all but a few, but for a significant percentage of multiple car owning suburban families electric only cars are extremely practical.  Something like 80% of the miles the average suburban commuter drives in a year fit within current electric car performance profiles.  With a second gasoline engine car for longer trips, or more of a willingness to rent cars for specific tasks, many, many people could currently easily drive an electric car.

[BentonGrey]

Ehh, my problem with electric cars isn't their low-ish battery life, it's the fact that it doesn't really solve anything.  It just places the problem at one further remove from us.  Instead of burning fossil fuels, we're using electricity created by power plants that often burn fossil fuels.  Yeah, in areas with nuclear or hydro electric power it is a good thing, but much of the country has neither.  Also, heaven help the areas that are using wind-power if you've got a still day.

[Reepicheep]

I just find it funny that the elements for Lithium-iron-phosphate almost spell out Lifepoo.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

I just find it funny that the elements for Lithium-iron-phosphate almost spell out Lifepoo.

Certainly a renewable resource...

[stumpy]

Benton, I don't carry any illusions that electric cars are the magic solution to energy consumption issues. And they do, to some extent, represent simply moving the place where the fossil fuel consumption occurs from one place to another. But, they do offer an advantages over internal combustion engine cars as regards fossil fuel consumption in two significant areas.

First, electric cars have (or can have) regenerative braking, in which the motors that drive the wheels are used as generators, converting some of that kinetic energy of the car's motion back into electrical energy for the battery instead of converting it into heat wasted at the brake pads.

Second, the conversion of fuels to electrical power in a commercial power plant is much more efficient than it is in a car engine. So, the same amount of fuel gives more usable energy. Of course, in a car, the chemical energy of the fuel turns into mechanical energy which is used directly to move the car, whereas the power plant converts it into mechanical energy, then to electric energy, then it charges the batteries, then is converted back into mechanical energy by the car's electric motors and each of those stages has some loss associated with it. But, electrical conversion losses are relatively low and the overall power plant process is still more efficient than a gas or even diesel engine.

Anyway, I think the new technology is very cool, both in producing batteries which can be charged much more quickly and in the higher storage density (run your cell phone for longer on the same size battery).

[Uncle Yuan]

Believe it or not, the areas in the US best suited for wind power generation very rarely have a calm day.  But yes, the power generating potential is highly dependent on the weather.  Still, even with the weather factored in, the potential power to be generated is enormous.  What's needed now is an efficient way to bank the power for when the wind is low.  Perhaps a gigantic, high capacity, super fast rechargeable battery . . .