Tech
New Battery Technology May Enable Long-Term Use
New battery technologies are revolutionizing the energy storage field. By offering the possibility of long-term use, they promise to increase efficiency in many areas, from electronic devices to electric vehicles.
We tend to use our smartphones for several years, so battery health is critically important. Battery health is a vital issue not only for mobile devices but also for electric vehicles and other electronic devices. In an ideal scenario, we desire these batteries to be charged and discharged hundreds or even thousands of times. However, today our dreams have not fully materialized; because lithium-ion batteries show a certain rate of degradation with each charge cycle. Over time, as the degradation rate increases, these batteries fail to hold a charge and eventually become unusable.
However, many studies are being conducted worldwide to develop new battery technologies and reduce their environmental impact. The new invention by scientists may open the doors to a battery technology that can endure hundreds of charge cycles with almost no degradation. Researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have succeeded in developing a type of battery that can maintain its health at nearly 100% after hundreds of cycles.
In this groundbreaking study, researchers developed an innovative method to create liquid batteries using new naphthalene derivatives called ORAM. These naphthalene compounds will not require protection from air, which will significantly reduce the production costs of liquid batteries.
The Potential of Liquid Batteries
Researchers using naphthalene derivatives in liquid batteries have developed a battery that demonstrates stable cycle performance for 850 cycles or about 40 days. These liquid batteries operated “smoothly” for 600 cycles or approximately 22 days without experiencing any loss of capacity and efficiency, even when exposed to continuous airflow. The researchers expanded this system and developed a “pilot” study based on naphthalene derivatives. This system reached approximately 330 Ah capacity and managed to maintain 99.95% of its capacity after 270 cycles (27 days).
If scientists can develop this technology to be used healthily and safely in mobile devices and cars, a device’s and car’s battery could last for decades. These developments could improve battery performance and durability in the future, allowing users to meet their energy needs more efficiently.