http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/batteries/ Read the latest research on everything from new longer life batteries and batteries with viruses to a nano-size battery. en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/batteries/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925111836.htm A simple device which attaches to a vehicles fuel line near the fuel injector and creates an electrical field could boost gas efficiency as much as 20 percent. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925111836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909205549.htm Researchers have shown how to reduce fuel consumption and dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909205549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121227.htm Researchers are helping to develop new rechargeable batteries that could improve hybrid electric cars in the future. For hybrid cars, new materials are crucial to make the batteries lighter, safer and more efficient in storing energy. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164612.htm Want more power and longer battery life for that cell phone, laptop, and digital music player? "Flower power" may be the solution. Chemists are reporting development of flower-shaped nanoparticles with superior electronic performance than conventional battery materials. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm Hybrid technology combines the advantages of combustion engines and electric motors. Scientists are developing high-performance energy storage units, a prerequisite for effective hybrid motors. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807073753.htm Why does lithium iron phosphate, a candidate for use in future lithium batteries, conduct electricity despite being an insulating material? Chemists have shed light on this paradox. Their experimentally verified "domino-cascade model" shows that local stresses within the material allow electrical and ionic conduction to spread from one area to the next, making the battery function. These results open new horizons in the search for improved battery electrode materials and help explain how tomorrow's electric car batteries work. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807073753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613174720.htm A low-power microchip uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than comparable chips now on the market. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613174720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516164817.htm A materials scientist has deciphered the structure of a new class of materials that can store relatively large quantities of hydrogen. The new analysis may point to a practical hydrogen storage material for automobile fuel cells and similar applications. Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516164817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145345.htm Engineers have improved the power output of one type of fuel cell by more than 50 percent through technology that could help these environmentally friendly energy storage devices find a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics. Mon, 19 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412172006.htm Scientists have developed a battery-free wireless 2-channel EEG system powered by a hybrid power supply using body heat and ambient light which could be used to monitor brain waves after a head injury or for other applications. The hybrid power supply combines a thermoelectric generator that uses the heat dissipated from a person's temples and silicon photovoltaic cells. The entire system is wearable and integrated into a device resembling headphones. The system can provide more than 1mW on average indoor, which is more than enough for the targeted application. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412172006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411151001.htm Researchers have created a novel safer lithium-ion battery. It is based on a polymer electrolyte, which is -- unlike the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries -- not inflammable. Lithium-ion batteries supply the power for cell phones and PDAs, and larger devices such as laptops, cordless screwdrivers and lawnmowers are becoming increasingly dependent on this power source. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411151001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411101947.htm If you thought all smoke alarms were equally effective, think again. Photoelectric smoke alarms are much more likely to remain functioning after installation than are ionization alarms. But ionization alarms are the most common type found in US households. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411101947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101128.htm Nanotechnology could improve the life of the lithium batteries used in portable devices, including laptop computers, mp3 players and mobile phones. New research demonstrates that carbon nanotubes can prevent such batteries from losing their charge capacity over time. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328114403.htm Researchers are developing a portable, hydrogen-generating power system to power everything from laptops to communications gear for soldiers in the battlefield. The system transforms jet fuel into hydrogen and will relive soldiers from having to carry heavy loads of batteries. Individual soldiers carry between 20 to 40 pounds of batteries on standard four-day missions. The batteries power soldiers' personal portable electronics, such as GPS systems and night-vision goggles. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328114403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330144843.htm A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat is being developed to gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330144843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319135829.htm An MIT materials scientist's research on sea snails has helped transform battery technology and may end the era when cell phones die if they're dropped and PDAs must be replaced if they get dunked in the tub. Thanks to those sea snails and a eureka moment a professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering is developing smart nano-materials -- hybrids of organic and inorganic components -- beginning with a rechargeable, biologically based battery that looks like plastic food wrap. Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319135829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319104308.htm A public-private effort to develop technologies for more fuel-efficient automobiles and to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen-based vehicles has made significant progress in most research areas, says a new report. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319104308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318100925.htm Scientists have completed the first ever series of flights by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles in Antarctica. This is the first time that unpiloted UAVs have been used in the Antarctic and the successful flights open up a major new technique for gathering scientific data in the harshest and remotest environment on Earth. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318100925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190607.htm Scientists have for the first time succeeded in monitoring electron transfer by Complex I in real time. In the future, this work might, for example, have medical relevance, because most of the maternally inherited so-called mitochondrial diseases are caused by dysfunction of Complex I. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225092402.htm Researchers are reporting development of a new electrode material that could ease concerns about the safety of those unbiquitous lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, while giving Li-ion batteries a power boost, according to a new study. Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225092402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218160545.htm The next generation of electric and hybrid cars may be a step closer thanks to new and improved polymer membranes that allow the development of bigger, safer, and more powerful lithium ion batteries, according to a new article. Lithium ion batteries will need to be bigger, safer, and more powerful if they are to be used effectively in motor vehicles. For that purpose, improved polymer separators are needed. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218160545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140751.htm A new energy-capturing knee brace can generate enough electricity from walking to operate a portable GPS locator, a cell phone, a motorized prosthetic joint or an implanted neurotransmitter. The researcher, who called the device "a cocktail-napkin idea," says knee joints are uniquely suited for this endeavor. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204102750.htm A new chip design for portable electronics can be up to 10 times more energy-efficient than present technology. The design could lead to cell phones, implantable medical devices and sensors that last far longer when running from a battery. In some applications, such as implantable medical devices, the goal is to make the power requirements so low that they could be powered exclusively by the body's own heat or movement. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204102750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080118093341.htm The odometer of a low emission hybrid electric test vehicle recently reached 100,000 miles as the car circled a track in the UK using the power of an advanced CSIRO battery system. The UltraBattery combines a supercapacitor and a lead acid battery in a single unit, creating a hybrid car battery that lasts longer, costs less and is more powerful than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080118093341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103101131.htm Scientists report on the characterization of the most conductive representative of the man-made argyrodite minerals made of lithium, phosphorus, sulfur, and bromine atoms, a potential material for lithium-ion batteries used in mobile devices. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103101131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219103105.htm Researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to increase the storage capacity of lithium ion batteries by 10. A laptop that nows runs for two hours on battery could run a stunning 20 hours. Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219103105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217110106.htm After recalls and fires involving Lithium-ion batteries, battery manufacturers and scientists have launched an intensive effort to improve the safety of these rechargeable power packs found in dozens of consumer electronics products. Fires and explosions involving Lithium-ion batteries are rare, occurring in anywhere from one in 1 million to one in 10 million batteries, according to the best estimates. Still, these widely-publicized incidents have worried consumers and forced costly recalls of millions of batteries. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217110106.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203133532.htm The price of oil nearly reached $100 a barrel recently, but a new prototype vehicle demonstrates how the cost of the black stuff could become a concern of the past. The system enables vehicles to not only run on electricity alone, but also to generate revenue by storing and providing electricity for utilities. The technology -- known as V2G, for vehicle-to-grid--lets electricity flow from the car's battery to power lines and back. Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203133532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127101936.htm Development of the first hybrid battery suitable for storing electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind is now a step closer. It is expected that the discharge and charge power of the Smart Storage battery will be 50 per cent higher and its cycle-life at least three times longer than that of the conventional lead-acid counterpart. Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127101936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026112117.htm New high-tech battery-powered textile yarns can be used to make clothing glow in the dark. These textiles could improve safety of cyclists, joggers and pedestrians on dark winter days. Current high visibility products -- such as those used by emergency services, cyclists and highway maintenance workers -- depend on external light sources to make them visible. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026112117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019175317.htm Researchers have developed technology that uses the vibrations caused by passing traffic to power wireless bridge monitoring sensors. Wireless battery-powered sensors that monitor bridges and report changes that may lead to failure are easy to install, but it is unwieldy to provide power for the sensors. Each bridge needs at least several sensors, many installed in hard-to-access locations. Replacing millions of batteries could become a problem, adding to the expense of maintaining the bridges. The researchers have found a way around this problem. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019175317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823183654.htm Hybrid electric cars need much better batteries--and A123, a plucky Massachusetts startup, says it's got them. Although the lithium-ion cells you see in laptops and mobile phones pack twice as much energy per pound as the next-best kind, they haven't found their way into hybrid cars because they're worryingly prone to fires. One company believes it has solved the problem with a lithium-ion design using a special formulation for the battery's cathode, or positive plate. Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823183654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143612.htm Cows could one day help to meet the rise in demand for alternative energy sources, say researchers that used microbe-rich fluid from a cow to generate electricity in a small fuel cell. This new microbial fuel cell is a redesign of a larger model that the researchers created a few years ago. The new cell is a quarter of the size of the original model, yet can produce about three times the power. Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814085347.htm Researchers have developed a new energy storage device that could be mistaken for a simple sheet of paper. The nanoengineered battery is lightweight, flexible and geared toward meeting the design requirements of tomorrow's electronics and implantable medical equipment. The device withstands extreme temperatures, is completely integrated, can be printed like paper, and can function as both a battery and a supercapacitor. It can also be partly powered by human blood or sweat. Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814085347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702150050.htm North Carolina State University physicists have recently deduced a way to improve high-energy-density capacitors so that they can store up to seven times as much energy per unit volume than the common capacitor. Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702150050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628183720.htm A new paper published in Journal of the American Ceramic Society proposes a new method of producing hydrogen for portable fuel cells. This new method negates the need for the complicated and expensive equipment currently used. With their ability to work steadily for 10-20 times the length of equivalently sized Lithium-ion batteries, portable fuel cells are ideal energy suppliers for devices such as computers, cell phones and hybrid vehicles. Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628183720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507154037.htm Scientists have developed a new approach to increasing the capacity and stability of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The technology is based on a new material for the positive electrode that is comprised of a unique nano-crystalline, layered-composite structure. Tue, 08 May 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507154037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402153516.htm Researchers can now predict how nanostructuring -- the extreme reduction of structure -- will affect the performance of Li-ion batteries. The nanostructuring of battery materials is likely to be common practice in the future, but it is not always performance enhancing. Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402153516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070325111602.htm Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell that runs on virtually any sugar source -- including soft drinks -- and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional batteries, they say. Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070325111602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070323141052.htm A paper-like, polymer based rechargeable battery has been made by Japanese scientists. With recent advances in the technology of portable electronic devices, there is a demand for flexible batteries to power them. Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070323141052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070309103150.htm The three-dimensional shells of tiny ocean creatures could provide the foundation for novel electronic devices, including gas sensors able to detect pollution faster and more efficiently than conventional devices. Sun, 11 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070309103150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070228123151.htm A car wastes energy almost continuously. Accelerating a little less or a little bit more than the optimal performance can cause considerable loss of energy. John Kessels has designed a way to save energy by enabling the car to achieve optimal engine performance more frequently. With a relatively small modification it is possible to reduce fuel consumption by 2.6 percent. Thu, 01 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070228123151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070111184410.htm Engineering physics researchers are devising a unique "blanket" that will enable them to squeeze as much electricity as possible from nuclear-powered batteries the size of a grain of coarse salt. Such batteries, which exploit the natural decay of radioisotopes to generate electricity, could provide virtually indefinite power for micro-technologies like fly-sized robots for military applications or sensors that monitor a building's health. Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070111184410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211221149.htm A new study finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country's 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics. This is the first review of what the impacts would be of very high market penetrations of PHEVs. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also evaluated the impact of PHEVs, on foreign oil imports, the environment, electric utilities and the consumer. Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211221149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061018094051.htm Testing soldiers to see if they have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons could soon be much faster and easier, thanks to MIT researchers who are helping to develop a tiny diagnostic device that could be carried into battle. By tweaking the design of a tiny pump, the researchers have taken a major step towards making an existing "lab on a chip" fully portable, so the device can perform chemical experiments in any setting. Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061018094051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061007111404.htm On September 15, flight controllers at ESA's Space Operations Centre watched tensely as "Rumba," No. 1 in the four-spacecraft Cluster fleet, was switched into a low-power, deep hibernation mode. The aim was to survive a challenging eclipse. Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061007111404.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920082742.htm Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have designed and built ceramic microreactors for the on-site reforming of hydrocarbon fuels, such as propane, into hydrogen for use in fuel cells and other portable power sources. Applications include power supplies for small appliances and laptop computers, and on-site rechargers for battery packs used by the military. Tue, 03 Oct 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920082742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920083253.htm MIT researchers are putting a tiny gas-turbine engine inside a silicon chip about the size of a quarter. The resulting device could run 10 times longer than a battery of the same weight can, powering laptops, cell phones, radios and other electronic devices. It could also dramatically lighten the load for people who can't connect to a power grid, including soldiers who now must carry many pounds of batteries for a three-day mission -- all at a reasonable price. Wed, 20 Sep 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920083253.htm