The 40-Hour Laptop Battery
Friday, January 18, 2008 Filed in: Media
Computer notebook and laptop batteries last anywhere
from three hours to five or six hours. What of the
future? Multiply times 10.
File this in News We Hope To Hear About Again. Soon. Scientists at Stanford University have created a Lithium ion battery that will last 10 times longer than today's batteries.
A typical notebook computer could run for 40 or 50 hours before a recharge.
The technological breakthrough has to do with nanowires in silicon anodes, the guts of Lithium ion batteries. When charged, anodes expand so there has been a limit to how large a battery could be and how much charge it could hold.
Nano technology, specifically silicon nanowires, are smaller and expand more, but do not fracture and do not require the same space as previous technology. So, a longer charge batteries for computer notebooks and other devices is on the way.
When? Soon.
When is soon and when can I buy one? Stanford's scientists are moving quickly, have already patented the process and hope to have it in production within a few years.
Could this breakthrough be similar to other breakthroughs in technology to improve gasoline mileage? We all want better mileage, right? Who doesn't? The oil industry, that's who.
So, who doesn't want a 40-hour laptop battery? How about the people who make batteries that only last a few hours before they need a recharge?
File this in News We Hope To Hear About Again. Soon. Scientists at Stanford University have created a Lithium ion battery that will last 10 times longer than today's batteries.
A typical notebook computer could run for 40 or 50 hours before a recharge.
The technological breakthrough has to do with nanowires in silicon anodes, the guts of Lithium ion batteries. When charged, anodes expand so there has been a limit to how large a battery could be and how much charge it could hold.
Nano technology, specifically silicon nanowires, are smaller and expand more, but do not fracture and do not require the same space as previous technology. So, a longer charge batteries for computer notebooks and other devices is on the way.
When? Soon.
When is soon and when can I buy one? Stanford's scientists are moving quickly, have already patented the process and hope to have it in production within a few years.
Could this breakthrough be similar to other breakthroughs in technology to improve gasoline mileage? We all want better mileage, right? Who doesn't? The oil industry, that's who.
So, who doesn't want a 40-hour laptop battery? How about the people who make batteries that only last a few hours before they need a recharge?
