Batteries of tomorrow
The first battery was developed
by Alessandro Volta in 1800 using alternating layers of metal and blotting paper
soaked in salt water. His invention looked very similar to a stack of coins,
and it provided very little voltage or energy. However his creation would soon
lead to many innovations that have resulted in the modern day battery. We rely
on batteries for many functions that we take for granted. They are found in
our alarm clocks, watches, cell phones, computers, and cars. They have a significant
impact on our lives, however most people do not know how or why they work. The
first thing to understand is that all batteries are not created equally.
Some of the common battery
compositions include Lithium Ion - found in many of our consumer electronics
including: laptops, digital cameras, and cell phones, Nickel-cadmium and Nickel-metal
hydride - used for the make up of many rechargeable batteries, the Alkaline
based battery which is a disposable battery such as Energizer and Duracell,
and finally the lead acid battery which is a deep cycle battery found in our
modern day cars. One of the main criteria in judging the quality of a battery
is its power and energy to weight ratio. While bigger batteries are able to
provide more energy they often times do not meet the size requirements in many
of our consumer electronics.
Similar to developments
made from Alessandro Volto's battery in the 1800's, tomorrows battery promises
to be smaller and much more powerful, allowing us to perhaps operate super computers
in the palm of our hand. While there hasn't been any definitive technology in
the forefront, there are many competing technologies that offer a wide variety
of benefits.
Fuel Cell
One of the most promising
technologies is the fuel cell. Similar to today's batteries, a fuel cell relies
on an electrochemical reaction to product energy. However what is unique about
it is that it converts hydrogen and oxygen into water to produce electricity.
However the benefit of the fuel cell unlike the traditional battery is that
over time a traditional battery will end up losing its power, or you constantly
have to recharge it; while a fuel cell is constantly being recharged due to
the flow of chemicals.
Although we may not see
fuel cells crop up on a wide scale for at least 5 -10 years, they have very
little negative effects. The first applications will be for home and small business
use, providing a means for backup and supplemental power. Cars will eventually
incorporate this technology to help better the environment. Once this technology
has proven to be reliable in both of these categories the fuel cell may then
make it to large scale power source.
Nanotechnology
Today, there are companies developing solar and
energy storage products, based on nanotechnology using carbon nanotubes. Many
believe the ultimate replacement for fossil fuels will be fulfilled by the use
of photovoltaic, combined with an appropriate technology to store hydrogen.
The ultimate energy cycle for future generations will then be using the sun
as the primary source of energy, converting it to electricity via photovoltaic
methods, using the photovoltaic electricity to electrolyze water, store the
hydrogen from the electrolysis process, and use this hydrogen by reconverting
it in a fuel cell into electricity. This technology will eventually result in:
- Electric field controlled hydrogen storage
in carbon nanotubes, acronym to be used FHSN (Field controlled Hydrogen Storage
Nanoparticles)
- Nickel carbon nanotube batteries, Ni/CN batteries
Batteries play a significant
role in our lives and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. The
future of batteries for laptop computers, camcorder, lithium, cordless phone,
UPS, alarm systems, watch, hearing aid, camera, digital camera, power tools,
cordless drills, and other power supplies, is ever changing. Technologies such
as fuel cells, solar cells, and improvements in the lithium ion battery significantly
make our lives easier.