Even if nobody notices, batteries are changing the world!
- rohitsingh011994
- May 8, 2019
- 2 min read
If you are interested in technological advances today, you cannot ignore battery technology. Not
because it would drive that progress, but because you cannot shake the feeling that it's blocking it. Of course, these are breakthroughs in research - the user, however, does not get that much in daily life.
Immense development
And yet, in few years, there has been immense development in battery technology. Lithium-Ion
technology has established itself as the current standard. Lithium-ion batteries today store twice as
much energy as the first sold by Sony in 1991 copies. And they are ten times cheaper.
For example, the energy density of around notebook batteries is currently around 250 Wh/kg and for
cars, for safety reasons, between 160 and 180-watt hours per kilogram. It is generally assumed that the
energy density can be maximally doubled by Li Ion Cell Manufacturers. In addition, prices are to be
halved again by 2020. All this, Nota bene, just with the optimization of existing lithium-ion technology.
Perception of battery power
And yet, most people succumb to the feeling that little has happened in battery technology. This is
mainly due to our smartphones, which we think need much more energy. That's nominal first. But if you compare early and today's model, you have to come to the conclusion that this is not really true.
However, what has changed is that we no longer (only) use devices like phones. However, the
perception of battery performance has suffered so much that most people have the feeling that the
batteries have not got better.
The bane of different dimensions
That battery technology does not simply progress exponentially has several causes. On the one hand,
there is the basis: there are chemical and physical limits because every electron which is to be stored in the battery needs (in simple terms) an atom (or molecule) with which it can be bound. However, each atom can only bind a limited amount of electrons.
Approximately 70% of all lithium-ion batteries are already being recycled today. What many do not
know: Batteries which can no longer be used in cars, can still make sense in stationary applications. A
battery is not simply broken or ok, but loses power and is therefore no longer suitable for certain
purposes.
The thought
By far the biggest impact will be on devices and gadgets that have only been considered and not
implemented due to the lack of sufficient battery elements. Thus, the greatly improved battery
technology is the basis for so many developments in robotics, cybernetics, IoT, medicine, research by Li Ion Battery Manufacturers. There are only a few areas where a super battery would have no effect.
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