Electronics giant Toshiba today announced the development of a new lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which may revolutionize the rechargeable battery segment of the electronics industry.
The reason for the excitement comes from Toshiba’s prototype for the new lithium-ion battery, which can be recharged to 80% strength in one minute. When released, the battery will boast the fastest recharge time on the market, reducing the time for recharge by a factor of 60.
According to Toshiba, in order to facilitate the rapid recharge time, the company employed the use of nano-material technology. Toshiba indicates how the nano-technology will provide such improvements by saying:
A breakthrough technology applied to the negative electrode uses new nano-particles to prevent organic liquid electrolytes from reducing during battery recharging. The nano-particles quickly absorb and store vast amount of lithium ions, without causing any deterioration in the electrode.
The battery should be available in 2006 and is currently intended for use in the automotive and industrial sectors.
Toshiba also provides an example of the battery’s application, while detailing various specifications:
The battery’s advantages in size, weight and safety highly suit it for a role as an alternative power source for hybrid electric vehicles.
Major Specifications of New Battery
Excellent Recharge Performance
The thin battery recharges to 80% of full capacity in only a minute. Total recharge takes only a few more minutes.
High Energy Density
Small and light, the new battery offers a high level of storage efficiency. The prototype battery is only 3.8mm thick, 62mm high and 35mm deep and has a capacity of 600mAh.
Long Life Cycle
A prototype of new battery (a laminated lithium ion battery with 600mAh capacity) was discharged and fully recharged 1,000 times at a temperature of 25 degrees centigrade and lost only 1% of capacity during the test.
Temperature
The new battery operates well in extremes of temperature. It discharges 80% of its capacity at minus 40 degrees centigrade, against 100% at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees centigrade, and loses only 5% of capacity at temperatures as high as 45 degrees centigrade after 1,000 cycles. These characteristics assure the wide applicability of the battery as a power source for products as diverse as hybrid vehicles and mobile phones.
Eco-friendly Battery
The new battery can quickly store energy produced by locomotives and automobiles. This speedy and highly effective recharge characteristic of the battery will support CO 2 reduction, as the battery can save and re-use energy that was simply wasted before.
murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
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