Battery Makers Trying to Find Ways to Keep Up With More Demands From Users of High-Tech Products
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Much of the research is centered on improving the lithium ion battery, which has revolutionized the electronics industry since it was widely adopted in the mid-1990s. Found in most mobile electronics gear, lithium ion batteries are energy dense, smaller and lighter than nickel-based batteries, but are often more expensive.
They work by mixing lithium cobaltate at the positive terminal and graphite at the negative. The two materials produce a lot of energy when they react with each other.
Some of the scientists involved believe lithium ion has maxed out as a power source. And some companies are already coming up with new materials to replace cobaltate and graphite.
Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, each announced earlier this year that they had developed longer-lasting lithium ion batteries by tweaking the chemical equation.
Both companies say their batteries can boost the life of a battery by up to 30 percent, claims that some analysts question.
Sony says it replaced graphite with a mixture of tin, cobalt, and carbon for its "hybrid" battery, which is being rolled out exclusively in the company's new DVD Handycam camcorders.
Mike Kahn, a Sony senior product manager, said the new materials stuff more ions into a cell, extending the life of the battery by 20 percent in normal conditions. The hybrid outperforms standard batteries in cold weather by 30 percent, and recharges faster, he says.
Kahn declined to say when Sony's innovation would be brought to cell phones, laptops or other products.
Panasonic says it's working together with Intel Corp. to develop an "all-day battery," increasing the capacity by swapping cobaltate for another material the company won't disclose.
The new material allows the batteries to be discharged down to a lower voltage, enabling users to get more runtime from their devices. Designed to power laptops, cell phones and other mobile electronics, Panasonic's first generation battery is scheduled to hit store shelves in April, says Kurt Kelty, director of the Panasonic Energy Solutions Lab.
Intel's contribution is developing a mobile platform technology enabling laptops to take advantage of Panasonic's battery.
"It's not a trivial matter to get handheld devices to operate down to 2.5 volts," said Kelty, adding that most laptops are designed to shut down when a battery gets down to 3 volts. "Intel is going to modify their platform so their chips can run off the lower voltage." |
