MIT has created a new way to create non-toxic batteries. It has developed batteries with the use of carbon nanotubes that could potentially power everything from smartphones to electric cars.
The findings are due to the creation of a wire made from carbon nanotubes, which are tiny cylinders of carbon. This wire can produce an electric current when it's progressively heated from one end to the other. Now, researchers have increased the efficiency of this process to create devices that produce power: batteries.
"It's actually remarkable that this [phenomenon] hasn't been studied before," Michael Strano from MIT said.
A lot of the researchers' work has focused on improving the efficiency of generating power and also finding out exactly how this works. Now, new experiments may give them a better sense of the underlying mechanism.
The effect itself occurs as a pulse of heat pushes electrons through the bundle of carbon nanotubes. This carries the electrons with it. Known as a "thermopower wave," it can sometimes divide into two components. This can either reinforce one another or counter each other.
The original experience used potentially explosive materials to create heat to drive the reaction. Now, though, researchers are using sucrose. With that said, the MIT scientists believe that other combustible materials may able to create devices with even more power.
The new battery is powerful enough to be able to power simple electronic devices, such as an LED light. Unlike batteries that can gradually lose power if they are stored for long periods, the new system should, in theory, have what is effectively an indefinite shelf life.
The new creation is important for showing the increase of energy and lifetime of this particular battery.
"I believe that we are still far from the upper limit that the thermopower wave devices can potentially reach," said Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, professor of electrical and computer engineering at RMIT University. "However, this step makes the technology more attractive for real applications. We can obtain phenomenal bursts of power, which is not possible from batteries. For instance, the thermopower wave systems can be used for powering long-distance transmission units in micro- and nano-telecommunication hubs."
The findings are published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.
