close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

Supercapacitor technology could enable phone batteries to be charged in seconds and electric vehicles in minutes » TwistedSifter
Michigan

Supercapacitor technology could enable phone batteries to be charged in seconds and electric vehicles in minutes » TwistedSifter

Supercapacitor technology could enable phone batteries to be charged in seconds and electric vehicles in minutes » TwistedSifterSupercapacitor technology could enable phone batteries to be charged in seconds and electric vehicles in minutes » TwistedSifter

Energy storage has made great strides in recent generations, but it still represents a major bottleneck for some of the technologies that have the potential to move the world forward.

For example, while electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, the fact that they require huge batteries and can take a long time to charge remains a problem.

An even more important example is renewable energy from wind and solar. Solar energy has the potential to supply the entire world with almost unlimited amounts of electricity.

The problem, however, is that we cannot store it efficiently.

In many parts of the world, skies are clear and bright most of the day, providing the potential to generate enormous amounts of electricity.

The problem is that the energy cannot be stored and transported efficiently. If this were possible, solar energy could quickly be used in a similar way to petroleum energy.

It would be “mined” in one part of the world and transported to where it is needed in the rest of the world.

One of the biggest obstacles to this type of technology is the ability to pick up and charge batteries quickly enough. One of the bottlenecks in this is a capacitor that can quickly pick up electricity and store it for a short time before passing it on.

However, according to a press release from the University of Colorado at Boulder, this technological limitation may have been overcome.

They claim to have found the “missing link” needed to develop supercapacitors that can handle far more power than current technology. Ankur Gupta, the lead author of a study on supercapacitors, commented:

“The biggest advantage of supercapacitors is their speed. So how can we speed up their charging and energy release? By making the ions move more efficiently.”

The further development is based on an update of Kirchhoff’s law. This should be possible by using a porous environment that allows the electrical ions to penetrate faster than before.

Of course, the actual method proposed for supercapacitors is far more advanced and technical than simply using any porous material.

Source: OpenAccessGovernmentSource: OpenAccessGovernment

If supercapacitors can be created and manufactured and deployed on a large scale, they could have a massive impact on almost every aspect of people’s lives. They could charge a laptop or a phone in seconds. Cars could be charged in just a few minutes. The possibilities are almost endless.

Although there is still much work to be done before supercapacitors are used in our everyday electronic devices, this method (if it works as described) represents a critical step forward in overcoming one of the biggest bottlenecks in today’s electronics.

If they work, these supercapacitors could revolutionize energy storage and distribution.

If you found this interesting, you might want to read a story revealing that the most expensive precious metal on Earth is neither gold nor platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *