The Potential of Next-generation Batteries

The imminent need for energy sources in human history takes us to analyse the history and potential of a well know market, the industry of batteries. When we think of batteries we not only reach the thought of an energy source, but we also must recognize the extra value they have by being portable. The portability of these batteries have great benefits, think of a mine, think of a rescue, a trip, and many other situations that may come to mind. In my head a modern society could not be pictured fully without these ingenious devices we commonly call batteries.

A man by the name of Alessandro Volta had some previous knowledge of electrostatic and electrical force but after his creation of the voltaic cell he was able to prove the presence of electromotive force (emf/voltage), which can be measured in volts. In 1799 Volta invented the battery by piling many voltaic cells in series, one on top of the other. He was able to produce a voltage of about 50 volts for a 32 cell pile. Volta thought though, that his cells were and endless source of electrical force, and ignored the fact that this electrical energy sourced from a chemical reaction which eventually ran out.

By the year 1836 batteries provided more reliable current and were adopted in industry and a few households, it should also be noted that electrical distribution networks did not exist then. Near the end of the 19th century the creation of the dry cell batteries made them even more practical and reliable. Batteries had not evolved much since the 1800’s; Proof of it would be the commonly used automotive battery. The basic principle had prevailed, the heaviness and toxicity of the large vehicle battery remains the same. Even with such limitations business has gone well for those in the battery industry. The global market for large and advance batteries alone went from $8.4 billion dollars in 2006 to $8.9 billion dollars in 2007. And this market is expected to reach $22.4 billion by the year 2022.

Lithium-ion batteries have been replacing older styles of batteries over the past years, and as people are becoming more green they tend to push away from oil which in turn leads these batteries to be further developed. The improvements being made in the field of lithium-ion batteries will lead to more stable, higher capacity holding, and longer living batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries emerged in 1990. Due to the growing popularity of lithium-ion batteries, they are being used in anything from small cell phones to large hybrid or full electric vehicles.

The lithium-ion batteries being made offer energy densities two to three times and power densities five to six times higher than other conventional batteries. Therefore like most batteries you want to have the largest capacity you can get with the smallest cell you can build, and that’s why the move to lithium-ion batteries started. These batteries already have a high energy density, high galvanic potential, a low self-discharge rate, they are low in weight, and have little memory effect. The memory effect is a tendency where the cells lose capacity because of improper charging or discharging, which reduces cell life and run times. For the purpose of electric vehicles lithium-ion cells must have the ability to discharge, to create enough power to accelerate onto a highway. This ability to quickly discharge is reached for a small loss in capacity. When using LiCoO2, the smaller the particle size of the LiCoO2 cathode material, will show a higher discharge capacity. They then synthesized ultra fine particles by self propagating combustion. This step towards creating high discharging capabilities is a step towards creating safer fully electric vehicles.

The next necessary item on the list was to make lithium-ion batteries more attractive. To achieve this they had to be lighter than older conventional batteries. This situation occurs as the technology increases. Another way to create a cheaper, smaller cell would be to minimize the outer casing or by lightening up what the anode, cathode and separators are made of.

This technology could possibly revolutionize the already greatly advancing renewable energy sector. By using sodium, aluminum and zinc-based batteries, coupled with state of the art energy storage solutions, this tech could allow mini-grids to provide clean energy for an entire village or small town.