First Breakthrough in Batteries in 200 Years: Nanotube Ultra-Capacitors

Cambridge, MA - Traditional batteries haven't progressed far beyond the basic design developed by Alessandro Volta in the 19th century. But work at MIT's Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems (LEES) holds out the promise of the first technologically significant and economically viable alternative to conventional batteries in more than 200 years.

Researchers at MIT's LEES Laboratory are using nanotube structures to improve on an energy storage device called an ultracapacitor.

Capacitors store energy as an electrical field, making them more efficient than standard batteries, which get their energy from chemical reactions. Ultracapacitors are capacitor-based storage cells that provide quick, massive bursts of instant energy. They are sometimes used in fuel-cell vehicles to provide an extra burst for accelerating into traffic and climbing hills.

However, ultracapacitors need to be much larger than batteries to hold the same charge.

The LEES invention would increase the storage capacity of existing commercial ultracapacitors by storing electrical fields at the atomic level.

Continued at Fuel Cell Works

Able to charge in seconds, last for years, and environmentally safe ultracapacitors are set to take over the battery market.

Technically not a battery, an ultracapacitor stores energy by separation of charge not chemical change.

Brick walls lined the path of all battery technologies, and for the simple reason that more energetic chemicals tend to explode.

Watch for this and other nano-materials to change the shape of our future.

I wonder if this is the new technology that president Bush was speaking of?


Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough

Bush is real wrong about startling most Americans about energy production.... Because all the switched on Americans are in ATS, read alot, and know the double crossing sneaky back handed thieves in power are hiding all the free energy needed to stop all wars dead in their tracks. Why do we know this? because those in power are those in oil, and those in oil hide all the other clean free energy. Its interesting to note that only now with oil production threatened world wide does Bush suddenely announce that a company HE personally has interests in has developed a clean form of energy from coal...GGGRRRR

Originally posted by FredT
I wonder if this is the new technology that president Bush was speaking of?


Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough

This is an energy STORAGE breakthrough.

I think Bush was talking about an energy SOURCE.

Hmmm... larger and more expensive than regular batteries?

Originally posted by Enkidu
Hmmm... larger and more expensive than regular batteries?

Before this new breakthrough existing ultra-capacitors were larger, and more expensive, but thats all changed now.

The new nanotube-enhanced ultracapacitors could be made in any of the sizes currently available and be produced using conventional technology.

"This configuration has the potential to maintain and even improve the high performance characteristics of ultracapacitors while providing energy storage densities comparable to batteries," Schindall said. "Nanotube-enhanced ultracapacitors would combine the long life and high power characteristics of a commercial ultracapacitor with the higher energy storage density normally available only from a chemical battery."

With the ability to charge in just a few seconds, and long efficient lifespans Ultra-Capacitors will replace batteries in many applications.

Mass production may prove cheaper than you might imagine.

Its the ideal solution for electric vehicles.

Carbon Nanotubes are still extremely expensive so until they come down in price don't expect to get your hands on these anytime soon.

www.carbonsolution.com...

AP-SWNT's = 50/gram
RFP-SWNT's = 250/gram

The price's have not come down that much since the last time I checked.

"Technically not a battery"

I believe that sums it up. Sure Caps are great, and quite promising, but dont confuse them with batteries. It's kind of a misleading subject line. L-Ion batteries have much potential as do other emerging battery technologies. Caps are useful for some applications to be sure, but it just isnt the same thing.

Originally posted by Terapin
"Technically not a battery"

I believe that sums it up. Sure Caps are great, and quite promising, but dont confuse them with batteries. It's kind of a misleading subject line. L-Ion batteries have much potential as do other emerging battery technologies. Caps are useful for some applications to be sure, but it just isnt the same thing.

[Playing the uneducated lout]

You care to explain the difference Terapin? I would sure like to know.

[/]

Of course you're right but they can be used for similiar purposes.

Originally posted by sardion2000

Battery is a device that produces energy from an electrochemical reaction and a capacitor stores energy. Still the energy density of a battery is much greater than that of these ultra-nano capicator.

What is the energy density of the conventional capacitor?

[edit on 22-2-2006 by Frosty]

Originally posted by MadGreebo
....double crossing sneaky back handed thieves in power are hiding all the free energy needed to stop all wars dead in their tracks. Why do we know this? because those in power are those in oil, and those in oil hide all the other clean free energy. Its interesting to note that only now with oil production threatened world wide does Bush suddenely announce that a company HE personally has interests in has developed a clean form of energy from coal...

Well said MadGreebo

Also would these batteries/capacitors be able to power more energy demanding appliances?.... like cars!

Originally posted by Terapin
"Technically not a battery"

I believe that sums it up. Sure Caps are great, and quite promising, but dont confuse them with batteries. It's kind of a misleading subject line. L-Ion batteries have much potential as do other emerging battery technologies. Caps are useful for some applications to be sure, but it just isnt the same thing.

These new Ultracapacitors supposedly have the energy desity of batteries making them FAR SUPERIOR to batteries.

Long life, environmental safety, and able to charge in seconds are features batteries will likely never be able to offer, but Nanotube ultracapcitors soon will.

With Solar Panels, and only seconds to recharge... Would this mean a more independent and reliable energy resource, and the end of General Electric.

Originally posted by ArchAngel
These new Ultracapacitors supposedly have the energy desity of batteries making them FAR SUPERIOR to batteries.

No they do not. Lithium-ion batteries, as stated in the first link you posted, have about 20 times the energy density. Capacitors are likely to be used in the distribution of electric current in a grid, not producing electric charge. Though if you could simply pulg in a small capacitor into a device into an electrical socket and store the equivalent of energy of a battery for an electrical device, thinking small scale, yes, maybe they could be superior to a battery in that sense.

No they do not. Lithium-ion batteries, as stated in the first link you posted, have about 20 times the energy density.

Please read the entire article, and read it in context.

Available Ultracapacitors have 25 times less energy density, but the new nanotube ultracapacitors will have energy densities comparable to chemical batteries.

[edit on 22-2-2006 by ArchAngel]

Originally posted by FredT
I wonder if this is the new technology that president Bush was speaking of?


Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough

Bush was on a tour of where I work on Monday (Presidents day) to see are advanced Labs for Bateery and enviormental control systems.

He then was itroduced by our company president and had a press confrence.

I didn't get to see him in person, but have a video link to the press confrence.

Any one intrested in the link? I don't know if it was televised or not, if it was then I am sure everyone already saw it.

If not then U2U me and I will give you the link. I just don't want to put a company link in the forum.

Originally posted by ArchAngelAvailable Ultracapacitors have 25 times less energy density, but the new nanotube ultracapacitors will have energy densities comparable to chemical batteries.

[edit on 22-2-2006 by ArchAngel]

Oh, sure, the new capacitors, which do not exist. Your title was misleading in that case, what breakthrough have they made for the first time in 200 years?
This articlesays new capacitors will still have less energy density than Lithium ion batteries.

And this article just seems to highlight the prestige glamorized by the media over the love of MIT. Many schools and private companies are doing the same thing, and have been for the past decade since carbon nanotubes were first discovered in 1991, so this articles you posted seem to be a decade late.

Originally posted by Frosty

Oh, sure, the new capacitors, which do not exist. Your title was misleading in that case, what breakthrough have they made for the first time in 200 years?
This articlesays new capacitors will still have less energy density than Lithium ion batteries.

And this article just seems to highlight the prestige glamorized by the media over the love of MIT. Many schools and private companies are doing the same thing, and have been for the past decade since carbon nanotubes were first discovered in 1991, so this articles you posted seem to be a decade late.

Your reading comprehension could leaves much to be desired.

From your own link:

Introduction
Ultracapacitors or double layer capacitors (DLCs) are
energy storage devices whose operation is based on the double
layer effect [1]. By utilizing highly porous carbon material with a
surface area up to 2000m2/g as electrodes (as in Fig. 3) commercial
DLCs can achieve a energy density (6Wh/kg) much greater than the
energy density of a conventional capacitor. However, this figure is
much lower than the energy density reached by Lithium-Ion batteries
(120Wh/kg).
..................
Fig. 2 - right) as electrode structure, can lead to an ultracapacitor
characterized by a power density greater than 100kW/kg (three
orders of magnitude higher than batteries), a lifetime longer than
300,000 cycles, and an energy density higher than 60Wh/kg.

Carbon Carbon Nanotube Nanotube Enhanced Enhanced Ultracapacitor

Read it slowly this time.

They are discussing both currently available ultracapacitors, and the new nanotube ultracapacitors.

[edit on 22-2-2006 by ArchAngel]

Originally posted by ArchAngel

I know, it says 'can lead to...' in the very last sentence you highlighted. I don't know whether you study at MIT or plan on studying at MIT, but it just sounded to me like this post was meant to glamourizes MIT.

... the end of General Electric

Who do you think will buy out the patent?