While lithium-ion batteries present the most dominant rechargeable battery on the market, their limited energy density (energy stored per unit volume), high cost and safety problems drives various research groups to invent a battery with better performance. Stanford University researchers have developed an advanced zinc-air battery which could serve low-cost alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries…. »

Inspired by structures found in the nature’s own fuel cells and solar cells (mitochondria and chloroplasts), researchers at the University of Reading have patented a new method to create electrode coatings with a thousand-fold increase in surface area compared to a flat electrode. The increased contact surface could lead to more efficient and greener vehicles,… »

Lithium-ion batteries have found use in various portable devices, but their storage capacity limits the usability of those gadgets. As we mentioned in a couple of our previous articles, we need a new battery systems capable to charge faster and store more energy. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) found a potential solution… »

Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, have successfully demonstrated the first robotic underwater vehicle to be powered entirely by natural, renewable, ocean thermal energy. The Sounding Oceanographic Lagrangrian Observer Thermal RECharging (SOLO-TREC) autonomous underwater vehicle uses a thermal recharging engine powered by the natural temperature differences found at different… »

The new line of THINERGY Micro-Energy Cells from Infinite Power Solutions Inc (IPS) could soon be powering small devices such as autonomous wireless sensors, powered smart cards, active RFID applications, and implantable medical devices. The manufacturer says these rechargeable thin-film batteries combine the energy density of traditional batteries with the high discharge current of supercapacitors…. »

For the first time, MIT researchers have shown they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery. Angela Belcher, the MIT materials scientist who led the research team said “The new virus-produced batteries have the same energy capacity and power performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries being… »