Electric Stunt > New electronic technology

New Battery Technology

(1/1)

phil c:
Get ready for some real performance in a couple of years:

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/153614-new-lithium-ion-battery-design-thats-2000-times-more-powerful-recharges-1000-times-faster

Instead of coating the active components onto thin films, they build up a porous electrode structure by plating on tiny(probably a couple of microns)styrene beads.  The beads are plated and then the active components are plated on.  The process increases the area of the electrodes hundreds of times resulting in a much larger active surface area.  Hence the 2000 times more power claim.  Finished batteries are lower in energy density(larger) but can supply much more power.

If this makes it into the modelling world electric will replace fuel for just about everything.  Currently(pun) the only thing really holding electric back is that the batteries make the power package about twice as heavy as a fuel setup.  Perfectly fine for having fun, but ony halfway there for high performance.

Tim Wescott:
Read again, carefully, and drag out your high school physics text for cross-reference.

Current electrical systems for stunt are limited by the battery's energy density, not the power density.

Power density vs. energy density is captured in the "C" rating.  For stunt we need at least a 10C battery.  Having a 1000C battery (which is roughly what these things would be) would be great for a speed plane that needs to go hell bent for leather for a few laps, but wouldn't make a significant difference to a "stunt run".

Where a battery like this would be cool is in automotive applications -- if you can recharge that fast, then you can have 100% regenerative braking.  Stomp on the "stop" pedal, and instead of all the kinetic energy being wasted as heat, it'll* go back into the battery for when you stomp on the "go" pedal.

* Most of it.  Or just some, if you really stomp on the pedal.  Or none if you scream and really stand on it -- keep that in mind in five years.

Dennis Toth:
I think this will be an interesting technology as it is developed and we will likely benefit as they learn more about how to apply the cell construction method. Nano technology is also being studied that also should yield small lighter battery packs. I agree we don't need the high C factors but as this gets developed even if the physical dimensions don't change if the internals get lighter its good for us. Interesting stuff, thanks for posting Phil.

Best,        DennisT

phil c:
Since the developers seemed to think a battery 30 times smaller would be useful,  I'd go with that.  Presumably it wouldn't also be 30 times as dense, which is unlikely since that wouldn't be any improvement. 

Phil C.

Larry Renger:
I would welcome a denser battery as it would be way easier to mount on a model where you want it.

Navigation

[0] Message Index