About This Lesson
Batteries are used for everything from the remote control to your TV to the semi truck that passed you on the freeway. In addition to being used to power many kinds of technology, battery technology is becoming vital to the development and proliferation of green energy. Upcoming renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are not always generating power, and if the gaps are not to be filled by burning fossil fuels, society will need a way to store electricity for the gaps between wind and solar’s productive hours.
Current Battery Technology
There are many types of batteries available on the market today, in a variety of sizes and shapes. One common type is the lead-acid battery. These batteries were invented in 1859, and are still used today to help you start your car. However, they face many problems, including corrosion and risk of leaks and, in rare cases, explosions. Small, consumer batteries such as AA, are usually known as alkaline batteries, but only useful a single time. Most power cells that recharge are lithium-ion batteries, including small rechargeable AAA batteries, cell phone power cells and even home solar battery cells. Because these batteries can be manufactured at large sizes and can be charged, depleted and recharged many times over a long period, they are prime candidates for everything from electric cars to storing renewable energy. Home battery backup is essential for any personal solar power system, and local and industrial backup likewise relies on lithium-ion batteries for now.
Possible Upcoming Developments
Researchers looking to improve battery technology have two avenues to explore: improving the lithium-ion battery to increase storage capacity and lifespan, or try to create new types of batteries that can compete with the lithium-ion. Improvements in production of the lithium-ion are already in development, including one option to create a solid state lithium-ion battery. This would create fantastic car batteries that could charge at lightning speeds and would be safer for drivers than traditional batteries. Researchers are also working on developing batteries with different anode compositions that could be sustainably sourced and could improve performance. Possibilities for new types of batteries are wide-reaching and complex. For example, IBM developed a sea water battery which could be produced with far less environmental impact, because it does not require any heavy metals in order to work. However, it would require a lot of development in order to perfect. Lithium-sulfur batteries were first tested in 2009 and seemed to show a lot of promise due to a long lifespan, but they tended to degrade too quickly to be practical for long-term use, making them an unlikely candidate for mass production. Other futuristic ideas for power storage often make use of futuristic or expensive materials such as graphene, gold wires, or even foam to create next-generation batteries. Each new idea has its potential downsides, however, and a lot more research and development will be required for any of them to be put into use outside of academics and sci-fi speculation.
Improvements Happening Now
While entirely new types of batteries are a long way off, there are still lots of benefits to look forward in the short term. Specifically, manufacturers are getting better at producing lithium-ion batteries, which means that they are more widely available and at cheaper prices every day. More companies are producing home batteries to sell directly to consumers for solar and other renewable energy types, making eco-friendly power more easily accessible. Each new generation of battery is slightly better than the previous one, meaning that small improvements to shelf life, capacity, and recharge speed are constantly on the way to the market.
It may be some time before an entirely new variety of battery is widely available to the public, but existing types of batteries will continue to improve as well. In both the short term and the long term, battery technology improvements will continue to be top priority for both research and industry.
