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Electronics

Hybrid aqueous battery charges up in under 30 seconds

By Michael Irving
March 01, 2018
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KAIST researchers have developed a new hybrid aqueous energy storage device, which boasts high energy and power densities and can be recharged in as little as 20 seconds
KAIST
Transmission electron microscope images of the anode and cathode of the new hybrid aqueous energy storage device
KAIST
KAIST researchers have developed a new hybrid aqueous energy storage device, which boasts high energy and power densities and can be recharged in as little as 20 seconds
KAIST
The anode of the hybrid aqueous energy storage device was made with polymer chain materials based on graphene, while the cathode was nickel oxide nanoparticles on graphene
KAIST
Il Woo Ock, left, and Jeung Ku Kang, are researchers on the hybrid aqueous energy storage device project
KAIST
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We're so used to having our everyday devices powered by lithium-ion batteries that sometimes it's hard to imagine using anything else. But there are plenty of teams working on alternatives like lithium-air, sodium-ion, lithium-metal and aluminum-ion designs that may help solve some of the drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries. The latest, an aqueous hybrid capacitor, is stable, safe and boasts high energy and power densities, recharging in as little as 20 seconds.

The new creation, out of the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), is made with a liquid electrolyte sandwiched between a specially-designed anode and cathode. The anode is made with polymer chain materials based on graphene, which gives it a high surface area, allowing it to store more energy. The cathode material was made up of nickel oxide nanoparticles embedded on graphene.

Thanks to these materials arranged in these structures, the new device had much higher energy density and faster energy exchange than other aqueous batteries. It was far more stable with minimal energy loss, maintaining its capacity at close to 100 percent over 100,000 redox cycles.

The anode of the hybrid aqueous energy storage device was made with polymer chain materials based on graphene, while the cathode was nickel oxide nanoparticles on graphene
KAIST

The new device also has a power density about 100 times higher than similar designs, allowing it to be charged in 20 to 30 seconds using low-power systems like a conventional USB charger. In tests, the team hooked two of the batteries up to a flexible photovoltaic cell, and was able to power an LED, while the whole kit was worn like a sleeve.

"This eco-friendly technology can be easily manufactured and is highly applicable," says Jeung Ku Kang, co-author of a study describing the device. "In particular, its high capacity and high stability, compared to existing technologies, could contribute to the commercialization of aqueous capacitors. The device can be rapidly charged using a low-power charging system, and thus can be applied to portable electronic devices."

The research was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. The team demonstrates the device in the video below.

Source: KAIST

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ElectronicsEnergyBatteriesGrapheneElectrolyteKAIST
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Michael Irving
Michael has always been fascinated by space, technology, dinosaurs, and the weirder mysteries of the universe. With a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and several years experience under his belt, he joined New Atlas as a staff writer in 2016.
9 comments
Bob Stuart
Low power source + rapid charge = low capacity.
Juanjo
The previous comment is completely correct. Maybe some further elaboration is needed. Really it is an energy transfer issue. Low power multiplied by small time gives low energy as Bob Stuart has shown in a very compact way.
notarichman
i love it. put about a million of them together and power a car. make them bigger and maybe only 100,000?
notarichman
notice the article doesn't give too many specific details; such as how big they can be made or the maximum voltage they can withstand.
Mzungu_Mkubwa
This article/video has "named-dropped" some highly advantageous attributes, giving it the sound of truly trans-formative tech. If valid, scalable & manufacturable this is a radical breakthrough... by the sound of it. Perhaps it would have been more impressive if they focused less on "flexible/wearable" and showed it doing more than lighting up a lil' low-power LED bulb. Fingers crossed?
Gannet
"power density about 100 times higher than similar designs" Whoa, really ?? Seems like whoever can come up with the best battery technology will rule the world !
noteugene
After reading the article I initially thought this was a life changing event. Finally a battery report of what we did instead of the usual, what we might could maybe do someday in the not too distant future maybe. I was thinking, has anyone else read this!? Then Bob brought me to my senses. What was I thinking? Thanks For the reality check Bob.
Bob
This is a deceptive article. Any such battery would have very little power. It sounds like the little quick charge batteries we used in little Hot Wheels Sizzler track cars fifty years ago. (Remember the two minute juice machine?) Storing enough electricity to be useful for larger applications would require a very high amperage and high voltage charge and involve a huge amount of heat. The shorting out of a high capacity battery also involves a huge amount of heat with the accompanying fire and chemical hazard. High energy and power density from a 20 second USB charge ain't gonna happen.
guzmanchinky
PLEASE hurry and develop a battery that can charge in a few minutes like fueling a car with gasoline. That will change the world.
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