When it comes to power sources, we often have to rely on two basic components: power supply equipment and power storage batteries. Scientists have now created a copper wire that combines both these functions, storing and transmitting electricity at the same time.
Typically, the electricity is transmitted through wires and then stored at the end of the circuit in a battery. But the new copper wire created by scientists at the University of Central Florida combines both these components into one. This extraordinary innovation holds a lot of promise.
For instance, it may prove to be a great space-saver in today’s electronics and at the same time, significantly increase the capacity of the regular batteries. This would give rise to the possibility of wire-shaped batteries which can be used in everything, from the lining of our homes to the seams of our dresses.
The researchers were able to devise this contraption by wrapping a supercapacitor on top of a regular copper wire. The copper wire is the conductor while the supercapacitor stores electricity. There are two tiny layers of nano-fibers on the supercapacitor wrapping which increases their surface area by 100x, a feature which is essential for energy storage.
During the lab tests, these wires were bent, reshaped, charged and discharged and used over and over for thousands of times. According to the results announced by the researchers, the wires work perfect in the lab tests. This means that we may soon see this transmitter-storage wire used in electronics and electric devices.
Source: University of Central Florida
Courtesy: PopSci
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