We’re all tired of using rechargable AA and AAA batteries that have pretty small lifetimes and leave a lot to be desired in terms of improvements. Researchers at Infinite Power Solutiions have announced an exciting new development that could soon make rechargable batteries a thing of the past.
The scientists have explored the next-generation technology that makes batteries smaller, and longer lasting, and capable of wireless charging.
The new battery they’ve developed is called “Thinergy“–it’s an energy storage device that about the same size as a postage stamp and–get this–can last as long as the life of the electronic device it powers.
Timothy Bradow, VP Technical Marketing, Sales & Business Development of Infinite Power Solutions says, “We have the world’s most powerful battery for its size.”
The battery uses lithium chemistry which is the same as that of an iPhone. But the substance that carries that substance is what makes it special. Thinergy uses a “proprietary solid-state one that has no movable parts, which is partly responsible for its small form factor.”
Based on technology licensed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the battery uses lithium chemistry similar to the battery in an iPhone. The difference is the substance that carries the electric charge, called the electrolyte, which sits between the battery’s two electrodes.
Instead of a polymer electrolyte, Thinergy uses a proprietary solid-state one that has no movable parts, which is partly responsible for its small form factor.
Thinergy cells are about 4 volts, recharge in minutes and can be cycled (run down to zero) up to hundreds of thousands of times — orders of magnitude higher than conventional batteries, Bradow said.
While powerful, these batteries do not pack enough punch to power your cell phone or laptop. Instead, they’re geared toward replacing coin cell, AA and AAA batteries.
Launched in June 2009, Thinergy cells are distributed through Arrow Electronics mainly for electronics manufacturers to design into their products and are not yet available for consumers.
