Have you ever been in the middle of an important phone call on your cell phone and a couple minutes into the call your phone battery just died? A new information technology will change rechargeable batteries for our gadgets as we know it. Stanford researchers discovered a way to create the new silicon nanowire battery which is a rechargeable battery that can hold ten times more power than the batteries used today.
Dr. Yi Cui, Assistant Professor of Material Science and Engineering at StanfordUniversity invented this revolutionary development. In an interview, he explained that silicon nanowires have been around for quite some time but they have never been applied to batteries before. He has filed for a patent and hopes to partner up with a battery manufacturing company to bring the new silicon nanowire battery into the market soon.
The silicon nanowire battery is expected to replace the lithium-ion battery. For example, with the lithium ion battery, a fully charged laptop can last for approximately two hours. Using the nanowire battery, a laptop’s battery life will last ten times longer; hence the battery life will be extended to twenty hours!
The lithium-ion battery’s anode, usually made with carbon material, has a limited quantity of lithium it can store. Stanford researchers discovered that if the carbon is replaced by silicon nanowires, the battery can store ten times more lithium allowing the battery to have a much longer battery life.
When the battery is charged, Dr. Yi Cui and his staff realized that as the battery absorbs positively charged lithium components, the silicon swells. When the battery is in use, the lithium atoms are released from the silicon allowing the silicon to shrink. This growing and shrinking can be compromising to the battery performance. For this reason, nanotechnology is implemented meaning lithium is placed in tiny nanowires allowing for the silicon to resist breakage.
Many advantages arise with the use of the silicon nanowire battery. This battery can be used with laptops, iPods, cell phones, digital cameras and video cameras. Although the technology has evolved tremendously, companies with traveling businessmen, the movie industry, delivery trucks and perhaps even hospitals can benefit from this battery.
Of course, computers are essential to all businesses. A laptop is used by many business people as they save many company documents that they may need outside of the office. Business people who have to make a presentation or people who are frequent fliers will benefit from a longer battery life. It can be risky to rely on laptops as it is very difficult to find a wall plug when needed. In the short run, this battery can create a competitive advantage for companies who manufacture laptops with this new battery. Also, business people will always be able to remain in touch with their companies with cell phone that hold a longer battery life as well. Consumers’ interest in laptops that hold a charge for twenty hours will encourage people to replace their laptops causing sales to increase. In the long run, this battery will probably become the standard battery of a laptop.
Another industry that can benefit from the silicon nanowire battery is the movie industry or filming companies as the battery holds the charge of video cameras as well. While filming a movie, people will no longer have to worry about tripping over wires or moving too far away from the wall plug. Also, people who film parties or weddings will no longer have to worry about being obtrusive to the guests at the party.
In the future, this battery can work in the favour of delivery trucks. If the battery is going to work on electric cars, there is a possibility of it being beneficial to electric trucks as well. Using the silicon nanowire battery, delivery trucks will be able to drive a must longer distance without needing to fill up for gas or charge their truck. This can save companies a lot of money as many companies have numerous trucks on the road simultaneously.
Further, the battery might be used for medical equipment in the future. Hospitals that have machines running on electricity will be able to perform surgeries when there is a power failure. With the silicon nanowire battery, machines will be able to last for hours without having to be recharged.
As with every new product, there are several disadvantages to the new silicon nanowire battery; car companies will have to design new cars, products operating on lithium-ion batteries will become obsolete.
First, if electric cars become the way of the future, car companies will have to invest a lot of money into product design. Although electric cars exist today, car companies will have to design a variety of new models to incorporate the new nanowire battery. Since consumer’s interest in cars that run on gas will severely decrease, it will be necessary for companies to introduce many cars with the nanowire battery.
Second, products made with a lithium-ion battery will be considered obsolete. Once the silicon nanowire batteries become popular, like other technologies, consumers will not want to purchase them. This is a disadvantage for technology companies as they will have to redesign their products incorporating the nanowire battery. This can be become expensive and many small to medium size businesses may not be able to afford this. Technology is ever changing and companies have to be able to keep up with the times to stay afloat.
Third, at first, most companies will want to create products using the silicon nanowire battery to test it in the market. Since it will be a on trial basis, cell phone companies or Apple may only make a limited number of cell phones or iPods using the new battery. If advertised well, many consumers will want to purchase the product once it is on sale. The products with the nanowire battery will probably sell out quickly causing many companies to have a waiting list or back-orders. Unfortunately, this causes companies to lose out on potential profits. Companies will have to devote a lot of resources to creating these new products and try to not run out of stock too quickly.
