Improving Battery Technology

The more we rely on mobile devices the more we rely on one little technology. Batteries. Have you ever reached for your smartphone to look something up or to get directions and discovered that it has died? Well, in a few years, that could be something you don’t have to worry about.

A Better Battery on the Way?

Engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University have been working on advancements in battery technology and may have found a way to make batteries charge in minutes and last considerably longer.

According to the article, Northwestern’s researchers have found a way to extend the charge-life of a new lithium-ion battery by a factor of 10. Even after 150 charges—which researchers say represents a year or more of operation—this new battery would still be five times more effective than the today’s lithium-ion batteries.

A Charged Battery for a Week

This might be hard to believe, particularly with all the apps we run on our devices, but this new battery may stay charged for an entire week. And the charging time may be less then 15 minutes. Which will definitely make life easier but this technology may have a much more significant impact then that. It could be applied to the batteries used in electric cars, causing them to be far more efficient, and drastically decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology may have a significant impact on many aspects of our life, it will not be available to the general public for three to five years, says Northwestern researchers. Batteries are often over looked when we think of advanced technologies, but the more we rely on mobile devices the more important they become.  Breakthroughs in battery technology may in reality hold the key to an even greater technological movement.