Batteries

Kyocera Professor of Materials Science and Engineering ‪Yet-Ming Chiang (left), is working with MIT senior Harry Thaman (center) and postdoc Linsen Li to study a new kind of electrolyte for “self-healing” lithium battery cells, which will be formed by adding a halide element such as iodine.

Iodine may protect batteries

MIT, Carnegie Mellon researchers explore “self-healing” batteries with new metal-halide solid electrolyte material.

March 8, 2017

At the Friday evening “Energy Showcase,” participants tried out a virtual reality demonstration put on by Shell, one of the conference sponsors.

Making energy storage so simple it’s “boring”

Inexpensive, reliable, and forgettable storage systems could enable boom in renewables, say speakers at MIT Energy Conference.

March 7, 2017

Left to right: Gabriela Schlau-Cohen, Rafael Jaramillo, David Hsu, Nuno Loureiro

New faculty strengthen, broaden MIT’s energy expertise

MIT's newest faculty bring a wide array of energy interests and developments to the Institute.

February 7, 2017

Using specialized equipment, the MIT team did tests in which they used a pyramidal-tipped probe to indent the surface of a piece of the sulfide-based material. Surrounding the resulting indentation (seen at center), cracks were seen forming in the material (indicated by arrows), revealing details of its mechanical properties.

Toward all-solid lithium batteries

Researchers investigate mechanics of lithium sulfides, which show promise as solid electrolytes.

February 2, 2017

Glen Merfeld, product science leader at GE Global Research, points to almost 40,000 wind turbines installed globally during the 2016 Materials Day Symposium at MIT.

Battery challenges: cost and performance

Industry speakers and MIT faculty offer solutions to problems ranging from small portable devices to large fixed installations.

November 2, 2016

To demonstrate the supercapacitor's ability to store power, the researchers modified an off-the-shelf hand-crank flashlight (the red parts at each side) by cutting it in half and installing a small supercapacitor in the center, in a conventional button battery case, seen at top. When the crank is turned to provide power to the flashlight, the light continues to glow long after the cranking stops, ...

New kind of supercapacitor made without carbon

Energy storage device could deliver more power than current versions of this technology.

October 10, 2016

FastCAP Systems' ultracapacitors (pictured) can withstand extreme temperatures and harsh environments, opening up new uses for the devices across a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, aerospace and defense, and electric vehicles.

New applications for ultracapacitors

Startup’s energy-storage devices find uses in drilling operations, aerospace applications, electric vehicles.

September 7, 2016

MPC-CMSE Summer Scholar Victoria Yao shows a mixture of sodium thiosulfate being stirred in a solution of copper hexacyanoferrate where its reacts to produce larger compounds that can be filtered out of the solution. These compounds are being developed for use in electrodes for a water-based flow-driven battery for grid level storage.

Designing safe, cheap batteries for grid level storage

Summer Scholar Victoria Yao experiments with water-based, flow-driven battery concept in Brushett Lab.

September 1, 2016

At right, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show the two types of lithium deposits, the bulky, mossy type (at top), which grows from its base, and the needle-like dendritic type (bottom), which grows from the tips. At left, SEM images show the effect of a blocking layer of ceramic material that limits the growth of the mossy deposits.

In batteries, a metal reveals its dual personality

Branchlike deposits grow on lithium electrode surfaces in two ways, one much more damaging.

September 1, 2016

SolidEnergy Systems' battery (far right) is twice as energy-dense, yet just as safe and long-lasting as the lithium ion batteries used in consumer electronics. The battery uses a lithium metal foil for an anode, which can hold more ions and is several times thinner and lighter than traditional lithium metal, graphite, carbon, or silicon anodes. A novel electrolyte also keeps the battery from heati...

Doubling battery power of consumer electronics

New lithium metal batteries could make smartphones, drones, and electric cars last twice as long.

August 16, 2016

Erica Eggleton is working this summer in the lab of MIT Professor Krystyn Van Vliet on lithium manganese oxide (LMO) electrodes for lithium ion batteries. Here, she measures out carbon powder, a binder, and LMO, the active powder used in the battery electrodes.

Analyzing lithium ion battery fatigue

Summer Scholar Erica Eggleton joins Van Vliet Lab to make and test lithium manganese oxide electrodes.

August 2, 2016

In a new concept for battery cathodes, nanometer-scale particles made of lithium and oxygen compounds (depicted in red and white) are embedded in a sponge-like lattice (yellow) of cobalt oxide, which keeps them stable. The researchers propose that the material could be packaged in batteries that are very similar to conventional sealed batteries yet provide much more energy for their weight.

New lithium-oxygen battery greatly improves energy efficiency, longevity

New chemistry could overcome key drawbacks of lithium-air batteries.

July 25, 2016

Professional rider and founder of Mirai EV of Japan Yosihiro Kishimoto rides the electric bike designed by the KOMMIT Electric Vehicle Team.

Team led by MIT engineers places second at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Motorcycle completes 12.5 miles, 156 turns for a second-place finish in the race's Electric Bike Division.

July 11, 2016

A new concept for a flow battery functions like an old hourglass or egg timer, with particles (in this case carried as a slurry) flowing through a narrow opening from one tank to another. The flow can then be reversed by turning the device over.

New concept turns battery technology upside-down

Pump-free design for flow battery could offer advantages in cost and simplicity.

May 25, 2016

Angela Belcher (pictured), MIT professor of biological engineering and materials science and engineering; Paula Hammond, professor and head of the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering; Po-Yen Chen PhD ’15 (now at Brown University); and others have shown that a novel, high-efficiency, low-cost solar cell can be made using lead recovered from an abundant, old-technology source: lead-acid car bat...

Solar energy from discarded car batteries

An MIT development could benefit both the environment and human health.

December 22, 2015

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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