Paper Battery
From Conworld
STATUS: PENDING DISCUSSION
// Addition of further details Arkyonite 09:55, 7 June 2008 (PDT)
// Design and application of a type of bleeding-edge energy storage technology Ketsu Drop a MsgAlex 05:04, 12 April 2008 (EDT)
~
Contents |
Manufacture
On a silica surface, carbon nano-tubes are built/formed. Cellulose is poured onto the carbon nano-tubes, covering up one end of it. Once the cellulose is dry, the newly formed paper can be peeled off from the silica.
Note: Cellulose is the stuff that paper is made of. >_>
Result
The side of the paper facing the silica will have one end of all the carbon nano-tube on the surface. The other end of the nano-tubes is inside the paper.
This design looks very much like the modern battery, but instead many thousands tiny nano-batteries are connected in parallel.
Use
Tear the paper in half and you reduce the power by 50%. Stack three sheets on top of each other and you increase the voltage by 300%.
To discharge the battery (i.e.: make a current flow), it has to be soaked in an electrolyte such as any ionic liquid or any ionic solution.
- Advantage of ionic liquids: Can withstand extreme temperatures.
- Disadvantage of ionic liquids: Some can be toxic. Should be kept in containers/casing.
- Advantage of ionic solutions: Urine/Sweat/Blood are ionic solutions. Dissolving a salt in water gives an ionic solution.
- Disadvantage of ionic solutions: Temperature range of 0 to 100 degrees Celsius. You're using water, mate.
By putting two sheets of paper together with the cellulose side facing inwards (and a drop of electrolyte on the paper), a supercapacitor is formed. A (currently produced) 100g sheet can replace a 1300mAh battery.
By putting a drop of electrolyte on a single sheet and then putting a metal foil consisting of lithium and aluminum on each side, a lithium ion battery is formed with ~110mAh/g capacity (currently produced).
Their light weight and low cost make them attractive for portable electronics, aircraft, automobiles, and toys (such as model aircraft), while their ability to use electrolytes in blood make them potentially useful for medical devices such as pacemakers. They are also attractive, especially for medical applications, because they do not contain any toxic materials. Additionally, they can be biodegradable, a major drawback of chemical cells.
This is also especially useful in places where electricity is limited. However, the dependence on using liquids which do not come with the battery would often be a problem especially in desert areas.
Other Notes
This battery is lightweight, and could seriously lighten-up current hand-held electrical wires. It can also be bent and cut into shapes, making it ideal for specialist applications. [quote]A newspaper-sized electric battery can power a car.[/quote]
