-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
/
index.html
138 lines (137 loc) · 7.44 KB
/
index.html
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<title>Document</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="at au av aw ax oc az aj">
<h2>tyerssadasfasf</h2>
<p id="2f87" class="" data-selectable-paragraph="">
Envision this: there is a technology currently undergoing testing that,
when released to the public, will become a long-awaited revolution in
energy. This new technology promises to be safer and more efficient than
anything we have on the market now. It will affect that which we
consider mundane — power tools, toys, laptops, smartphones — and that
which we consider exceptional — medical devices, spacecraft, and the
innovative new vehicle designs needed to wean us off of fossil fuels. We
have known about this technology for centuries, yet until now we have
only been able to take small steps towards its creation. Billions of
dollars are pouring into research and billions more will be made once
the technology has been perfected and released.
</p>
<p id="81b5">
This description may sound a lot like that of fusion power. Yet it’s
actually referring to the upcoming innovations in the realm of battery
technology — specifically that of solid-state batteries. And while both
fusion power and solid-state batteries have been labeled technologies of
the future but never of today, advancements and investments in
solid-state materials have increased tremendously over the years. Today
not only are there many major companies and credible researchers
involved, it seems we may finally start seeing these batteries released
in just the next few years.
</p>
<p id="ee65" data-selectable-paragraph="">
What can we expect once this elusive, transformative technology is
finally ready for mass production?
</p>
</div>
<div>
<p id="2662" data-selectable-paragraph="">
Batteries are nothing more than devices that store chemical energy and
convert it into electrical energy. They have four main parts: the
cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator. The cathode and anode are
the electrodes. Our electrical current is produced when electrons are
passed from one electrode to the other. In this case, electrons are
passed from the negatively charged anode to the positively charged
cathode. The role of the two electrodes, then, is to produce our
electric current. The electrolyte solution allows positively charged
ions to flow between the two electrodes. This balances the flow of the
electrons. Finally, the separator keeps the two electrodes apart and
prevents the battery from short-circuiting.
</p>
<p id="58e2" data-selectable-paragraph="">
There is one important difference between our current batteries and the
solid-state batteries of the future: the electrolyte. Current
lithium-ion batteries have a liquid electrolyte. Unfortunately, certain
compounds present in the liquid electrolyte allow for the growth of
crystalline structures known as dendrites. The dendrites produce long,
sharp whiskers that can puncture the separator and cause
short-circuiting, consequently leading to dangerous explosions. As their
name suggests, solid-state batteries have a solid electrolyte that
inhibits the growth of these harmful dendrites. Not to mention something
astounding happens once the electrolyte is switched from liquid to
solid.
</p>
<p id="b42a" data-selectable-paragraph="">
The battery has a higher energy density, the risk of fires and
explosions is greatly reduced, it takes up less space, and it is able to
operate in a wider range of temperatures. Let’s take a look, for
example, at what this would mean for vehicles.
</p>
<figure class="ql qm qn qo qp qk nm nn paragraph-image">
<div role="button" tabindex="0" class="qq qr gy qs aj qt">
<div class="nm nn sf">
<img
alt=""
src="https://miro.medium.com/max/700/1*wKdNcqB4zFZVrUeQQZQlsQ.jpeg"
width="700"
height="472"
role="presentation"
/>
</div>
</div>
<figcaption>
The light-grey crystalline structures are dendrites forming inside a
lithium electrode. Image by El-Cell.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="5822" data-selectable-paragraph="">
By far the largest drawback of electric vehicles today is their limited
driving range. An average electric vehicle will get a range of 250–300
miles (402–483 km) on a full charge. Fully charging the vehicle takes
anywhere from an hour to 17 hours depending on whether the vehicle is
charging at a station or using a standard outlet at home. Yet electric
vehicles are expected to continue growing in popularity, eventually
dominating the automotive sector. To reach this point they will need to
expand their range to at least 450 miles (724 km) while remaining
affordable to the consumer.
</p>
<p id="ec3c">Let’s now introduce the solid-state battery.</p>
<p id="56ad" data-selectable-paragraph="">
The driving range of electric vehicles becomes double or triple the
current number. Companies can choose between making a smaller, lighter
battery that charges faster or leaving the battery the same size with a
much more extensive range. Charge times, too, are reduced to just 15
mins. If we look at Samsung’s advancements in solid state batteries we
see they were able to develop a battery that can be charged and
discharged over 1,000 times with a range of 500 miles (805 km) per
charge. This is a battery life of 500,000 miles. And all while being
able to operate efficiently in more extreme temperatures.
</p>
<p id="a80c" data-selectable-paragraph="">
Something like this could be the end of gas-powered vehicles. For
laptops and smartphones it means the devices could last days on a single
(very fast) charge, with the overall lifespan of the battery increasing
from just 2 years to over 10. Medical devices could become more portable
and compact while the larger temperature range means solid-state
batteries could have applications in future space technology.
</p>
<p id="ae21" data-selectable-paragraph="">
This potential has not escaped the attention of powerful companies.
Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, and Bill Gates have all invested
billions of dollars into solid-state research.
<mark class="abz aca tg"
>The Bill Gates backed company known as QuantumScape has made
solid-state batteries with layers of ceramic that are resistant to
dendrite growth and are able to operate in lower temperatures.</mark
>
Toyota is planning limited release of vehicles with solid-state
batteries by 2025. And yet the most exciting breakthrough comes from
someone you’ve probably never heard about.
</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>