Researchers from the University of Maryland have designed a new battery structure that is made up of billions of nanoscale pores. The pores are tiny hole in a ceramic sheet that holds electrolyte to carry the electrical charge between nanotube electrodes at either end. Such a design would provide the maximum power and energy from a given battery chemistry because the internal resistances for ion transfer and the volume of electrochemically inactive components would be minimized. The result is smaller, more powerful batteries that operate longer without a recharge; meaning higher energy density and power density. According to the researchers, the new battery could be fully charged in 12 minutes and can be recharged thousands of time. Each of the nanopores is shaped like the others, which allows them to pack together efficiently to make small batteries. The batteries all connected in parallel, each composed of an anode, a cathode, and a liquid electrolyte confined within the nanopores of anodic aluminium oxide. The researchers have a working prototype they have used to demonstrate the concept, and they have also identified improvements that could make the next version 10 times more powerful.
Source: University of Maryland
