Invention promises breakthrough in battery life

TECHNOLOGY

Micro Power's first lithium-ion battery pack with integrated 

cell balancing capabilities. For larger lithium-ion battery packs, 

cell balancing extends battery life and system runtime, 

as well as improves the inherent safety of the battery pack

PARIS Think of an electric car that can accelerate swiftly to cruising speed, laptop computers that can recharge in a couple of minutes rather than hours and a generation of super-miniature mobile phones.That’s the vision sketched on Wednesday by a pair of scientists in the United States, unveiling an invention that they say could lead to a smaller, lighter and more power-packed lithium battery than anything available today. Current batteries made of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) are good at storing large amounts of electricity but stumble at releasing it. They are better at dispensing the power in a steady flow than at discharging it or gaining it in a sudden burst. As a result, electric cars perform best when travelling along the motorway at a constant speed rather than when they are accelerating, and their batteries take hours to recharge when they run down. Until now, the finger of blame has pointed at charged lithium atoms.