Popular Mechanics reporter John Wenz writes that a new study co-authored by MIT researchers examines how lithium moves through batteries. The findings could be used to help build a smarter battery, including “designing selective transport channels, additional shielding on batteries, or a battery additive that would prevent against corrosion or the formation of hot spots.”
Axios reporter Ben Geman writes that MIT researchers have found the most effective way to reduce emissions from electricity sources is to use a mix of renewable and other low-carbon tech options. “It’s not about specific technologies. It’s about those key roles that we need filled on the low-carbon team,” explains study co-author Jesse Jenkins.
Prof. Donald Sadoway speaks with Forbes contributor Arne Alsin about the future of sustainable energy and battery design. “We definitely have to be bolder in our innovation when it comes to what goes beyond lithium-ion,” says Sadoway. “We have to apply the criterion ‘If successful, how big is the impact?’ And we have to have the courage to fail.”
MIT researchers have teamed up with Lamborghini to create an electric sports car, reports Jordan Graham for the Boston Herald. Graham explains that the research, could be used to, “make the cars lighter and make batteries out of carbon nanotubes. The batteries can be made in any shape, and could be designed to fit inside the car’s side panels.”
CNN reporter Peter Valdes-Dapena writes that MIT researchers are working with Lamborghini to develop a battery-free, electric supercar. Valdes-Dapena explains that instead of running on batteries, the body of the car, which would be made from exotic carbon nanotubes, would be used as a supercapacitor.
HuffPost reporter Thomas Tamblyn writes that MIT researchers have developed a new “air-breathing” battery that can store electricity for months. The new battery could harvest, “the vast wind energy waiting to be captured in the North Atlantic, store it for months on end and then release it into the grid for a fraction of the cost that we’re currently paying.”
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes about MIT spinout Open Water Power, which developed a battery that can be powered by seawater. Hays writes that the, “technology promises to extend the range and capabilities of unpiloted underwater vehicles, or UUVs.”
Bruce Gellerman of WBUR spotlights Ambri, an MIT startup co-founded by Prof. Donald Sadoway and alumnus David Bradwell that creates liquid metal batteries. Ambri’s “molten metal technology is at the cutting edge of the emerging energy storage industry,” writes Gellerman.
Prof. Donald Sadoway speaks with Tom Ashbrook of NPR’s On Point about potential alternatives for lithium-ion batteries. “If we could make a battery based on aluminum we’d have something that is powerful, safe, and cheap,” says Sadoway.
David Morris writes for Fortune that researchers at the MIT spinoff SolidEnergy Systems are developing a longer-lasting lithium metal battery for smartphones and wearables. Morris writes that the battery has “about double the energy density of today’s standard lithium-ion battery.”
MIT researchers have outlined a new way of developing a lithium-oxygen battery that would increase the battery’s energy efficiency and longevity, according to The Economist. “In trials which discharged and recharged the battery 130 times, it lost less than 2% of its capacity,” The Economist notes.
MIT researchers have developed a new lithium-oxygen battery concept that improves energy efficiency and longevity, and could potentially be used in long-distance electric cars and smartphones, reports Ben Woods for Wired. The new approach results in “faster charging and more efficient batteries, due to lower heat wastage,” Woods explains.
Loukia Papadopoulos explains her favorite quotes by Prof. Donald Sadoway on the future of clean energy. “When Sadoway began his work on the liquid metal battery, he purposely ignored many established paradigms in his own field and chose instead to reach across disciplines to generate new insight,” writes Papadopoulos in The Huffington Post.
In an article for CNN Money about developments in battery technology, Jackie Wattles highlights a new approach developed by MIT researchers that could help pave the way for solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Wattles explains that such technology could “survive hundreds of thousands of charges, store 20% to 30% more power, and isn't as susceptible to overheating.”
In this “Science of Innovation” segment, NBC Learn explores Prof. Angela Belcher’s work using viruses engineered in her laboratory to form nanoscale wires for tiny batteries. “By harnessing nature’s own processes, Angela Belcher has been able to turn today’s viruses into tomorrow’s batteries.”