Charging of times of Lithium Batteries to get much shorter.

[Dynamic Position]

A research team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a technique known as 'Beltway' which allows a battery to charge and discharge much quicker than current units. Production of batteries utilising the technique could be in place within two years. The technique is likely to reduce the typical charging times of pedelec batteries from hours down to a few minutes.

 

[Haku]

Excellent, right when solar panels will drop down to $1 per watt...

I've been idly following 'breakthroughs' & 'news' on battery & solar techonolgies for a few years now and invariably each one promises lower $ per watt solar and battery ones where the charging time is dramatically quicker than it is now, but I've yet to see any real-world results so I'm not holding my breath for these 'saviour' technologies to appear in the next 5-10 years, at least not in mass-produced affordable form for the general public to have access to.

 

[Mussels]

Are MIT desperate for funding at the moment, they announce a breakthrough every few days it seems. None of them have any substance though.

 

[Tiberius]

Leaving MIT aside for the moment, and living in the present:

The reason most charge times are 3 to 5 hours is not because of the battery technology, but simply the power of the charger. If you have a 10 Ah battery that is empty and a 2 A charger, then its going to take 5 hours.

Many batteries will take a 1 C charge (10 A in the above example) or even more, but a 10 A charger would be some powerful beast. Some battery suppliers will tell you the max charge rate, in the absence of that info a rate of 0.5 C, ie taking 2 hours would probably be a sensible limit.

Nick

 

[torrent99]

Leaving MIT aside for the moment, and living in the present:

The reason most charge times are 3 to 5 hours is not because of the battery technology, but simply the power of the charger. If you have a 10 Ah battery that is empty and a 2 A charger, then its going to take 5 hours.

Many batteries will take a 1 C charge (10 A in the above example) or even more, but a 10 A charger would be some powerful beast. Some battery suppliers will tell you the max charge rate, in the absence of that info a rate of 0.5 C, ie taking 2 hours would probably be a sensible limit.

Nick

In case anyone is thinking of buying a super mega charger...you also need a BMS capable of "throwing away"/controlling the excess current for a completed cell, whilst the other cells complete their charge...

 

[MaryinScotland]

I saw a news item about super-fast-charging batteries. I got the impression that it was aimed at the electric-car market, for drivers who want to be able to "fill up" a battery as easily as you can fill up a tank of petrol.

In the e-bike world, I think it would be more beneficial to make batteries cheaper and lighter. Most of us are organised enough to cope with a few hours of recharging time. But we are not big-money mass-market consumers, so nobody is going to make a special effort for us.

Mary

 

[stokepa31_mk2]

here is the link. This could be huge if its as simple as suggested.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Battery that 'charges in seconds'

 

[musicbooks]

The University of Bath is at the cutting edge of battery technology for cars, and the American research is causing a bit of a stir.

News item below

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | High-speed battery breakthrough

bw
musicbooks

 

[Caph]

I saw a news item about super-fast-charging batteries. I got the impression that it was aimed at the electric-car market, for drivers who want to be able to "fill up" a battery as easily as you can fill up a tank of petrol.

I believe these are different in that they rely on 3 phase electricity which is what the National Grid uses to distribute power. It's not commonly found elsewhere apart from industrial situations. Nearly every report I've read in the news about these super fast car charge times fails to mention this and gives the impression that you would be able to charge at home which unless you have 750V sockets would not be the case. They would instead rely on a trip to a "filling" station with three phase power outlets.