Go To Latest Video ReviewsSmall, Printable, Cheap Battery Tech Developed
| Author | Hugo Jobling |
| Published | 7th Jul 2009 |
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TrustedReviews NewslettersFor the most part, batteries are pretty boring. Occasionally, however, something interesting comes along, like the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS' printable battery tech.
Click to enlarge
The cells developed aren't going to be of much use in a laptop, offering 1.5V a piece. Multiple batteries can be linked in series, though, providing 3V, 4.5V and 6V (as if you couldn't work out those steps yourself).
The cells are made using a silk-screen printing process similar to that used of printing t-shirts. The result is a battery weighing less than a gram and of negligible thickness.
The materials used in the teeny cells - a zinc anode and manganese cathode, to be specific - degrade over time. The batteries are therefore, for now, limited in use to applications where the relatively low power and short lifespan aren't a problem; such as greetings cards.
Of wide application? Probably not. Funky in a geeky way? Definitely.
Link:
Fraunhofer.
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Rob said on 7th July 2009
Hugo said on 7th July 2009
Opinions stated in comments are not representative of TrustedReviews, it's staff or it's parent company, IPC Media =)
Tony Walker said on 7th July 2009
And the environmental cost of these?
MonkeyAxman said on 8th July 2009
I love the disposable eReader idea but I really think that environmental impact of throwing away after a single use would be bad. Shame the technology isn't quite there yet.
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Ah political satire, never thought TR would have it. not complaning though!