Currently, when you look up “batteries” on the Internet, it’s all about cars. Cars and solar power. And while I’m sure all that is very important, what I really want to know is how is this going to help me drive that next screw or demo my current remodel project? Where is the fast battery charging for power tools? Researchers at MIT have developed a new way of making Lithium-ion batteries that makes the power more available, makes them last longer, and allows them to charge a lot faster.
So how does this work? Well, the problem was that scientists had calculated that the lithium-ions should be moving very quickly. As we all know, Lithium–on batteries charge considerably faster than their Ni-Cd battery or NiMH batteries, but it’s still not what we would normally consider “speedy”. In theory, it should all be much faster. The lab coats decided that there must be something slowing down the ions – and there was. Apparently, the lithium iron phosphate was slowing down the ion’s movement. What they needed was “high-speed lanes” for them to access. Fast-forward a few years and the scientists had created a new coating on the surfaces on the crystals that allowed the ions to move much faster.
MUCH faster!
The battery can hold more, can discharge faster, and can charge faster. The problem? Well, while it can technically charge in a few seconds, your wall socket might not be able to supply the required juice for fast battery charging of this scale. Depending on the size of the battery and the speed of the charge, you might be looking at anything from a few dimmed lights to… oh, say, shutting down the city for a few seconds. Not very practical.
From a tool perspective, though, fast battery charging in seconds is very exciting. Li-ion may be the new kid on the block, but a “new” new kid might make the “old” new kid a lot more affordable. The new “super” Li-ion batteries may be brand new but the technology has already been demonstrated and licensed. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something on the market in just a few short years.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind all the lights dimming in the house when I plugged in my cordless impact driver for its daily 2-second recharge.
