Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way to extend the power life of mobile computers, instead of using batteries, they draw power from an electronic device called an ultracapacitor.
A number of electronic devices already use commercial ultracapacitors for specialized functions. For example, a clock radio may use an ultracapacitor as a keep-alive source in case of power failure, and even the old Palm III used an ultracapacitor to retain its memory while the AA batteries were changed.
The approach is still several years away from being used as the main electricity source for commercial laptops and handhelds, but is already used for backup power in many small consumer products.
Power Efficiency Is Key
The new technology could shake up the retail computer business, chip makers battle for business by launching more efficient processors like Intel's Centrino and AMD's Turion, trading high performance speed for mobile endurance.
Hewlett-Packard says its customers demand longer run-times and faster battery charges. HP Compaq nx9400 notebook will run on three levels of battery packs and also its enhanced lithium ion battery can gain 90 percent of a full charge after just 90 minutes of being plugged into a wall outlet.
By comparison, a consumer with a cell phone powered by MIT's ultracapacitor could gain a complete recharge in just a few seconds, Schindall says.
How It Works
The new device is called a nanotube-enhanced ultracapacitor, or NEU. It works by applying nanotechnology to an existing electrical device - the capacitor.
Generic capacitors store energy as an electrical field. That is more efficient than standard batteries, which get their energy from chemical reactions. Even more efficient is the ultracapacitor, a capacitor-based storage cell that provides quick bursts of instant energy. The drawback is size, ultracapacitors need to be much larger than batteries to hold the same charge.
The MIT researchers solved this problem by taking advantage of the enormous surface area of nanotubes - molecular-scale straws of carbon atoms that enable ultracapacitors to store electrical fields at the atomic level.
Storage capacity (and charging speed) in an ultracapacitor is proportional to the surface area of the electrodes, so the nanotubes provide a great leap forward.
Drawbacks
One drawback is that the ultracapacitor provides direct current power. That is suitable for running power-off functions like a laptop's clock, but most desktop devices use alternating current for their main operations.
Launch
Researchers say they still have three to five years more work before they can replace a computer's main battery.
A number of electronic devices already use commercial ultracapacitors for specialized functions. For example, a clock radio may use an ultracapacitor as a keep-alive source in case of power failure, and even the old Palm III used an ultracapacitor to retain its memory while the AA batteries were changed.
The approach is still several years away from being used as the main electricity source for commercial laptops and handhelds, but is already used for backup power in many small consumer products.
Power Efficiency Is Key
The new technology could shake up the retail computer business, chip makers battle for business by launching more efficient processors like Intel's Centrino and AMD's Turion, trading high performance speed for mobile endurance.
Hewlett-Packard says its customers demand longer run-times and faster battery charges. HP Compaq nx9400 notebook will run on three levels of battery packs and also its enhanced lithium ion battery can gain 90 percent of a full charge after just 90 minutes of being plugged into a wall outlet.
By comparison, a consumer with a cell phone powered by MIT's ultracapacitor could gain a complete recharge in just a few seconds, Schindall says.
How It Works
The new device is called a nanotube-enhanced ultracapacitor, or NEU. It works by applying nanotechnology to an existing electrical device - the capacitor.
Generic capacitors store energy as an electrical field. That is more efficient than standard batteries, which get their energy from chemical reactions. Even more efficient is the ultracapacitor, a capacitor-based storage cell that provides quick bursts of instant energy. The drawback is size, ultracapacitors need to be much larger than batteries to hold the same charge.
The MIT researchers solved this problem by taking advantage of the enormous surface area of nanotubes - molecular-scale straws of carbon atoms that enable ultracapacitors to store electrical fields at the atomic level.
Storage capacity (and charging speed) in an ultracapacitor is proportional to the surface area of the electrodes, so the nanotubes provide a great leap forward.
Drawbacks
One drawback is that the ultracapacitor provides direct current power. That is suitable for running power-off functions like a laptop's clock, but most desktop devices use alternating current for their main operations.
Launch
Researchers say they still have three to five years more work before they can replace a computer's main battery.