Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Introduces New Technology

[Cern]

Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Introduces New Technology for Fast-Charging, Noncombustible Batteries

https://news.utexas.edu/2017/02/28/goodenough-introduces-new-battery-technology

[GregTheForce]

Wow... That sounds quite interesting ;)

[jbkuma]

This is the first all-solid-state battery cell that can operate under 60 degree Celsius.
Well, that certainly makes it more viable!

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

BRAVO! VERY promising for a vast array of applications, since a better battery solution than lithium ion is greatly needed by the World today...

...HOWEVER whether it will be applicable to our particular set of needs [illuminated saber props] is something I'm still wondering about because of the phrase "SOLID GLASS electrolytes" [emphasis added].

Solid glass electrolytes may well be very useful in devices that won't [in the case of cell phones] or shouldn't [in the case of electric cars] experience high IMPACTS but would they be too fragile for our sabers that are often smashed against one another in 'dueling'?

Afterall that [predictably frequent repeated high dueling impacts] is the reason we don't recommend lithium polymer 'bag' batteries in our hobby eh?

From what is said in that article it seems we wouldnt have to worry about a glass-electrolyte battery saber 'blowing up' a saber in our hand since it uses sodium instead of the atmospherically volatile lithium in LiPo batteries but a saber whose batteries' glass electrodes break the first time it is 'gorilla dueled' with might not be the better battery solution we need for our hobby either. How many of *raises hands* got our start in this because we didnt like how Master Replicas Force FX sabers LED-strings kept breaking in dueling; breaking batteries would not be a great leap forward from that for many of us [shelf-queen saber builders might be fine with it though] eh?

But perhaps the issue of glass fragility under impact has already or will be addressed [not all glass is fragile eg borosilicate glass can be pretty tough - if it is chemically applicable to this use] by the time these get to market...so there is reason to be hopeful and even if it doesnt serve for our specific use here it is very hopeful indeed for the World's needs overall.

[jbkuma]

Not all glass is the common stuff we deal with day to day (which in itself is not all the same). If the battery has no hope of surviving a wreck, it will not find a place in cars.

[Thalan the Exiled]

If they are looking to put these in cellphones and cars then thay have already worked or are working on the durability. Cellphones are abused all the time so these would have to be nice and sturdy.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

You're right though I doubt many cellphones or cars are deliberately and repeatedly smashed into one another like our sabers are but what is really promising about these is the higher energy density and especially the higher discharge rates which is what we really need to move the hobby beyond the triple and quad LED stars usual today to the high-power octuple or dodeca-LED arrays that the new tiny LED emitters make possible if we had the batteries to feed them [and suitable optics of course] which might get us to the Holy Grail of 'daylight sabers'; there is certainly a 'bright' potential for these if their required chemistry is compatible with stronger glasses which the article isnt specific about and if the market actually produces batteries using those instead of 'ordinary' glass. most likely not an insoluble problem but our 'niche' hobby is a tiny market and has to piggyback off what technology is made for other 'conventional' uses and if those other uses only need 'ordinary' glass not expensive superstrong specialty glass electrolytes that can take repeated impacts...well time will tell but lets hope for the best eh?