Oh does this bring back memories. More after the jump.
From LiveScience, May 8:
Electric cars and laptop batteries could charge up much faster and last longer thanks to a new structure that can be used to make much better capacitors in the future.
A new material structure could revolutionize energy storage by enabling the capacitors in electric vehicles or devices to store energy for much longer, scientists say.
Researchers have developed capacitors from new "heterostructures" with a novel property that reduces the speed at which energy dissipates without affecting their ability to charge quickly.
The new discovery — which the scientists say was unintended and builds off novel electronics work — could be the foundation for better battery life across consumer devices such as laptops or smartphones, as well as more flexibility in grid-scale energy storage. The scientists described their findings in a study published April 18 in the journal Science.
While batteries can store energy for a long period, they take a long time to charge and discharge electricity. This is where capacitors come in — they store electricity in an electric field that can be quickly charged and discharged for rapid access to power as needed.
Smartphones, for example, generally use power from the battery but get energy from capacitors when power is needed in a short burst — such as for a camera flash. Each smartphone typically has hundreds of capacitors....
....MUCH MORE
There was a time when capacitors were the next big thing. A story in headlines:
November 2007
Smarter energy storage for solar and wind power (Batteries, Supercapacitors)
January 2008
Lockheed Martin Signs Agreement with EESTOR, Inc., for Energy Storage Solutions (LMT)
February 2009
X Prize Foundation Targets Ultracapacitor Technology for New Contest
April 2009
EEStor Claims New Energy Storage Milestone, But Still No Product
July 2009
EEStor: "Leaked CEO conversation suggests electricity revolution coming"
May 2012
Kleiner's EEStor Lives!
July 2022
"Supercapacitors: The Next Revolution in Electronics"
Unfortunately for some investors, supercapacitors have been the next revolution in electronics for twenty years, and to date no one has completely unleashed their almost magical potential.*
EEStor Corporation Announces that it will Change its Name to FuelPositive Corporation
