Super Capacitor Could Power Phone, Laptop for Days

Discovery ^ | 8/31/10 | Eric Bland

[KoRn]

/mark!

[pingman]

Supercapacitor technology is the golden key for making low energy density sources like wind/solar/tidal cost effective.

[DBrow]

“Drawing on the layered design of tear-inducing onions,”

A superb non sequitur! A double if you consider onions and batteries!

Anyone read Riverworld by P H Farmer? Giant batacitors ran a paddlewheel river vessel.

[pingman]

“low energy density” = low density energy

mea culpa

[jonrick46]

Someday they will power the automobile.

[DBrow]

“they can discharge up to 200 volts every second.”

Nonsensical use of units.

[ßuddaßudd]

bookmark

[taxcontrol]

IF optimized and IF commercialized

Two mighty big IFs

[Moonman62]

If commercialized, the new super capacitor could be fully charged in a second and, coupled to a normal battery, provide enough energy to power a cell phone for weeks or a laptop battery for days.

"If commercialized," the two most significant words in the article. What happens when a super capacitor shorts out?

[RobRoy]

I am hearing more and more about graphene. Looks like a breakthrough nanotechnology material.

My understanding about the supercapacitors, or any capacitors is that the amount of energy they can store depends on the amount of surface area. I compare them to lungs in that sense. If they can cram enough surface area into a capacitor, it could revolutionize portable electric power.

Imagine an electric car with a 1000 mile range between charges and it only takes five minutes to charge. Careful not to touch any wires though.

[LibWhacker]

Good catch. You’d think Discovery would employ writers who knew at least a little something about science.

[KarlInOhio]

Watching a reporter discuss electrical engineering is like watching a monkey talk. You're amazed that he does it at all but don't expect him to do it correctly.

[politicket]

However, in contrast to batteries, a capacitor cannot store enough energy to power anything that lasts longer than a flash -- some fraction of a second.

Has this author ever heard of an RC time constant? Or understand the concept of three times tau?

I thought not.

Standard capacitors can discharge much more slowly than "some fraction of a second".

[GraceG]

They should have used Joules.....

Actually watts

[GraceG]

[Good catch. You’d think Discovery would employ writers who knew at least a little something about science. ]

The writer probably had to exit the building in a hurry before they could spell and fact check their article.

[screaminsunshine]

Ka-Boom

[backwoods-engineer]

Depends on the internal resistance. I have some supercapacitors here on my workbench that get hot if you short them out. The lower the internal resistance, the more current they can produce, but in general, for a shorter time.

[DallasMike]

They should have used Joules.....

Didn't you read the article? Diamonds are precious joules.

[Scythian]

I posted this pic first !!! I win